FILLES DE KILIMANJARO

Throughout most of the 60's Miles' career was mainly axec to waeds his quintet, which develop a wad of albums, most of them not having a link with this site and I must say most fairly boring (IMHO). As the 60's grew, counter-culture and the opening of of most music styles to electricity was happening (even Folk had done so, some calling Dylan of Judas), jazz was resisting the electric movement and the jazz purists were no less fervent acoustic people than the folk purists, being careful and even preventing their syle from digression. When the first electric notes did appear, it came from the man with the horn himself, so the acoustic Ayatollahs couldn't do much about it. Actually it wasn't Miles himself that went electric, but one of the man in his band, Herbie Hancock, but it was at Miles' wish, since it is the Black Magus himself that bought the electric piano and offered it to HH. HH himself wasn't exactly sure himself whether he really wanted to try it out (privately I'm sure he relished, but publically, would he not face the Judas threats), but a job in Miles' band was definitely To be truthful, Miles was not alone claiming the electric judas label as the much more Obscure Charles Lloyd was definitely making open calls to young white audiences himself.

So, FDK is the first Davis' 60's quintet album where electricity appears and it appears under the electric piano form played by both Herbie and Chick Corea (not together, but alternatively) AND the electric bass, played only by Ron Carter (present when HH was), but not Dave Holland (present when CC was there). Trusting the French to adopt this new direction much more than the Anglo-Saxon world, Miles named the full album with French names. This trust and his general love of France was quite evident from his collabs (with Louis Malle's Ascensceur Pour L'Echaffaud) , but the amount of time he spent in France and now his girlfriend, Mrs. Maubry. It was also a time where the quintet was nearing it end as there are two version on this album: HH,RC & CC,DH. FDK is also an exceptional album for the times as it clocks at one hour (at least in its Cd version)

Starting on the shorter but energetic Frelon Brun (Brown wasp/hornet), where the group is charged up and ready to roll, CC not being as prominent azs HH except in the short solo at the end of the track. HH makes his piano heard right from the start of the much slower Tout de Suite (right now) but we remain in standard jazz territory. Adventurously-speaking, the title track (with HH) runs away with the gold medal on the flipside, while Mlle Maubry (Miles' muse of the moment) remains all too standard with CC on keys.

In short, we can say the two whiter dudes do not dare the afventures as hard as the two darker dudes, but where still way to far away I from a genre meddling and well too entrenched in the straight jazz realm to be calling this albums "prog". It's just slightly electrified jazz. One of the more interesting albums from Davis' 60's quintet, but not essential in terms of the scope of thios site.

Merits and demerits of John Coltrane that had died in 1967 left the aftereffect in the world of interim Jazz. 1968 year when this album had been produced might have been chaotic time where John Coltrane did not exist exactly. Miles might have been a situation in the age when Rock had started receiving citizenship worldwide according to various forms in which it groped for a new creation from the band of five person organization that had been done till then. It was not a translation said that a new musician did not exist at all of course in the item of Jazz. However, Jazz was obviously chaotic before the door in the 70's was opened. It is also true for people to avoid the item of Jazz and to have seen the future in the world of Rock.

Miles tried contact with a new musician to overturn the concept till then 1968. And, they started finding means of escape by boldly introducing electronic musical instruments in the age. Herbie Hancock resigns exactly from the combo for a further creation. And, Tony Williams started just moving the place of the activity to "Lifetime". It might have been a moment when each musician had started deriving exactly aiming at the age around Miles.

The album by which Miles had worked in the flow was "Miles In The Sky". Music on which five person gold till then worked faces the revolution with this album. Miles that took electronic musical instruments might already have voluntarily complicated the shape of the mode jazz. However, the fan of the fact where the age is always caught is good and it knows the sensibility of Miles. And, the listener might have had hope and some uneasy elements at the same time for the future of Jazz. However, the music that derives from "Miles In The Sky" becomes shape that this album keeps certain and it connects with "In A Silent Way". It will be able to be said that this fact was a major break for Miles. The keyboard of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea develops the mutually original world. After all, Ron Carter that dislikes performing Electric Bass also tries E-Bass according to Miles. And, Dave Holland takes charge of acoustic Bass by the tune. Fact to which five person gold till then began to collapse little by little. And, this time might be really time when the whole of the kingdom of music faced the revolution and the tohubohu , considering the fact where this album arose from the session. The flow of the tune is feeling that follows and develops the former work. However, it is not a translation to which it experiments on everything with electronic musical instruments. This is a footprint where the directionality of Miles was shown to the end. It is a result of already respectfully in Jimi and JB and materializing the electric wave that only Miles feels. Jimi and JB to which Miles had paid attention with Rock cut it into the kingdom of music in another route in the age, and as for Miles, the antenna was put, they were made to come round, and the wave of the counterplan might have given Miles the time of the revolution at that time. Wayne Shorter also obviously read the revolution. Its deriving to Weather Report, RTF, Mahavishnu, and Lifetime in the 70's came at once. And, king Miles might already have slipped out the item of Jazz.

