Miles - Amandla

[JSngry]

Just finished my first serious listen t this one oin a few years and was frankly blown away by the amount of substance there is to be had here. Of course, very little of it has to do with what various forces over the years have been for various reasons been trying to convince people is "really" "jazz", but if that's what you're looking for, then, hey...your buffet table's already been set, so eat until you puke, or whatever you do on those cruise ships where critical thinking and confronting the non-familiar are aggressively removed from the itinerary.

Otherwise, check it out - so much rhythmic, tonal, textural, structural (but there's so many vamps, I can hear people whining, well, yeah, but check out what goes on on top and in between, a whole big bunch of variety there, none of it simple-minded). Tutu has sort of become "the" late-period Miles album, but I tell ya', Side 1 of that one earns its keep, But Side 2 gets kinda iffy more than a few times. But Amandla, Amandla is strong from start to finish. Strong, creative, energized, and wholly of, yet not imprisoned by, even transcendent of (like all great Populist Art) its time.

If we have a future where the entirety of an artists' catalog will still be evaluated on its own merits (like we have one now, YEAH, RIGHT!), then Amandla will surely rise from its currently status of token appreciation to take its place as one of Miles' crowning achievements and "everybody" will "know" it like they do Kind Of Blue or some such. Then again, so will Filles De Kilimanjaro.

I ain't holding my breath, but I'm just saying, do not overlook or casually encounter Amandla. It has so much more to offer, if you want to get to it.

[papsrus]

Loved this little one-star, counter opinion from a "jazz fan" over at amazon:

This electronically challenged mumbo-jumbo from the eighties might very well appeal to the broader audiences Miles Davis has tried to reach throughout a great portion of his career.

However, for a jazz fan such as myself it is a great pity to hear this brilliant trumpeter in a completely inappropiate surroundings.

Each to his or her own, I guess. It's odd how some folks take such great offense at what he was doing in the latter part of his career/life. (The minority, of those who offered opinions at amazon, I should point out). I'm not familiar with his music from this period, but the brief sound samples do offer a hint of what you describe, the jazz fan's sensibilities notwithstanding. At some point, I'll wade into this. Not sure the time is now.

Edited July 26, 2009 by papsrus

[AndrewHill]

Hey, I'm willing to give this period of Miles' career a chance!

[Dan Gould]

Just finished my first serious listen t this one oin a few years and was frankly blown away by the amount of substance there is to be had here. Of course, very little of it has to do with what various forces over the years have been for various reasons been trying to convince people is "really" "jazz", but if that's what you're looking for, then, hey...your buffet table's already been set, so eat until you puke, or whatever you do on those cruise ships where critical thinking and confronting the non-familiar are aggressively removed from the itinerary.

I sincerely find this aggravating if not offensive.

Even if "critical thinking" and "confronting the non-familiar" is lacking in some way, why the attack? Amandla is chockful of "MUSIC"? Great, have at it. But it surely doesn't help your cause (of getting people to listen closely to this record) to take pot shots at people who haven't bought into the "everything Miles did is f-ing great" club. For one thing, they've probably heard enough to know that it ain't their cuppa, and telling them that they don't think critically or confront the non-familiar ain't gonna help change their minds.

[JSngry]

I'm not telling anybody that they're not. Some fine musical minds don't doig this at all, just as some do. Fine minds and good tastes can, will, and should differ.

I'm just saying that those "jazz fans" who don't think critically or confront the non-familiar won't like this.

Nothing more.

[kh1958]

I also like this record. This last period of Miles is perfectly fine and enjoyable to me. And his trumpet sound remains quite beautiful, even if simplified from earlier periods.

[Chuck Nessa]

I just think it is not very interesting. So much other stuff going on at the time. Digging it as nostalgia isn't in my sights.

[Hoppy T. Frog]

I've really tried to dig what Miles was doing in this period, but nothing moves me from this era except Aura.

[jeffcrom]

Amandla made a big impact on me when it came out, but its appeal has not lasted for me. To my ears, Miles' playing is at times beautiful, but also kind of boxed in. I think the fact that (except for parts of "Mr. Pastorius") he is blowing over pre-recorded tracks instead of interacting with a rhythm section limits the music to an extent. In retrospect, I think many of us got a little carried away at the time because the album was so much better than we thought it was going to be. I understand and respect those who disagree.

This is the album that made me a Kenny Garrett fan, though.

