Miles Davis, Dark Magus: Live at Carnegie Hall 1974

[Guy Berger]

Still on an electric-Miles kick.

I think this concert is an interesting counterpoint to the similar Agharta and Pangaea. The band is very similar (DM has an additional saxophonist and guitarist) and they share a lot of the same "compositions".

On the one hand, it doesn't quite achieve the peaks of those two later recordings -- the band became more sophisticated over time. On the other hand, I feel that this is a more consistent, sustained performance; the 1975 albums have long lulls (especially in the second halves) when nothing much is going on and that doesn't happen as often on Dark Magus.

I wish Michael Henderson had been recorded more prominently.

Guy

Edited April 30, 2007 by Guy

[GregK]

I've never been able to appreciate this one. Very dense (I actually like a lot of those "lulls"). I need to go back and listen again.

[J Larsen]

I actually prefer this one to Agharta and Pangaea. To my ears, this is his darkest and most evil sounding record - it is almost sort of punk. Not one I throw on a lot, but it definitely fills a certain need very well.

[Quincy]

I love this one, especially the way it opens. Instantly recognizable too. So thick, dense and funky.

A few years ago a friend was very excited about a low quality '74 Miles boot he had gotten. He lent it to me, and like that old game show I could name the show within 3 notes. I had to break the news to him that he already owned it in finer sounding form.

I agree with Mr. Larsen - this one should have been titled Live-Evil. It sure doesn't sound like it was played at Carnegie Hall.

Edited May 1, 2007 by Quincy

[J Larsen]

It sure doesn't sound like it was played at Carnegie Hall.

So true!! Somehow I had never really visualized this happening there, even though of course I always knew that it had. It really sounds like it's happening in some seedy club in a dodgy neighborhood back in a day when there were truly dodgy neighborhoods in lower Manhattan.

[jazzbo]

I have to be in the very very very right mood for this. . . I don't play it often. But it's quite intense and stygian.

[Guest donald petersen]

i really like the beginning of the second disc which seems to be sort of based on "the big payback".

it is maybe tough to judge this particular show in the context of other shows from around this time since azar lawrence is up there on stage and this band also had gaumont on guitar, who isn't on that much stuff.

the beginning of disc 2 is so hot. i love this album.

i find a lot of the later 73 stuff kinda boring since it all begins to sound the same...but this is more interesting to me. '75 starts to get interesting again, to my ears-maybe because some new compositions were introduced into the repetoire or maybe it is because i like fortune a lot more than liebman.

[Guest donald petersen]

guye-i find henderson to be, if not prominent, very heavy in the mix. i think he is mixed in fine. that's just me, though....

i wonder if having gaumont allowed cosey to do more percussion stuff and that adds to the sound...it kind of seems like it.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

hey jazz cats, does anyone know what kind of drumbox miles was playing on this one? you know that part somewhere inthe middle where they turn on the drum box to some fast random ass pattern? its definetly on there. this one is a favorite of chewys, regarding 'electric miles', but the one that completely takes the cake as best miles show ever has to be Belgrade 71- takes the cake by far

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

and it really DOES have a "dark" feel to it-- always listen to it @ 2 am!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

back in the 90s would drive aorund in the night listeneing to this-- it is really a spooky cd

[Guest donald petersen]

chewy chew chew-that is a good point i was going to mention in my last post-miles had to be one of the first (and only) users of drum machines (i guess they would say rhythm boxes) in a sort of jazz style around that time. i think that's probably cosey doing it. there is a lot of live video footage floating around-i bet if you look around enough you can find a clip of cosey (or mtume) using the thing. i think it just looked like a black box and i have no idea what brand/type of drum machine it was. i wonder if you couldn't program it with your own beats and just had to use some preset patterns. i assume this was the case.

also, chewy chew chew chew-i agree with you about the '71 show. i love that group with jarrett and bartz and ndugu and alias and mtume and henderson. i assume this is the group you are talking about (and perhaps the "another bitches brew" 71/73 bootleg which i think is 2 belgrade shows. that is probably my favorite miles davis group. jarrett sounds so good on the electric piano and i love when the band would just break it down for bartz to do his thing over.

[B. Clugston]

Mtume played the drum machine/rhythm box.

Cosey does play a fair bit of percussion, particularly on Disc 2. That's most likely him playing mbira.

I don't think Gaumont and Lawrence are on Disc 1. Some sources say Gaumont is, but the Miles bio that had interviews with Gaumont said he and Lawrence joined the band for the second half.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

chewy has never seen video of miles in the 70s. i know theres a lot

[jazzbo]

Mtume played the drum machine/rhythm box.

Cosey does play a fair bit of percussion, particularly on Disc 2. That's most likely him playing mbira.

I don't think Gaumont and Lawrence are on Disc 1. Some sources say Gaumont is, but the Miles bio that had interviews with Gaumont said he and Lawrence joined the band for the second half.

NOW WAIT A MINUTE I HAVE SEEN COSEY WITH A BEAT BOX --- I"VE SEEN IT!

[Guy Berger]

chewy chew chew-that is a good point i was going to mention in my last post-miles had to be one of the first (and only) users of drum machines (i guess they would say rhythm boxes) in a sort of jazz style around that time.

I think it's interesting that Miles used it in such an unconventional way -- it's never used (at least in the recordings I've heard) to actually lay down the rhythm.

Guy

[B. Clugston]

Mtume played the drum machine/rhythm box.

Cosey does play a fair bit of percussion, particularly on Disc 2. That's most likely him playing mbira.

I don't think Gaumont and Lawrence are on Disc 1. Some sources say Gaumont is, but the Miles bio that had interviews with Gaumont said he and Lawrence joined the band for the second half.

NOW WAIT A MINUTE I HAVE SEEN COSEY WITH A BEAT BOX --- I"VE SEEN IT!

Cosey had lots of toys. He also played a Synthi A. It could well be him on rhythm box on Dark Magus, but Mtume seemed to play it more, at least in the examples I've heard. Mtume also played a small percussion device that sounded a lot like a drum machine because of the way it was miked.

[Eric]

I actually prefer this one to Agharta and Pangaea. To my ears, this is his darkest and most evil sounding record - it is almost sort of punk. Not one I throw on a lot, but it definitely fills a certain need very well.

Agree with your assessment - very, very cool stuff.

[mjzee]

Was a video of this concert made by CBS/Sony? I ask because all the photos on the album jacket are stills from video.