Who's that on the cover? The one and only Mademoiselle Mabry!

Filles de Kilimanjaro sets the definition of a 'transitional album'. From this album, there's an after and before. While Davis first introduced the Rhodes and an electric guitar one year before in Miles in the Sky to his music, the compositions on that were still pretty much standard jazz, and when I say 'standard' I mean your standard Davis post-bop with his famous Quintet consisting of Tony Williams, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, so it's top-notch 'standard' jazz.

In Filles there's a split, with the exclusion of Hancock and Carter for the first time in 4 years, in the first and last tune, replaced by future "lasting" members, Chick Corea and Dave Holland. However, these two tunes aren't so interesting taking in consideration the pieces where Hancock participates. The opener, 'Frelon Brun', is an energetic jazz track featuring solos from Miles, Wayne and Chick, though the highlight for me is Tony Williams' quite fierceful fills, not your average jazz drummer, that you should already know. 'Mademoiselle Mabry', on the other hand, is a very gentle tune being mainly an extension and expansion of Hendrix's 'The Wind Cries Mary', it's a nice mix of blues and jazz.

Now to the more interesting pieces, these are 'Tout de Suite' and the title track. While 'Tout de Suite' introduces itself like another tranquil and night-mood jazz tune with relaxing electric keyboards and soft drumming, its middle section, however, lasting over 8 minutes, is like a loose sort-of jam very similar to 'Shhh/Peaceful' from In a Silent Way with Hancock playing those same fast twists in the keys while Tony and Ron keep a steady rhythm.

The title track also expands further the jazz realms as it would later be known in Bitches Brew. It has a repetitive, though engaging rhythm done by Carter's bass and Williams's drums, and on top of that there's Wayne, Herbie and Miles sharing notes and dueling pacifically. A proto-typical Miles composition of his 'electric/fusion' period.

So yes, Filles de Killimanjaro and Miles in the Sky are the albums where Miles would build on top of in the next couple of years. Though not as chilling as 'In a Silent Way' or as rocking as 'A Tribute to Jack Johnson', both Filles and Miles in the Sky are excellent records of jazz delving into a primitive style of fusion.

4 stars: excellent album which allows you to distinguish the keyboardist that are playing in 'In a Silent Way', since in that album both Corea and Hancock, plus Zawinul, are playing together unlike in Filles de Kilimanjaro which their keyboards are not mixed. Highly recommended if you're a fan of a more energetic and loosier jazz, and of course this is essential to understand how Miles' creativeness and compositional skills went progressing, as well as influences.

In June of 1968 (June 19-21) Miles Davis returns to the recording studio, recording material that would end up on the album Filles de Kilamanjaro. At Columbia's 30th Street Studio, on the 19th, with newcomers Dave Holland and Chick Corea sitting in for Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock, respectively, they got "Petits machins (Little Stuff)" in the can. On the 20th, with the core Second Quintet, two versions of "Toute de suite (Right Away)" were taped. On the 21st, in Columbia Studio B, "Filles de Kilamanjaro (Girls of Kilamanjaro)" was recorded with the core Quintet. A final song, "Mademoiselle Mabry (Miss Mabry)" was recorded on September 24 with Holland and Corea, again, as a celebration and wedding gift to his bride-to-be, Betty Mabry. (The two were married on September 30). Despite the inputs and presence of "outsiders" Holland and Corea, Filles would be the last studio album released from Miles' "Second Great Quintet."

