Deuce Miles
On the Corner (1972): The purists' worst nightmare. This album is not about jazz improvisations or melodies for they are brief. Miles plays seldomly. The album is one big jam session, one groove with no full songs. This was the album that set the experimental ideas of acid jazz and hip-hop in the late 80's and early 90's.
In Concert (1973): Coming off the heels of On the Corner, this live date is quite a piece. It's hard to hear Miles play while he prefers playing the organ more here. At least there are some grooves here. Otherwise, most of the music is untight and a mess sometimes. Even as a big fan, I would purchase other live dates before this one. Disc two is probably is the better one of the two.
Get Up With It (1973): An unusual album that features a eulogy to the late Duke Ellington, "He Loved Him Madly." Funnny that I think they only met once. The album moves fairly slowly and the highlight is Rated X, Honky Tonk and Maiysha. A nice double album, but less rockin'.
Dark Magus (1974): A live date at Carnegie Hall. Here Davis plays some of his "On the Corner" stuff as well as other delights that form one big long jam. My favorite track is the first one, Moja. Interestingly enough, Davis has two sax players come in and do their first date with them, not only as a live date, but a recording as well. By now, Miles had made his sound so thick that another musician would have been barely audible. This is as acid jazz would be in the 70's...pushing the boundaries ever so. Not for the light hearted, but I dig it. Shortly Miles would retire.
Pangea (1975): The last performance of Miles before his six year retirement. This double album has only two tracks that stem partially from the Magus days, but this live performance in Osaka Japan exhibits the rhythm section of his band. The guitar solos by Reggie Lucas is great and thus makes Zimbabwe a fun tune. One wonders what might could have been had Miles continued.
Agartha (1975): Taken from the same venue from Pangea, this afternoon concert (Pangea was the evening one) shows tracks like Maiysha and Theme from Jack Johnson in good form. I feel that this set is more mellower than the Pangea one. Both double albums are good to have. At this time MIles was ill; ulcers, sickle-cell anemia and just being burnt out for doing this all these years. For many, we have marveled at Miles' choice of notes and phases in his playing. For the next six years Miles chose silence . Sheeet!
