by Erik R. Slagle
Miles Davis would have turned 100 next year – he was, of course, taken far too soon; this month marks 34 years since his passing. Since then, there’s been no shortage of “new” Miles releases: compilations, remixes and remasterings, box sets, and previously unreleased live recordings. (Even during his lifetime, earlier recordings that never made their way onto an album would pop up on compilations like 1976’s “Water Babies,” released during his mid-career hiatus.) Just last year, Sony released the 8th in its “bootleg” Miles Davis series – “Miles in France 1963 and 1964”.
Recordings like “Kind of Blue,” “Seven Steps to Heaven” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” are easily accessible for listeners ranging from jazz fans to general music lovers; “Sketches of Spain,” “In a Silent Way” and “Bitches Brew” are well-known to those who scratch the surface a bit more and explore the roots of his fusion years (in fact, of the entire fusion movement). But here are a few more to add to your playlist if you want to dig deeper into the many sides of one of history’s most prolific and innovative musical geniuses:
Agharta, Pangaea, or both: “Agharta” is more danceable (reportedly influencing the Beastie Boys’ seminal 1994 release, “Ill Communication”), “Pangaea” more experimental, but either of these double-live albums is worth adding to your collection. Both were recorded in Osaka, Japan, on the same day in 1975: they’re the afternoon and evening concerts, respectively, of Davis’ appearance. Davis and his band take a minimalist approach to allow for more soloing throughout the epics – though even these solos seem to blend perfectly into and out of one another, so that no one musician can be said to stand out.
Rubberband: Recorded in 1985 but unreleased until 2019, “Rubberband” comes with a characteristic mid-80s smooth jazz vibe that also allows Miles to collaborate with R&B vocalists Randy Hall, Lalah Hathaway, and Ledisi. Uneven at times but solid overall, it’s a fascinating look into the latter stages of Davis’ evolution as an artist.
Doo-Bop: Even as his health declined, Davis never slowed down. In early 1991, he teamed up with a hip-hop producer introduced to him by Russell Simmons, and the result was “Doo-Bop,” released the year after his death. Not quite jazz and not quite hip-hop, it stands with “Rubberband” as a satisfying bookend to his nearly 50-year run.
His soundtrack recordings - Ascenseur pour L’echafaud (“Elevator to the Gallows”), Siesta, The Hot Spot and Dingo. The first track on the “Columbia Years” boxed set is “Generique,” but it doesn’t come from a standalone album. You’ll find the gorgeous, smoky opus on the soundtrack from the 1958 film “Ascenseur pour L’echafaud.” Davis scored and performed the entire album at the [first] peak of his career. He loved Paris, and by all reports, Paris loved him. Dennis Hopper’s “The Hot Spot” from 1990 features a soundtrack that teams Miles with John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, and more – a relatively unknown collection of blues tunes that doesn’t have a weak spot among its 13 tracks. “Siesta” from 1987 and “Dingo” from 1991 (recorded just before his death) are also more than worth a listen.
