Being a weeklie podcaste from Madison, Wisconsin featuring several remarkable curiosities therein occurring being a compendium of live music from divers artistes
Show #84: Running Down the Voodoo
September 5th, 2006
This week I present a show by one of the masters of American music – Miles Davis.
The performance here finds Davis and his “Lost Quintet” early on in his fusion period in late 1969. It had only been the previous year that Davis began to incorporate electric instruments into his sound. In a Silent Way had been released only the month before this show took place (though recorded in February 1969) and showed Davis heading into jazz fusion territory. However, there’s no songs from that album in the set here although the lead-off track here, “Directions”, had been recorded during those sessions. On the other hand, the set includes 3 songs from Bitches Brew which was still 6 months from release. However, the album had been recorded less than three months previously from 19th – 21st August. Miles was clearly in a creative mode but his record company could not keep up with his recording schedule.
If you’re a rock fan, you might be inclined to think of this show as being in support of In a Silent Way but I think it’s better to consider this a show featuring Miles early in his electric/fusion period. Bitches Brew would go on to polarize the jazz world. Some went along with Davis on his journey to once again transform the genre and enjoyed the rock-like rhythms and dissonance. Ohile others called him a traitor for having abandoned bop. Within a year, Davis made more changes and incorporated funk into his music. But that story is for another time.
This is the first of 2 shows played on 3 November 1969 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris.
Setlist:
Directions
Bitches Brew
Paraphanalia
Riot
I Fall In Love Too Easily
Sanctuary
Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
The Theme
The “Lost Quintet”:
Miles Davis (trumpet)
Wayne Shorter (sax)
Chick Corea (electric piano, piano)
Dave Holland (bass)
Jack DeJohnette (drums)
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Thanks for this show! I’m really into Miles’ Lost Quintet at the moment and this is just what I’ve been searching for!