Tag Archives: Miles Davis

Miles Davis

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On September 28, 1991, Miles Dewey Davis III aka Miles Davis died aged 65. He was musician (trumpet), bandleader, and composer, one of the most influential and respected figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. In his five decades-long career, Davis has changed several times the course of jazz music and has created and recorded some of the most important albums of modern music.  For his work, he has been  awarded the highest awards including:

  • Winner; Down BeatReader’s Poll Best Trumpet Player 1955
  • Winner; Down Beat Reader’s Poll Best Trumpet Player 1957
  • Winner; Down Beat Reader’s Poll Best Trumpet Player 1961
  • Grammy Award for Best Jazz Composition Of More Than Five Minutes Duration for Sketches of Spain (1960)
  • Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance, Large Group Or Soloist With Large Group for Bitches Brew (1970)
  • Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist for We Want Miles (1982)
  • Sonning Award for Lifetime Achievement In Music (1984; Copenhagen, Denmark)
  • Doctor of Music, honoris causa(1986; New England Conservatory)
  • Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist for Tutu (1986)
  • Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist for Aura(1989)
  • Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band for Aura (1989)
  • Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award(1990)
  • Louis Walk of Fame(May 20, 1990)[83]
  • Australian Film Institute Award for Best Original Music Score for Dingo, shared with Michel Legrand (1991)
  • Knight of the Legion of Honor (July 16, 1991; Paris)
  • Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance for Doo-Bop (1992)
  • Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance for Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux (1993)
  • Hollywood Walk of FameStar (February 19, 1998)
  • Rock and Roll Hall of FameInduction (March 13, 2006)
  • Hollywood’s RockwalkInduction (September 28, 2006)
  • RIAAQuadruple Platinum for Kind of Blue (October 7, 2008)

Joe Sample

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On September 12, 2014, Joseph Leslie “Joe” Sample died aged 75. He was musician (piano, keyboards) and composer, one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders (Crusaders from 1971), and has performed with some of the biggest names of the contemporary music, including Miles Davis, The Supremes, George Benson, B.B King, Jimmy Witherspoon, Eric Clapton and Steely Dan.

Miles Davis: In A Silent Way

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Miles Davis-In a Silent Way

On July 30, 1969, “Columbia” label released “In a Silent Way”, the 44th Miles Davis album. It was recorded in one session on February 18, 1969, at “CBS 30th Street Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Teo Macero. The album is regarded by fans and critics as one of Davis’s greatest and most influential works.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis– trumpet
  • Wayne Shorter– soprano saxophone
  • John McLaughlin– electric guitar
  • Chick Corea– electric piano
  • Herbie Hancock– electric piano
  • Joe Zawinul– organ
  • Dave Holland– double bass
  • Tony Williams– drums
  • Stan Tonkel – engineer
  • Lee Friedlander – cover photography
  • John G. Walter – back cover photofraphy
  • Frank Glenn – back cover notes

Track listing:

  1. Shhh/Peaceful – Miles Davis
  • Shhh
  • Peaceful
  • Shhh
  1. In a Silent Way/It’s About That Time – Joe Zawinul, Miles Davis
  • In a Silent Way
  • It’s About That Time
  • In a Silent Way

Miles Davis: Miles in the Sky

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MilesDavis_Miles In The Sky

On July 22, 1968, “Columbia” label released “Miles in the Sky”, studio album by Miles Davis. It was recorded January 16 and May 15-17, 1968, at “Columbia Studio B” in New York, and was produced by Teo Marcero. It was first Miles album to include electric bass and electric piano.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis– trumpet, cornet
  • Wayne Shorter– tenor saxophone
  • Herbie Hancock– piano, electric piano
  • George Benson– electric guitar
  • Ron Carter– bass, electric bass
  • Tony Williams– drums

Track listing:

  1. Stuff – Miles Davis
  2. Paraphernalia – Wayne Shorter
  3. Black Comedy – Tony Williams
  4. Country Son – Miles Davis

