Progest Miles Davis

Interesting suggestion. Even the most die-hard Miles fans have difficulty with his 80s work. I would say that, despite the presence of loads of smooth jazz, there are still plenty of masterful works that are worth re-evaluating. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if memory serves, Aura is the one based around several colours/modes and was kept from release for a few years, right?

Originally posted by WalterDigsTunes Interesting suggestion. Even the most die-hard Miles fans have difficulty with his 80s work. I would say that, despite the presence of loads of smooth jazz, there are still plenty of masterful works that are worth re-evaluating. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if memory serves, Aura is the one based around several colours/modes and was kept from release for a few years, right?

Aura was composed and arranged entirely by Palle Mikkelborg but goes out with the MD moniker carelessly scribbled to the cover art. (Miles is tantamount to a guest soloist) It's decent but rather airily ambient in places and the 'stiffness' of his collaborators is hardly the ideal platform for Davis.

Originally posted by WalterDigsTunes Originally posted by Easy Money Originally posted by WalterDigsTunes Interesting suggestion. Even the most die-hard Miles fans have difficulty with his 80s work. I would say that, despite the presence of loads of smooth jazz, there are still plenty of masterful works that are worth re-evaluating. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if memory serves, Aura is the one based around several colours/modes and was kept from release for a few years, right? Yes, that is Aura. Re his 80s work: it can be inconsistent, but I really like 'We want Miles', 'Star People' and 'Amandla', all the other 80s albums have something good on each one. Ever heard 'Live Around the World'? I find it to be a great sampler of what his 80s bands were capable of doing onstage. I'm still waiting for those tapes he did with Prince...

I have some live Miles stuff from the 80s on a couple cassettes, its good music. Amandla was a good direction for him late in life, I think in some ways that was finally the music he always wanted to do.
I saw him live in San Francisco a couple months before he passed away and it was an incredible concert. They played a lot of the Amandla style, but Foley also ripped of some great psychedelic guitar solos to re-call the mid 70s Pete Cosey sound.
The cover version of Time After Time was way slowed down and was one of the most moving pieces of music I have ever heard, people were yelling out like it was a church service.
I've seen videos of Miles on stage with Prince, they both seem to enjoy each others limelight.

Originally posted by jean-marie A lot of poeple sarted to grin when miles did the cindy lauper cover but i just love it and it's fine to know i'm not alone

The live version in his latter years was like a requiem. The tempo was slowed and the beat and harmonies became abstract, just his trumpet fragmenting the melody and then a slow massive wall of keyboards for the two chords in the chorus, it was the highlight of the show I saw.