A1. "Frelon Brun (Brown Hornet)" (5:37) the newcomers (Holland and Corea) definitely present some new spice to Miles' music, while Tony seems content to play Tony (as only Tony can) no matter who he sits in with. (He is indomitable.) Meanwhile, Miles and Wayne seem to start out rather cautiously, conservatively, before really allowing themselves to feed off of Tony's controlled mayhem. Dave Holland certainly acquits himself of any accusations of wrongdoing with his performance in the second half of the song. Not one of Miles' classics but definitely a prime display of Tony's indefatigable spirit. (8.875/10)

A2. "Tout De Suite" (14:05) smooth and kind of laid back, even lazy, especially from the horn players, it is Ron Carter's bass play that feels the most alive--though he is matched perfectly by Tony's astute cymbal play. At the end of the third minute Herbie's Fender Rhodes seems to get a paroxysmal glitch in its rhythmicity--which is then met and matched by Ron's equally-herky-jerky bass--while Miles solos confidently and rather smoothly over the top. Soon we find Tony succumbing to the spasmodic malady that Herbie and Ron have contracted. When Herbie is given the nod to take the lead to perform his solo in the tenth minute his paroxysms continue (as do those of Ron and Tony) though their shaky, unstable-feeling rhythm play is by now beginning to feel "normal." Then, at the very end of the 11th minute, the band suddenly, subtly switches into a very smooth standard rhythm pattern--as if the dance of the paralytic spastics never even occurred. (They must have received the antidote.) At this point you think the song is going to quit, but, no! They plug along, as if they're unable to concede defeat, even as they appear to fall out of synchrony and inspiration. Quite the odd tune! I wonder if pulling off this tune presented any hardships. It was definitely interesting if not quite comprehensible. (26.125/30)

A3. "Petits Machins (Little Stuff)" (8:05) another song that, for me, offers little grist or grit--little meat for me to grab hold of; little familiar content for me to feel able to digest. It just passes by, nondescript, with me waiting for material to notice, single out, draw my attention. When the eighth minute draws to an end I find myself scratching my head wondering how the time passed by, how I missed everything--wondering if there was anything there to miss! (13/15)

B1. "Filles De Kilimanjaro (Girls Of Kilimanjaro)" (12:00) more conscribed and restricted play for Tony "the monster" Williams. The dude must have been going crazy! But then the boring single note bass line that Ron Carter was held to for 90% of the song must have also felt frustrating and belittling. Contrarily, the sax, Fender Rhodes, and trumpet solos are all fairly enjoyable. (22/25)

B2. "Mademoiselle Mabry (Miss Mabry)" (16:33) a jam executed on the weekend before his wedding (perhaps as a wedding present to his new bride), Miles summoned Wayne, Tony, and bassist Dave Holland with Chick Corea to the studio for this jam based on Jimi Hendrix's song, "The Wind Cries Mary." The pensive, attentive collaborative reactivity of Dave, Tony and Chick throughout the song's opening three minutes is quite amazing--even mesmerizing, despite Tony's syncopated tom-tom and conga play. When Miles enters in the fourth minute it is with a sensitive, uncharacteristically soulful and heart-felt emotionality--something his collaborators seem to feed off of--especially Chick. The pianist comes up with some absolutely brilliant chord sequences as response and accents to Miles trumpet play--until the end of the seventh minute when some of his choices become rather schlocky lounge chords. Still, about 75% of his piano play on this song is quite novel and creative. In the tenth minute Miles hands the spotlight over to Wayne--inciting some rebellious (or celebratory?) bursts from Tony: here beginning to employ the snare and hi-hat for the first time in the song. Wayne, then, hands the talking stick over to Chick at the end of the 13th minute. Chick takes this time to really play on and with the chord and rhythmic structure of "The Wind Cries Mary" using lots of bluesy riffs and flourishes as well as interesting chord and key shifts during the spaces between the quick three-chord sequence at the end of each section that distinguishes Hendrix's song. And then it's over! A brief, almost obligatory appearance by Miles in the song's final minute seems reflective of Miles attitude toward his new wife (and women in general): you use 'em and like when you think of them but then quickly (and easily) find yourself diverted by any number of equally (or more) interesting phenomena, customs, and habits experienced by men in general. Still, this makes for the most interesting and engaging song on the album and, thus, my favorite. (27.3333/30)

Total Time: 56:30

I really miss the wild and crazy, dynamic shaker and mover, that was Tony Williams in the early Sixties. How much did Tony like these sessions? How crazy was he going And why the French titles?

B/four stars; an interesting if sometimes confusing and difficult-to-access musical exhibition in the transitional period between Miles' Second Great Quintet and his Jazz-Rock Fusion stage.