Rooster_Ties Posted April 15, 2003 Report Posted April 15, 2003 (edited) Please, try NOT to focus on the size/length of the Plugged Nickel material, in terms of voting. This isn't a "Desert Island" poll (I'm not asking you to pick only one release to take with you to that "Desert Island" that we all get asked about all the time ). What I'm getting at is that there are subtle changes in this band, from album to album. And the live versions of this band were quite a bit different than what they recorded in the studio. Very different vibe, different energy. Which version of this band most interests you??? Or, perhaps another way of asking: If you could snap your fingers, and suddenly discover and release one or two hours of 'new', high-quality material from Miles/Wayne/Herbie/Ron/Tony... Which version of this band would you like to have that new "undiscovered" material come from??? Hopefully this is a slightly more interesting twist on this topic, rather than just "which one is your favorite" - although that kind of is the question too, in a way. Here's a couple links to a good Miles Davis sessionography/discography, to further the discussion... link: Miles Ahead Sessions: 1945-1991 link: Miles Ahead Discography: 1945-1991 ( And damn, it just turned out that there were 10 phases/flavors of this band, and the 'poll' function only allows 10 items - what luck!! ) Edited April 15, 2003 by Rooster_Ties Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted April 15, 2003 Report Posted April 15, 2003 This one is surprisingly easy for me to answer. I love ESP. Do I need to repeat? I love ESP; I love ESP. Miles Smiles is second. Quote
jazzbo Posted April 15, 2003 Report Posted April 15, 2003 I have to say that recently I have been grooving to: Various live bootlegs (mostly Oct-Nov 1967) This is a very interesting period, and one that "right now" I would say is my favorite. . . . Right Now.. . . Quote
Harold_Z Posted April 15, 2003 Report Posted April 15, 2003 (edited) The two that I actually like the best from this list are NEFERTITI and MILES SMILES...although it must be said that these are all good records. I like the PLUGGED NICKEL stuff a lot too. I like standards and I like the way these guys play them - even tho' Miles chops are "down" on these (Plugged Nickel) dates - his musicality is undiminished. Edited April 15, 2003 by Harold_Z Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted April 16, 2003 Author Report Posted April 16, 2003 I voted for the Live 1967 material, which I've heard about 3-4 hours of. Much as I also like the Plugged Nickel material, I *love* the '67 Live material, for two reasons. 1) They started doing more of the new material, although some standards still too. And, 2) there's a refinement - without any loss in energy - that just isn't quite there in the '65 material. Maybe that wasn't their aim in '65, and in talking with Herbie (briefly) after a show of his about 5 years ago - he said that they were at a creative impass when the Plugged Nickel material was recorded. At the time, they thought "why the hell are they recording us, now?? - of all times!!". Then, years later, in retrospect, he said that the material really was far more interesting than any of them could have predicted. Somehow they found a new kind of creativity, within their stuggle. In many ways, I think the Plugged Nickel recordings are just as 'free' as anything Miles did in the 70's. That said, there's a subtleness, a more integrated feel to everything this group did in 1967, both in the studio and on stage. And the live material from 1967 combines what I love about the 1967 studio material, with the energy and punch of the live 1969 band. Quote
JohnS Posted April 16, 2003 Report Posted April 16, 2003 This is hard, how do you choose? Plugged Nickey certainly but in the end I went for Filles. It fits every mood and can be played anytime. Quote
mr jazz Posted April 16, 2003 Report Posted April 16, 2003 I'm just really listening to this period for the first time so I'm not gonna vote yet but I will. If anyone would care to share some of the boots with me, email or PM me. I have a few things to trade or could do B&P Quote
Big Al Posted April 16, 2003 Report Posted April 16, 2003 I actually made a homemade comp of Sorcerer, Nefertiti and Water Babies. It all flows so well! Nefertiti was the one that made me get the box! Quote
DrJ Posted October 29, 2003 Report Posted October 29, 2003 Well, probably my favorite material of all is the Plugged Nickel box. However, in the "would love to have heard more" catagory, the staggering MILES SMILES session would be the winner. Man, do I wish this was one of those dates where they simply recorded way more material than could have been issued at the time. Then again, what would the odds be that they could have sustained that degree of perfection for much longer? Quote
