Miles Davis Live Records

[Rabshakeh]

I don't think we have a topic on this.

What in your opinion are the indispensable Miles Davis live documents?

All eras welcome.

The two Plugged Nickel sets would seem to be obvious contenders. 

[jazzbo]

I wouldn't want to be without Miles in Europe, My Funny Valentine, 'Four' & More, In Concert or Live/Evil.

[JSngry]

These are the ones I would go to the grave with.

Legit:

Agarta/Pangea

Miles In Europe

The Newport set that split an album with Monk (or Jazz At The Plaza, if it means that much to you)

Live/Evil

and maybe that one that Blue Note put out, the airhot with Lockjaw & Big Nick

Bootlegs:

The Lost Quintet Tree

Black Satin

 

[felser]

In Europe, Four and More/My Funny Valentine (both from same concert), and one of Agharta/Pangea/Dark Magus (need to go back and listen to them).

[colinmce]

Miles In Europe is near the top of the heap of Miles albums for me period. The Blackhawk recordings are also among my overall favorites from his entire body of work.

Oddly enough I never got on in a major way with Four And More/My Funny Valentine. Splitting hairs just a little, but I never found these recordings as compelling as others from the same period. MFV especially is quite a slog, and I loathe the title track. The complete edition helps the case, but I still don't reach for it often. 

[Chuck Nessa]

I am partial to the Europe 1 / Trema  recordings from Paris on March 20, 1960.

[HutchFan]

First that come to my mind:

The last concert with Wayne.

 

The "Lost Quintet" doing their thing.

 

[Rabshakeh]

15 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

The "Lost Quintet" doing their thing.

That's an interesting one. Are there any other documents of them together?

[HutchFan]

9 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

That's an interesting one. Are there any other documents of them together?

I'm only aware of boots.  Can't recall the title, but wasn't there one on the "grey market" label JMY?

EDIT: 
The JMY title I was thinking of is Paraphernalia -- from Paris, November 1969.

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by HutchFan

[JSngry]

There were a lot...there was also a "tree" of what was then all known recordings, in chronological order.

https://milestreesxxx.blogspotxxx.com/

and yes, add that Filmore thing with Wayne to my list. It was NOT in the tree because it wsa not the quintet.

[Stonewall15]

Friday and Saturday Nights at The Blackhawk 1961.

[jazzbo]

4 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

I'm only aware of boots.  Can't recall the title, but wasn't there one on the "grey market" label JMY?

 

And on Moon

[HutchFan]

1 minute ago, jazzbo said:

And on Moon

I'd just edited my post -- but you beat me to the punch. 

Is the Moon release the same Paris, 11/69 concert?

 

[Rabshakeh]

Are either of those good?

[John L]

48 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

I am partial to the Europe 1 / Trema  recordings from Paris on March 20, 1960.

Yes, that one is extraordinary, particularly for Coltrane.  

I am also quite attached to Miles in Europe, My Funny Valentine / Four and More / The Sextet in Newport 1959 / Almost anything from the 1967 Europe tour / Juan-Les-Pins 1969.  In a certain mood, I will also pull out something from the 1971 Europe tour with Bartz, Jarrett, Henderson & Ndugu.  That band had a certain unique groove. 

[jazzbo]

11 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

I'd just edited my post -- but you beat me to the punch. 

Is the Moon release the same Paris, 11/69 concert?

 

No it's from Rome, October 27, 1969

[HutchFan]

10 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Are either of those good?

The Paris concert is excellent.  I can't attest to the SQ of the JMY CD because I pulled mine from the "blogosphere" years ago.  I also have the concert from Rotterdam.  Also excellent.

However, from what I can recall, both of these concerts are very similar to the music heard on Bootleg Series, Vol. 2 -- although I've never done a close analysis.  I can say that I rarely go back to the boots since the Sony/Legacy set became available.

 

2 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

No it's from Rome, October 27, 1969

Gotcha. Thanks!

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by HutchFan

[jazzbo]

15 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Are either of those good?

I think so yes. Sound is decent, performances are great.

[Rabshakeh]

2 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

I think so yes. Sound is decent, performances are great.

Thanks

[HutchFan]

31 minutes ago, JSngry said:

There were a lot...there was also a "tree" of what was then all known recordings, in chronological order.

https://milestreesxxx.blogspotxxx.com/

Wow.  These guys are taking it to a whole 'nother level.

It's Grateful Dead-y.

 

[sonnyhill]

You might also want to check out THIS blog.

[JSngry]

30 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Wow.  These guys are taking it to a whole 'nother level.

It's Grateful Dead-y.

Took...I don't think that any of it's still active, but I jinkyflunked the link, just in case.

The sum of that tree, though, from the Duffy's Tavern gig that was supposedly chick's ver first night all the way to whenever it was...there's an arc there, no two gigs are the same, and the introduction of the Rhodes from a sometimes thing to an always thing (except for the one time when it was supposed to be ther but wan't, and Chick had to play material from Bitches Brew on acoustic!!!!) is a thing of wonder.

That group really does deserve a full E2E treatment. Maybe in the second half of the 21st century.

But...nothing like the Grateful Dead (for whom I have no use). This was a (then) totally undocumented band who was changing the course of a certain music almost nightly. And it's still not adequately documented for general consumption, imo.

1 hour ago, Chuck Nessa said:

I am partial to the Europe 1 / Trema  recordings from Paris on March 20, 1960.

DOH!

add that one to the list as well.

There was another "tree" of that tour. Many shows were excellent or better, but that one is one for the ages. Monumental, thanks to Trane Unfiltered.

[jazzbo]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Wow.  These guys are taking it to a whole 'nother level.

It's Grateful Dead-y.

 

As one who helped with material in a tree for 1960 and knew a principal member yes, it could be seen as Grateful Dead-y by some.

[HutchFan]

Just stumbled across this.  Apparently, it's the 1969 Rotterdam concert that I mentioned above:

 

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

But...nothing like the Grateful Dead (for whom I have no use).

Just to clarify: I wasn't saying anything about the Grateful Dead's music, per se.  The way that every single Miles concert had been documented on the "tree" was extremely detailed, so much minutiae had been captured.  I've only seen that level of detail (and corresponding taping) once before -- and it was by fans of the Grateful Dead. 

That's what I meant by "Grateful Dead-y."  Lots and lots of dedicated work by fanatical (in the best sense of the word) fans. 

 

[JSngry]

The tree basically called on all collectors and they collated the results. I don't know of any of it that wasn't already a known quantity back in the days of cassettes and goodwill.

A lot of this stuff, including most of the 60s tour with Trane, has been "available" for a while, long before the internet. I say "available" because once upon a time, you had to cultivate relationships with individuals just to get a foot in the door of maybe asking somebody for something...and hardcore people would demand material in return. Beginners not allowed.

Dime and stuff like that killed most (but not all!) of that, and maybe not for the better, but shit like Paris 60 with trane...before it was made official (or even semi-official, like the Trema) ..not everybody appreciates that, ok? To them, it's just another gig. And it's not just another gig.

For too long material like this has been cheapened just like any other common whore, there it is, pay your bit of random pocket money, use it and then move on. Or even worse, here it is, take all you want and then come get some more. Something like that (and others like it) deserve more than that. If people don't love it, they shouldn't come after it, and they for damn sure shouldn't have it as part of some random act of gluttony.

If that's "elitist" or something, so be it. I stand firm on it.