Two albums that are Miles ahead

by Dan Gephart in Album Reviews, New Releases, Opinion Posts

Within a few minutes of the On the Corner’s opening song On the Corner/New York Girl/Thinking One Thing and Doing Another, many of Miles Davis’ fans finally had enough. It was the most controversial of a very controversial period for an uncompromising Miles.
Was this jazz or just a whole lot of noise?
And five drummers?
A tabla?
An electric sitar?
I’m not a big fusion guy at all. I tried Weather Report. I tried Mahavishnu Orchestra. And I just don’t get either of them. I have respect for the musicians, but find much of the jazz fusion to be overblown and lacking heart.
Yet I loved On the Corner from the first time I heard it.
It wasn’t until I recently listened to two fusion-heavy albums — Miles from India (2008) and Yo Miles! (1998) — that I realized why On the Corner and Miles’ other work held such a sway on me that his fusion followers did not.
It was Miles’ visionary compositions.
After putting together the boxed set On the Corner Sessions, producer Bob Belden and Times Square label owner Yusaf Ghandi discusses Miles’ use of Indian music in the controversial album. This led to their idea to bring together Indian musicians with American musicians to interpret Miles’ catalog.
And Miles from India – a world music classic was born.
The Indian musicians laid down the foundations. And then a group of American jazz musicians did the rest. Most of the American musicians played with Miles, though at various points in his career. Miles from India is heavy on the fusion-era Miles, but does have some of his earlier work, including Spanish Key.
The highlights are clearly the three songs that represent Kind of Blue. So What begins a long chant instead of the legendary bass figure. The addition of Indian percussionists and violin renews Blue in Green. And a sitar takes the place of the trumpet in All Blues.
It’s an ambitious, exciting and very rewarding set of music.
When you’re done listening to Miles from India, check out the extraordinary Yo Miles! project put together by guitarist Henry Kaiser and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. It’s not quite as ambitious as Miles from India, but it’s just as satisfying. The two-disc self-titled effort doesn’t aim so much to recreate the sound of Miles’ 70 funk-rock work, but it certainly matches the spirit. Take 25 minutes and listen to Arghuta Prelude, Big Fun/Hollywuud and Black Satin.