[JSngry]

And his trumpet sound remains quite beautiful, even if simplified from earlier periods.

And that's one of the things that stands out to me. It's not so much simplicity as it is distillation. The phrases are quite clearly enunciated, incredibly succinct, but at the same time, some of the note choices are really "out" relative to the underlying harmony. But you'd not know it unless you had cause to think about it, and the whole thing is so effortless that unless you do an "analytical" listening, you'd not realize that there might even be a reason to think about it.

I know Miles' chops were not always at their peak during this final period, but rather than do a (for example) Dizzy and keep on playing what he knew as he knew it, just more and more weakly, Miles went on ahead and found a way to fit what he knew into a modified (again, the word "distilled" is what comes to mind) way where everything he knew still came out, and quite clearly. No small feat that, and definitely not the act of a "coaster". There's nothing simplistic about Miles' playing here. It's anything but. What it is is graceful, elegant, regal, and above all, knowing.

Sometime we can talk about the rhythmic diversities on these cuts. There's a wealth of music just in those...

[JSngry]

To my ears, Miles' playing is at times beautiful, but also kind of boxed in. I think the fact that (except for parts of "Mr. Pastorius") he is blowing over pre-recorded tracks instead of interacting with a rhythm section limits the music to an extent.

I can see that...the only thing I can counter with is that by this time, Miles was "making records" instead of "recording", if you know what I mean. That's a whole 'nother skill, mindset, whatever, and definitely not one that everybody likes or respects (and fair enough about that). But ultimately, he was interacting with a "rhythm section", just not in real time...

Just curious, how do you feel about the live shows from the same time, where he is playing with a live band?

[Guest Bill Barton]

Count me in on the "yeah, I dig it" side of the fence when it comes to Amandla though Hoppy T. Frog's mention of Aura reminded me that the era had a wider variety of Milesian tone colors in the recordings than is often acknowledged. In fact, Aura is one that deserves way more attention.

[jeffcrom]

To my ears, Miles' playing is at times beautiful, but also kind of boxed in. I think the fact that (except for parts of "Mr. Pastorius") he is blowing over pre-recorded tracks instead of interacting with a rhythm section limits the music to an extent.

I can see that...the only thing I can counter with is that by this time, Miles was "making records" instead of "recording", if you know what I mean. That's a whole 'nother skill, mindset, whatever, and definitely not one that everybody likes or respects (and fair enough about that). But ultimately, he was interacting with a "rhythm section", just not in real time...

I know exactly what you mean. But when I talked about "interacting with a rhythm section" I meant the rhythm section listening and responding to Miles as much as vice versa. You're right, though - there are lots of different ways to make records.

Just curious, how do you feel about the live shows from the same time, where he is playing with a live band?

Sometimes they were deadly dull, but sometimes really exciting. Toward the end of the decade Miles' band often played (presumably at his direction) like a pop band in that everyone (especially the keyboard players) stuck to a more or less arranged part. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but I don't find it very interesting in music which is built around improvisation. To simplify my reaction, I like the live shows when the band (including Miles) cuts loose more, listens to each other, and really plays in the moment. And they certainly did this at times, even near the end of Miles' career. My preference will always be for earlier Miles (which includes the mid-70's acid funk stuff), but I think Miles could create good music, whether it was "jazz" or not, up to the end.

And I still listen to Amandla about once a year, for what it's worth.

[sidewinder]

Count me in on the "yeah, I dig it" side of the fence when it comes to Amandla though Hoppy T. Frog's mention of Aura reminded me that the era had a wider variety of Milesian tone colors in the recordings than is often acknowledged. In fact, Aura is one that deserves way more attention.

I've always liked 'Amandla, ever since it first came out. A stronger album IMO than the much more lauded 'Tutu'.

[Rooster_Ties]

I've always liked 'Amandla, ever since it first came out. A stronger album IMO than the much more lauded 'Tutu'.

Agree, but the individual track "Tutu" is one hell of a good tune (among Miles' 80's work, at least).

[Shawn]

I need to check this one out. The only Miles recording from this period that I'm familiar with is "Aura" (which I enjoyed). I have never owned any of the post-On The Corner material.

[king ubu]

"Amandla" was my entrance point into Miles music... not voluntarily, though. It was one of the CDs my mother enjoyed a lot, back when I was around 10 or 11. Next one I heard was "Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet", but there were a couple of years in between, and I listened to a bunch of other things before returning to Miles again...