Miles Davis: Big Fun

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Big_Fun

On April 19, 1974, “Columbia” label released “Big Fun” a double album by Miles Davis. It was recorded November 1969; February and March 1970, and June 1972, at “Columbia Studios B and E”, and was produced by Teo Macero.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis– trumpet, electric trumpet with wah wah
  • John McLaughlin– guitar
  • Khalil Balakrishna– electric sitar
  • Bihari Sharima– tamboura
  • Lonnie Liston Smith– piano
  • Harold I. Williams, Jr. –piano
  • Joe Zawinul– electric piano
  • Chick Corea– electric piano
  • Herbie Hancock– electric piano
  • Larry Young– organ, celeste
  • Sonny Fortune– soprano saxophone, flute
  • Carlos Garnett– soprano saxophone
  • Steve Grossman– soprano saxophone
  • Wayne Shorter– soprano saxophone
  • Bennie Maupin– clarinet, bass clarinet, flute
  • Dave Holland– electric bass guitar, double bass
  • Harvey Brooks– electric bass guitar
  • Michael Henderson– electric bass
  • Billy Cobham– triangle, drums
  • Jack DeJohnette– drums
  • Al Foster– drums
  • Billy Hart– drums
  • Airto Moreira– cuíca, percussion, berimbau, Indian instruments
  • James Mtume– African percussion
  • Badal Roy– tabla
  • Seth Rothstein – project director
  • Frank Laico, Stan Tonkel – engineer
  • Russ Payne, Stan Weiss, John Guerriere – mixing
  • Corky McCoy– cover art

Track listing:

  1. Great Expectations – Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul
  • Great Expectations – Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul
  • Orange Lady – Joe Zawinul
  1. Ife – Miles Davis
  2. Recollections – Joe Zawinul
  3. Trevere – Miles Davis
  4. Go Ahead John – Miles Davis
  5. Lonely Fire – Miles Davis
  6. The Little Blue Frog – Miles Davis
  7. Yaphet – Miles Davis

Cassandra Wilson: Travelling Miles

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Traveling miles

On March 23, 1999, “Blue Note” label released “Traveling Miles”, the thirteenth Cassandra Wilson album. It was recorded in December 1997, at “The Hit Factory” in New York City, May & September 1998, at “Bearsville Studios” in Bearsville, and was produced by Cassandra Wilson.The album is a tribute to Miles Davis.

Personnel:

  • Cassandra Wilson – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Doug Wamble– acoustic guitar
  • Eric Lewis– piano
  • Jeffrey Haynes, Kevin Breit– acoustic, electric, resophonic & e-bow guitars, electric mandolin, mandocello, bazouki
  • Lonnie Plaxico– acoustic bass
  • Marcus Baylor– drums, percussion
  • Marvin Sewell– acoustic, classical & electric guitars, bazouki
  • Mino Cinelu– percussion
  • Perry Wilson– drums
  • Vincent Henry– harmonica
  • Dave Holland– bass
  • Olu Dara– cornet
  • Steve Coleman– alto sax
  • Pat Metheny– classical guitar
  • Angelique Kidjo– vocals
  • Regina Carter– violin
  • Stefon Harris– vibraphone

Track listing:

  1. Run the Voodoo Down – Miles Davis, Cassandra Wilson
  2. Traveling Miles – Cassandra Wilson
  3. Right Here Right Now – Marvin Sewell and Cassandra Wilson
  4. Time After Time – Rob Hyman and Cyndi Lauper
  5. When The Sun Goes Down – Cassandra Wilson
  6. Seven Steps – Victor Feldman and Miles Davis
  7. Someday My Prince Will Come – Frank Churchill and Larry Morey
  8. Never Broken – Wayne Shorter and Cassandra Wilson
  9. Resurrection Blues – Marcus Miller and Cassandra Wilson
  10. Sky & Sea (Blue in Green) – Miles Davis and Cassandra Wilson
  11. Piper – Cassandra Wilson
  12. Voodoo Reprise – Miles Davis, Cassandra Wilson and Angelique Kidjo

Gil Evans

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On March 20, 1988, Ian Ernest Gilmore “Gil” Evans died aged 75. He was musician (piano), arranger, composer and bandleader, had important role in the development of free jazz, cool jazz, modal jazz and jazz fusion. Evans performed and recorded with many important jazz musicians including: Miles Davis, Lee Konitz, Glen Hall, Steve Lacy, Claude Thornhill, Johnny Mathis, Hal McKusick, Marcy Lutes, Helen Merill, Don Elliot, Astrud Gilberto and Kenny Burrell. In 1986, Evans was inducted into the “Down Beat”  “Jazz Hall of Fame”. He won two “Grammy Awards” – in1960: “Sketches of Spain”, “Grammy Award for Best Original  Jazz Composition” with Miles Davis; in 1986: “Bud and Bird”, “Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band”.

