The Unassailable Miles Davis, or, To Know Him Is To Love Him

like what jazz cognoscenti

second great quintet pretty universally adored too right

wasn't that era wynton marsalis's greatest inspiration

It seems like in the last 10-15 years even most people who hated the electric period either died or went into hiding. But I've literally never heard anyone suggest that he peaked at BOTC.

The Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool documentary on BBC2 tonight. A++

Also now on Netflix in North America btw.

yes it was good. horrific stuff with his wife. i didn't realise she was going to be in the west side story movie.

made me want to hang out with lenny white. 'and it just moved, like an amoeba... every now and again something sticking out, just all moving along together'

I ffwd through most of this tbh

not much there that was new but i ate up actually seeing everyone tell those stories.

Missed this, but may still be on PBS.org and/or re-broadcast for fundraisers etc.:

American Masters, starting Tues.:
Discover the man behind the legend. With full access to the Miles Davis Estate, the film features never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from his recording sessions, rare photos and new interviews.
https://aptv.org/schedule/detail.php?epid=2378952

― dow, Saturday, February 22, 2020

This was pretty boilerplate but a fun watch. The “never-before-seen/heard” stuff wasn’t a big deal imo. Like abt 98% of music docs, I just wished it had more actual uninterrupted music and performance.

Yup

Carlos Santana was funny

Was that West Side Story thing movie or Broadway show? I think film was a translation of a theatre thing to the screen.
Yeah, seriously nasty. Glad she was around to tell the tale. Her and Juliette Greco.

I think I'd seen most of the performance video stuff cos a lot of its been around on bootleg for the last decade at least.
Not sure about the 'In Performance ' set they used to illustrate On The Corner with the Indian percussion stuff.
& I think they used a clip of the band around 1969 with Dave Holland on electric bass to illustrate something a bit later. But not sure.

Quite enjoyed it though.

& had just caught a Fairport Convention doc on Sky Arts before that was mainly good. Missed the start though.
Also saw that ZZ Top Little Old Band From Texas thing on Sky Arts the night before. So great week for biodocs.

I liked when Stanley Crouch was like “it just didn’t sound good”

Wasn’t surprised to hear Crouch say that. Although some of the stuff in the doc I wasn’t that familiar with, so it was worth seeing for me.

Crouch is right. It didnt sound good, it sounded AMAZING

go tell that shit to your new leader, Sting

All the Complete sessions are being reissued and are available from his store: https://www.milesdavisstore.com/store/

I'm mulling over "The Complete On The Corner Sessions".

They gotta reissue the trumpet case!

https://www.popsike.com/pix/20180121/173113313489.jpg

i’m mulling over a “bitches brew” 50th anniversary coffee mug

the tshirt with the sketches of spain graphic is tite

I need physical copies of the 1965-68 quintet box and the In A Silent Way Sessions box. Thanks for the tip!

suprised they don't have VOTE FOR MILES shirts or buttons

All the Complete sessions are being reissued and are available from his store: https://www.milesdavisstore.com/store🕸/

I'm mulling over "The Complete On The Corner Sessions".

That’d be Newton Free, GMBB.

Thanks for the heads up! I think I might have to get On the Corner, it's the only one I want that I don't already have. (although I'm kinda tempted to swap out my Jack Johnson set since I only have the long box version that doesn't match the others)

That trumpet case is such a flex--just went through my old CD-Rs a couple nights ago and was v glad to find my burned copies on the Complete On The Corner; going to find some quarantime to put in the work

That’d be Newton Free, GMBB.

Hah, we borrowed the same copy! I made a playlist of my favorite bonus bits from the box, still not sure I need it all, my picks:
One And One (unedited master) - not the same song!
Jabali
The Hen
Peace
Mr. Foster
Hip-Skip
What They Do

It makes a perfect companion to OTC with a similar feel.

Thanks for the revive, this is great news. Would love to get the 65-68 box (and maybe the OTC one too).

Is it all of them? I don’t see Cellar Door in there (which is another I’d consider).

Why the fuck did they wait for a global pandemic/economic meltdown to do this?

no plugged nickle from what i can see

i just got the Bitches Brew box set last year (the long tall one). for some reason i was under the impression that OtC was the only OOP studio box? maybe just because i don't think i ever saw it in an actual physical store

in a silent way box i listen to all the frickin time

The Cellar Door and Plugged Nickel boxes have never been reissued since they came out.

The On The Corner box was the only one of the Complete ... Sessions sets they allowed to go out of print.

Yeah, I think the other ones can be picked up p easily in used CD shops across the country

the 65-68 second great quintet box is fantastic — though it does throw into relief how well sequenced the original albums actually were.

Plugged Nickel comes in 7 and 8 disc versions - the latter has an extra gig?

Listening to Workin' today, and it's beautiful and perfect

Plugged Nickel comes in 7 and 8 disc versions - the latter has an extra gig?

Nope; it was a Japan-only release in 1992 and several tracks were edited by two or three minutes so that the second set would fit on a single CD. In the 8CD box, it's split across two discs.

quality discographical info, thanks

Is the 15% discount applying for anyone ordering one of the Complete Sessions? It's saying it's applied but I'm not seeing it deduct anything and there is a caveat that "Some exclusions may apply including media" ...

Welp, sounds like pre-orders aren't eligible for some reason according to the email. Boo.

Can someone help me out by identifying this woman? This is from near the end of the American Masters documentary. I need her name for something. I'm sure she's identified earlier in the film, but I don't want to rewatch the whole thing right now.

https://phildellio.tripod.com/birth.JPG

(Terribly photographed with a camera, because you can't take screenshots from Netflix.)

Is it Frances Taylor? I feel like she was interviewed quite a bit in that.

She is, but it's not her (she appears directly after that scene and is identified). I think I'll have to watch the film again--my friend, who interviewed Davis in the late '80s, wasn't sure either. They must identify her earlier in the film.

Marguerite Cantu

Yes! Many thanks.

"Bess, You Is My Woman Now," right now on local station: arrangement briefly intros Miles and then disappears, staying out of his way (thanks, Gil). Living breathing solo.

Or I should say the melodic statement is the solo, and vice versa. Wow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtHljmUJxKM/

Jack DeJohnette’s Tribute to Miles Davis & More
AUGUST 9, 2023 @ 7:30pm

Performers:
Jack DeJohnette
Will Calhoun
Vernon Reid
Don Byron
George Colligan
Luisito Quintero
Matt Garrison

Plus:
Very Special Guests to be announced August 7, 2023.
Who might they be? Well… there’s a reason we need a 1,500 seat theatre!

Ticket Link

You might want to grab your tickets before August 7th…
Once we announce, those remaining seats will go Light Speed!!

Let’s Goooo!!! 🎉🙌🙏❤️