Anyway, I haven't played it for many years now, I don't even have it, I think... I remember "Mr. Pastorius" as being very, very groovy in a laid-back/lyrical kind of way, and I remember loving that groove. (Of course I have a friend who was just started playing bass back then, and Marcus Miller was a big hero... then he/we found out about Jaco himself, too, soon after... I still play "The Birthday Concert" now and then).

[7/4]

I tried to listen this morning, I don't hate it, but I don't love it. I'll try some other time.

...

[jazzbo]

It's an interesting album. It's an interesting colleciton of tracks perhaps more accurately.

I have learned to like it more as the years go by. But after buying the set of Montreux concerts, I listen to that for my last phase of Miles, almost exclusively. Live this stuff holds my attention a way that it doesn't in the studio.

[JSngry]

It's an interesting album. It's an interesting colleciton of tracks perhaps more accurately.

Perhaps. I don't think that comparing the Miles/Miller collaborations to the Miles/Evans ones are completely irrelevant. Even with the obvious chronlogical, sociologial, and technological differences, there's a lot that remains similar, not the least of which is Miles lending himself to be the lead voice in an environment created by somebody else, although completely with him in mind, and with his input along the way.

Marcus Miller deserves a lot of credit for creating these tracks, as intersting, challenging and varied as they are, just as Miles deserves credit for inspiring them and how he interpreted them in the studio and especially, as you note, live. To me, this is vital contemporary (then and now) music of a quite high esthetic.

The one adjustment I've ahd to make to get more into the music is that of the "digital" recorded sound. It's too easy (and I say this from experience) to let the color of the recorded sound color one's perception of the content of the music. Maybe that's why the live material speaks more immediately and fullfillingly to some of us?

[Aggie87]

...there's a lot that remains similar, not the least of which is Miles lending himself to be the lead voice in an environment created by somebody else, although completely with him in mind, and with his input along the way.

That's not a bad description for "Aura" either.

[Hot Ptah]

I like Miles' 1980s albums. I have defended "You're Under Arrest" when people have been negative about it. I think that "Tutu", "Decoy", "Aura" and "Star People" are quite good.

"Amandla" is the only one I find dull. It just isn't very interesting to me. I have given it many chances, have listened with attention and a hopeful spirit, and I still don't find it very interesting. There just isn't enough there to engage my heart and mind.

But if someone else likes it, great.

[felser]

I like Miles' 1980s albums. I have defended "You're Under Arrest" when people have been negative about it. I think that "Tutu", "Decoy", "Aura" and "Star People" are quite good.

"Amandla" is the only one I find dull. It just isn't very interesting to me. I have given it many chances, have listened with attention and a hopeful spirit, and I still don't find it very interesting. There just isn't enough there to engage my heart and mind.

But if someone else likes it, great.

Amandla is the only Miles set from the end period that I have held onto through the years. Not going to replace anything from the earlier eras, but it is worth hearing.

[david weiss]

It's an interesting album. It's an interesting colleciton of tracks perhaps more accurately.

Perhaps. I don't think that comparing the Miles/Miller collaborations to the Miles/Evans ones are completely irrelevant. Even with the obvious chronlogical, sociologial, and technological differences, there's a lot that remains similar, not the least of which is Miles lending himself to be the lead voice in an environment created by somebody else, although completely with him in mind, and with his input along the way.

Marcus Miller deserves a lot of credit for creating these tracks, as intersting, challenging and varied as they are, just as Miles deserves credit for inspiring them and how he interpreted them in the studio and especially, as you note, live. To me, this is vital contemporary (then and now) music of a quite high esthetic.

The one adjustment I've ahd to make to get more into the music is that of the "digital" recorded sound. It's too easy (and I say this from experience) to let the color of the recorded sound color one's perception of the content of the music. Maybe that's why the live material speaks more immediately and fullfillingly to some of us?

I think the comparisons between Evans and Miller are apt and I remember having such conversations when these recordings were released calling them the Miles/Gil albums of the '80s. I always thought they were more Marcus Miller's albums than Miles' but that is probably overstating things a bit. Let's just say, to me at least, that Marcus created the best atmosphere for Miles to function in at that period of his life. I think they are beautiful records.

[sidewinder]

It was one of the CDs my mother enjoyed a lot, back when I was around 10 or 11.

Blimey - you mean your mum wasn't playing Perry Como, like the rest of us?