brownie Posted October 29, 2003 Report Posted October 29, 2003 ESP is the one. It brought a new perspective to Miles Davis' music when it came out. Still my favorite Miles album of the era. Miles Smiles was a very close second. Quote
Guy Berger Posted October 29, 2003 Report Posted October 29, 2003 This is probably my favorite jazz ensemble (except maybe the '69 quintet) and so it's hard to pick anything specific. But I'd have to say Filles de Kilimanjaro because it's so unique and opened a bunch of interesting doors that very few musicians have entered since. Guy Quote
EKE BBB Posted October 29, 2003 Report Posted October 29, 2003 Plugged Nickel (though I must recognize I only have the "Highlights" release) Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted October 29, 2003 Report Posted October 29, 2003 (edited) I was sitting in the coffee shop in Rays Jazz in London on Saturday and they were playing ESP and it was bliss! You know what its like when you hear something you know out of the blue in a place you don't expect it. It made me get on with the process of CD-Ring the box into the original LP sequences...I like to hear them like that rather than in recording order. What jumped out there was how good a record Sorcerer was. One that gets overlooked because of its more famous neighbours. And then Filles de Kilimanjaro. I agree with Guy when he says "it's so unique and opened a bunch of interesting doors that very few musicians have entered since." I'd go further and suggest it opened possibilities that have yet to be explored. A simply astonishing sequence of recordings all round. Edited October 29, 2003 by Bev Stapleton Quote
king ubu Posted October 31, 2003 Report Posted October 31, 2003 For me it's Miles Smiles, with The Sorcerer, ESP and the Berlin concert close behind. Though I do not know any broadcasts of the second quintet - I would certainly love to hear some of it! The mood on the Berlin tracks is great if you ask me. Plugged Nickel is beyond category, for me. And I have to admit that I don't know the music on those 8 CDs very well. I could hardly tell the different sets... gotta listen again! ubu Quote
Gary Posted October 31, 2003 Report Posted October 31, 2003 'Miles Smiles' for me. Its one of my top 5 Miles albums (which is an unusual top 5 - it has about 15 titles in it!) . Quote
EKE BBB Posted October 31, 2003 Report Posted October 31, 2003 'Miles Smiles' for me. Its one of my top 5 Miles albums (which is an unusual top 5 - it has about 15 titles in it!) . Gary: your new avatar is.... .....SACRILEGE????? Quote
Gary Posted October 31, 2003 Report Posted October 31, 2003 'Miles Smiles' for me. Its one of my top 5 Miles albums (which is an unusual top 5 - it has about 15 titles in it!) . Gary: your new avatar is.... .....SACRILEGE????? i thought its was quite a funny halloween one at the time , but now when i see it next to my name I think ive gone a bit too far . Roll on 12 o'clock tonight so i can change it back to Trane. Quote
brownie Posted October 31, 2003 Report Posted October 31, 2003 What about Jazzbo's new Avatar? Makes me sick just looking at it This is supposed to be a jazz forum! Quote
EKE BBB Posted October 31, 2003 Report Posted October 31, 2003 (edited) What about Jazzbo's new Avatar? Makes me sick just looking at it This is supposed to be a jazz forum! My next avatar will be a freak composed of Kenny G, Britney Spears and Norah Jones! BTW: brownie, I DO LIKE yours! It´s so.... transparent! Edited October 31, 2003 by EKE BBB Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted October 31, 2003 Author Report Posted October 31, 2003 I sure wish Miles had played live more in 1968. THAT'S the band I would have REALLY wanted to hear live (based on the studio recordings). I mean, we've got tons of live Miles material from '64, '65, '66 (a little bit from '66, anyway), '67, and '69 (and so on, through '75). But damn near nothin' from 1968. Well, there's only one tape (and I've never heard it) from December of 1968 - but none of the tunes are contemporaneous (expect "Directions"). Man, what I wouldn't give to hear some of the "Miles in the Sky" and/or "Filles de Kilimanjaro" material performed live. (Granted - he did play the tune "Paraphernalia" live several times in 1969, and even a couple times in 1970.) Quote
doubleM Posted October 31, 2003 Report Posted October 31, 2003 It was a toss up between Filles and Nefertiti. Both desert island for me. I chose Filles for track 1. Can't get enough of that solo by Wayne. Quote
sidewinder Posted November 1, 2003 Report Posted November 1, 2003 For me, 'Sorcerer' and 'Filles' were always very under-rated. Very unique atmosphere on these sessions, beautifully captured by Columbia. Really though, all of this stuff is brilliant.. Quote
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