By 1974, Miles Davis had become not only a music legend in general and a jazz legend in particular, but also a reclusive and confounding character. Davis' music had excited many and exasperated others, including many of his older fans, with its forays into space-age free-form meta-funk. Released in 1974 but unavailable on CD in the US until 2000, GET UP WITH IT is a compendium of several of Miles's early-to-mid-'70s studio adventures, and one of the most challenging albums in his catalog.
Cardboard sleeve reissue features remastering in 2013 and the high-fidelity Blu-spec CD2 format (compatible with standard CD players). Includes bonus track(s) (subject to change). A welcome reissue of music first recorded in 1971 and 1972, shortly before Dean left the popular British jazz-rock group the Soft Machine, which he had officially joined only a short time earlier, in late 1969. On this recording, Dean plays alto sax, saxello and electric piano and is aided by a group of musicians which includes two additional Soft Machine members, Mike Ratledge on organ and electric piano and Roy Babbington on string bass.
This album is perhaps most significant for the process it set in motion – the collaboration between Gil Evans and Miles Davis that would produce Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain, two of Davis' best albums. That said, this album is a miracle in itself, the result of a big gamble on the part of Columbia Records, who put together Evans and Davis, who hadn't worked together since recording the critically admired but commercially unsuccessful sides that would later be issued as The Birth of the Cool.
An excellent mid 70s Japanese fusion set, led by the Gil Evans protege Masabumi Kikuchi – with a very similar group to the one on his awesome Susto LP! The vibe isn't quite as funky on this outing – in fact it's a bit more reminiscent of Miles' spacey electric explorations – though there are some pretty hard groovin' moments should definitely appeal to fans of funky fusion. Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman play some nice coloristic lines on reeds, and Terumasa Hino is in fine form on trumpet. The rest of the group is rounded out by Reggie Lucas on guitar playing some hard choppy accompaniment to Kikuchi's synths and electric piano, Mtume on percussion, Al Foster on drums and Anthony Jackson on bass. We're especially keen on the dark and heavy "Auroral Flare", the spacious "Pacific Hushes" which opens with a beautiful line played by Hino and the set's closer "Alone".
A beautiful lost session from Lee Konitz – one that has him blowing beautifully over larger backings penned by Jimmy Giuffre – all done with that great blend of modern and swing that Jimmy was bringing to his best work of the 50s! Bill Evans and Jim Hall provide support in the rhythm section, using their fluid styles of piano and guitar to gently swing the tunes without pushing too much on the bottom – so that Lee's flowing solos on alto are allowed to glide majestically over the top! The Konitz presented here is a rare one, and an extremely charming player who's more concerned with tone and soul than on some of his other more modern outings of the time.
A wonderful album from the great Cedar Walton trio that featured Sam Jones on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – a really beautiful group of musicians who completely transformed the sound of the piano trio in the 70s! The group played together often in the 70s, and they've never sounded better than on an album like this – freely soulful and dancing, with Walton in firm command of his talents – sometimes coming on with the strength of his early 60s material, but always opening up with a more exploratory vibe too. Walton worked often in this mode for the decades that followed this set – but this Japanese album is almost the start of that great legacy, and still one of the best from this group! Titles include "Con Alma", "Suite Sunday", "Suntory Blues", and "Fantasy In D".
An excellent collection of rare material by this fantastic modernist piano player! The record compiles rare recordings from the years 1951 to 1966, including a few excellent solo recordings that stand as essential gems from his underrecorded career. Titles include "Ju Ju", "Pastime", "Stretch", "Dream: Paris 1965", and "Descent Into The Maelstrom". (Great Japanese pressing!) This hard-to-find LP starts off with the utterly unique title cut. On this completely atonal track (which predates Cecil Taylor by a few years), Lennie Tristano overdubbed several pianos and created picturesque and extremely intense music.
A great live set from Sadao Watanabe – one that shows the wealth of influences he'd been drawing on, from post-Coltrane spirituality, to African-oriented rhythms, to a slight bit of funk! The group's great – with Watanabe on flute, alto, and soprano sax, Takehiro Honda on Fender Rhodes and piano, Kazumi Watanabe on guitar, plus added bass, trombone, and percussion – and we especially like Honda's keyboards, which make any session like this an instant treat! The album's got a warm, soulful feeling, but a sharper edge than most of Watanabe's smoother work of the time – and titles include "Hiro", "Maraica", "Wana Tanzania", and "Mathari Terbenam".
Miles in Berlin is an album recorded on September 25, 1964 by the Miles Davis Quintet at the Philharmonie Hall, Berlin, Germany. Finally this classic set by the Second Quintet is widely available in the US. Berlin isn't quite as clean as Funny Valentine and Four and More, the trumpet is clearly overloading the input level here and there, you can hear the distortion. But don't let that put you off. this is another incredible performance by The Mile Davis Quintet. Reissue Producer: Michael Cuscuna and Bob Belden. Mastered by Mark Wilder.
Often derided or misunderstood during the time of their original release, Miles Davis' numerous releases following BITCHES BREW are now recognized for their startlingly unconventional beauty. Drawing on rock and funk, Miles unflinchingly followed his muse into the subtle dynamics to be found in hypnotically relentless repetition overlaid with fiery soloing…