Four Generations of Miles

[Hardbopjazz]

This recording is spectacular.

[JohnS]

Yeah, I like this one and endorse the recommendation.   I read (Cadence?) that Coleman was unhappy playing with a rock and roll guitarist.

Edited May 27, 2017 by JohnS

[Berthold]

Yes, this is a great record! Together with the other Jimmy Cobb records like "Jazz in the key of blue" or "The original Cobb"

[Kevin Bresnahan]

On 5/27/2017 at 2:55 AM, JohnS said:

Yeah, I like this one and endorse the recommendation.   I read (Cadence?) that Coleman was unhappy playing with a rock and roll guitarist.

From: http://www.danmillerjazz.com/studentresources/chat_george_coleman.pdf

FJ: Playing with Ron Carter and Jimmy Cobb is old hat for you, but it was your first time playing with guitarist Mike Stern.

GEORGE COLEMAN: Oh yeah, that was the first time with Mike. To me honest and frank with you, Fred, it was a little bit out of character from what I normally like to play with. I always like the keyboard. Now, if we had a keyboard in there, I think it would have been much more suitable for me, but since it was a quartet and the only person playing any kind of chords and he wasn't playing that much to say you the truth. He didn't give up too much accompaniment. It was almost like I was playing with a trio to tell you the truth in some instances, to be honest and frank with you. It worked out and he's a good player. He's a young player. There were some things that we tried to get him involved in, but it was spur of the moment stuff. You can't get certain things overnight. But under the circumstances, I thought he did quite well. His solos were good, but that wah-wah effect on the guitar was a little bit out of character for me as far as what I like to hear.

FJ: So you would have preferred Harold Mabern.

GEORGE COLEMAN: I would have preferred Harold Mabern or some other keyboardist. Harold Mabern would have probably been perfect because he would have anchored everything and give us that real meat that we needed and if Mike had been there along with that, it probably would have enhanced it even more. That is one of those things. That is all history now, so we have to deal with it the way it is. Upon a listening, it came off pretty good. It makes you stronger when you're in a situation like that and you've got to put your best foot forward so to speak. If you're a performer or musician, whatever instrument you're playing, you've got to have creativity, good technique, and harmony, those three things is what goes with the music. Some guys may have one or two, but when you've got all three, that makes for a good performer.

 

Edited May 28, 2017 by Kevin Bresnahan

[Gheorghe]

Thanks for the recommandation. Must have that. My wife ordered it for me for father´s day.

[JohnS]

Thanks Kevin..  Coleman is more generous here than in the Cadence piece IIRC.

[Gheorghe]

Just heard the record !

Great.

Well I can understand what George Coleman says about Mike Stern, from his point of view, but I really liked Mike Stern, I heard him with Miles in the first period after his comeback. Mike Stern was the best, somehow people praised John Scofield much more , but I liked the sound of that first 1981 Miles sextet.

I was astonished Mike Stern sounds exactly like on those 1981 Miles dates. Then, Miles would also do some straight ahead (Kix, Ursula), and thats how Mike Stern sounds here.

I was a bit astonished to hear Ron Carter much more subdued than I used to hear him. Ron had that big amplified sound and very much glissando effects in his solos, when I heard him in the 70´s maybe 80´s. Here the sound of the bass is much more like someone from an earlier generation, not that big Ron Carter sound......

[erwbol]

Added it to my Jazz Messengers cart. Thanks!