Tony Williams

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On February 23, 1997, Anthony Tillmon “Tony” Williams died aged 51. He was  musician (drums), regarded as one of the most important and influential jazz drummers ever. In his career he has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in the jazz history, including: Miles Davis, Geri Allen, Arcana, Chet Baker, George Cables, Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, Eric Dolphy, Kenny Dorham, Gil Evans, Tommy Flanagan, Hal Galper, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Wallace Roney, Jonas Hellborg, Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, Terumasa Hino, Allan Holdsworth, Hank Jones, Charles Lloyd, Michael Mantler, Ray Manzarek, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, John McLaughlin, Jackie McLean, Marcus Miller, Mulgrew Miller, Grachan Moncur III, Jaco Pastorius, Michel Petrucciani, Pop Workshop, Public Image Limited, Don Pullen, Sam Rivers, Sonny Rollins, Wallace Roney, Travis Shook, McCoy Tyner, Sadao Watanabe and Weather Report. In 1969, Tony Williams formed a trio, the Tony Williams Lifetime, with John McLaughlin on guitar and Larry Young on organ.

The Bottom Line

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Bottom Line Club

On February 12, 1974, “The Bottom Line” club opened in New York City. Owned by Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky, during the 70’s and 80’s, the club was a major space for small-scale music performances. The club stoped working in 2004. Some of the artists who performed in the club were Miles Davis, Gato Barbieri, Bill Evans, Charles Mingus, Mose Allison, Muddy Waters, Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, Ray Barretto, Peter Gabriel, Al Kooper, Tom Waits, Melvin Van Peebles, Neil Sedaka, Billy Joel, Suzi Quatro, Patti Smith, Flo & Eddie, Toots and the Maytals, Cheech & Chong, Tower of Power, Tim Hardin, Roger McGuinn, JJ Cale, The Meters, Greg Kihn Band, Ry Cooder,Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Sam & Dave, Asım Can Gündüz, The Ronettes, John Cale, Gong, Peter Bardens, The Violent Femmes, Eric Clapton, Carl Perkins, Linda Ronstadt,The Police, Richard Marx, Prince, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Van Morrison, The Stone Poneys, Chuck Mangione, Emmylou Harris, Clinn Rippy, Neil Young, Barry Manilow, Laura Nyro, Loudon Wainwright III, New York Dolls, Lyle Lovett, The Electric Flag, Pat Martino, Todd Rundgren, Graham Parker, Grayson Hugh, Stan Ridgway, Horslips, Dire Straits,Chris Hillman, Hawkwind, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Tracy Nelson, The Pointer Sisters, Betty Carter, Ravi Shankar, Ramones and Michael Hedges.

The Birdland Jazz Club

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On December 15, 1949, “The Birdland Jazz Club”, named after Charlie Parker, opens in New York City. The club was located at “1678 Broadway” and worked until in 1965. The club re-opened for in1979 and in 1986 the second club located in “Manhattan’s Theater District” opened. The club current location is in the building next to The New York Observer headquarters.Some of the biggest names in Jazz history performed in “Birdland” including: Chet Baker; Count Basie; Roy Haynes; Jon Hendricks; Billie Holiday; Dave Holland; Freddie Hubbard; Hank Jones; Quincy Jones; Michel Legrand; Ramsey Lewis; Pat Martino; George Benson; Art Blakey; Dave Brubeck; Ron Carter; John Coltrane; Miles Davis; Sammy Davis Jr.; Blossom Dearie; Billy Eckstine; Duke Ellington; Maynard Ferguson; Ella Fitzgerald; Slim Gaillard; Erroll Garner; Stan Getz; Modern Jazz Quartet; Thelonious Monk; Anita O’Day; Charlie Parker; Oscar Peterson; Machito; Tito Puente; Bud Powell; Horace Silver; Nina Simone; Jimmy Smith; Billy Taylor; Clark Terry; McCoy Tyner; Sarah Vaughan; Dinah Washington; Joe Williams; Tony Williams; Lester Young; Michael Brecker; Melissa Manchester; Pat Metheny; Liza Minnelli; Michel Petrucciani; Harry Connick Jr.; Kurt Elling; Kevin Eubanks; Norah Jones; Diana Krall; Joe Lovano; John Pizzarelli; John Scofield; Maria Schneider; Phoebe Snow; Phil Woods and Yellowjacket.