BITCHES BREW

With this album Miles Davis made his historical step to jazz fusion territory. Not his first experiment with electric instruments and rockish elements in music, this album is first border crossing, when great hard bop and post bop musician left his jazzy lands for more nervous, energetic and electrified world.

Compositions became longer, often LP-side long. And sound is changed radically - mostly electric (even if still with some acoustic sounds), Davis music became heavily jazz influenced jazz-rock jamming. With extra talented musicians on board. I believe that for the time of release it was almost revolution.

Looking from now, I still enjoy this work very much. Rare balance between growing importance of usual rock instruments (as electric guitar, electric piano, electric basset) and classic jazz trumpet. Excellent musicianship of all band members ( will become highest standard level for years to come). You can hear there almost all future jazz fusion stars in their very beginning (Wayne Shorter, Bennie Maupin, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland, Lenny White, Jack DeJohnette, Larry Young, Joe Zawinul,Billy Cobham,Airto Moreira between others). Never later you will be able to listen all of them playing as one orchestra (with Miles Davis as leader!).

Yes, now some jams sound a bit loose, obviously there is more free improvs dominate against musical composition, not always for good. But this great free atmosphere, open experimentation and so high-class musicianship just made this album golden classic and cornerstone of all jazz fusion.

My rating is 4,5,rounded to 5.