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Jazz Alley

One of those albums that if I never heard it again in this lifetime that would be fine with me.

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In Reply to: RE: I think I finally know the answer posted by Mike K on January 19, 2022 at 09:49:33

When I was 19 'In a Silent Way' was released and the local FM station (underground FM in those days) played it constantly. I had two FM radios, one on each side of my bed and although this wasn't real stereo, since they each had different frequency responses the bass would come out from one and the treble from the other: pseudo stereo.

Anyway, I had no idea what was going on with IaSW, but I found it fascinating and compelling and started to really like the music. It inspired me to search other albums by MD and his band mates. Eventually, I abandoned the jazz/rock idiom of MD and found early 1950s MD, Weather Report, Freddy Hubbard, and Mingus much more stimulating and exciting.

Fast forward 35 years and I bought 'The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions' three-disc box set. It was a nostalgia buy, of course, since IaSW had introduced me to jazz. But I was absolutely horrified by what I heard. It is simply three hours of noodling, meandering and jamming. It is a miracle that Teo Macero found 40 minutes of somewhat coherent music within all that meandering.

As for KoB, it is one of those albums that if I never heard it again in this lifetime, that would be fine with me. Again, it is pablum intended to introduce the R&R audience to jazz. In that regard it is truly masterful: insipid melodies that anyone can understand with good solos that will not offend those whose sole criteria for a guitar player is being adept at playing repetitive notes at a lightning pace.

So I place KoB right up there with 'Hotel California' as the album I would least like to hear again.

Follow Ups:

Jeez. I sure don't care that you never wanna hear KOB again. But..... - Rick W 13:16:56 01/20/22 (7)
I gotta say your characterization of the music as "pablum intended to introduce the R&R audience to jazz." is just plain mistaken. Can you site other jazz albums pre-KOB that were based on modal music? Good luck finding some. With the music on KOB Miles not only influenced the harmonic direction of jazz he also influenced virtually all pop idioms.

Palustris, its certainly not my goal to insult you nor am I in the habit of posting to criticize inmates' personal taste in music. After all the intervening years and recordings KOB is definitely NOT my fave Miles recording. I've always found the audiophool fascination with every f'ing new mastering/pressing of KOB (as well as Brubeck's Time Out) to be pretty lame. But man, at the time it was released KOB was damn near revolutionary, hardly pablum. Off the top of my head I can't think of any jazz/pop/rock music that wasn't based on II/V harmony or blues progressions or both prior to KOB. Since KOB there've been a billion recordings based on modal music.

KOB was recorded in '59. Miles was over a decade away from making any kind of inroads at all with r&r audiences. His groups worked in jazz clubs and at jazz festivals, not at venues like the Fillmore. KOB was not something played on rock stations. Miles and his sidemen still wore suits at gigs.
- RE: Jeez. I never wanna hear KOB again. - Palustris 09:14:33 01/21/22 (1)
  Well, I am not attempting to insult anyone either. I am not disputing that "Miles not only influenced the harmonic direction of jazz he also influenced virtually all pop idioms." My point is that it is entirely irrelevant to my enjoyment of the music on KoB. I have heard it hundreds of times. I am tired of it. I don't need to hear it again.
  
  I remember a concert I attended about 1969 by some blues legend whose name I have forgotten (maybe Howlin' Wolf). His music was politely received by the audience for most of the concert. Then the bass player started to play the riff from 'All Blues'. The crowd had no idea where the music originated, but they loved it. They were stomping and clapping along. The band was pleased to get a positive reaction finally and just riffed on 'All Blues' for the rest of the set. So, I certainly don't deny the accessibility of the music from KoB, I personally have moved on in the last 50 years.
  - "I personally have moved on in the last 50 years." - Dave Pogue 13:09:29 01/21/22 (0)
    So did Miles. Guess you didn't notice.
- George Russell's "New York, New York", for one. But I believe he championed the idiom. mt - viridian 14:19:10 01/20/22 (4)
  Nt
  - Also released in '59 and his system is based on one mode, Lydian. Good point though. nt - Rick W 14:43:43 01/20/22 (3)
    nt
    - Recording started in '58 but continued into '59. Do you think.. - viridian 15:04:18 01/20/22 (2)
      ..that the money was not there to complete the project in '58, or he couldn't get those top drawer musicians lined up? I tried to research it once, but could never figure it out. Probably the later as Decca certainly had ample resources.
      - Ya got me. I think he was always a respected guy among musicians. nt - Rick W 17:16:24 01/20/22 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Recording started in '58 but continued into '59. Do you think.. posted by viridian on January 20, 2022 at 15:04:18
        
        nt
        
        Thank you. nt - viridian 19:43:19 01/20/22 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ya got me. I think he was always a respected guy among musicians. nt posted by Rick W on January 20, 2022 at 17:16:24
        
        Nt

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