Miles in the Sky

by

Miles Davis

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Shortly before embarking on the voyages of change that were "In a Silent Way" and of course "Bitches Brew," Miles and his quintet recorded this underrated record. It's unlikely that you'll find it on many listeners' "Best of" lists of Miles' recordings; however, it's a minor gem that is buried in his huge discography.

It's true that on "Miles in the Sky" the group sticks more than a collective toe into the rock waters. But jazz listeners shouldn't be frightened off by that. This is still a rock-solid jazz record. Tony Williams is especially effective at bridging the gap between rock and jazz drumming. As the best example, check out his and Miles' incredible rapport on "Country Son." Tony's fascinating work on this song and throughout the record reminds us of what a great musician we lost when he passed.

George Benson's contribution on "Paraphernalia" is superior as well. He too manages to imply a rock feel in his playing without ever abandoning the fluidity and freedom of jazz.

For those listeners more comfortable with Miles' fusion material, this might be the album that treads close enough to rock to satisfy you, but it might also be the album that whets your appetite for earlier Columbia dates that this quintet recorded. Once you get a taste of those, you might find it hard to be fully satisfied with the later material.

Miles Davis spent the mid-sixties utilizing an exciting young band to formulate an answer to Ornette Coleman's "new thing" by responding with his own unique strain of progressive jazz. But by the time they went into the studio to record "Miles in the Sky" in early 1968, Miles was ready to start incorporating some popular (Sly Stone, etc.) styles of music into his own.

The leadoff song "Stuff" must have a shock to the jazz world when it was first made public. It is arguably the first true fusion song ever. In it, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter play the electric versions of their instruments (one can visualize Carter playing a Fender bass with an unamused look on his face), and Tony Williams employs a haunting, rock beat. Still, the song's modal structure suggests that it is still an acoustic song underneath. "Paraphenalia" returns the group to the acoustic setup, but features Miles' first electric guitarist, George Benson--how about THAT for a trivial question?!

The remaining two songs are in the same vein as those found in the earlier "Sorcorcer" album, but break no new ground here. "Country Son" contains some of Miles' most spirited trumpet playing in years but changes tempo too much to allow the listener to stay involved.

Overall, this isn't exactly a landmark effort, but even when Miles' is not at full speed he passes up most everyone else. When you're finished buying his classics, take a look at this one.