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It is easy to be dismissive of an artist’s lull, the down time when he/she regroups, assesses what has gone before, seemingly coasts, and somehow prepares for the next step (or simply awaits the transforming “spark”). And, to many critics and listeners, that is the response to the ‘gap’ in Miles Davis’s career between the late 1950s, when his dual collaborations—those with Trane and Gil Evans—proved defining, and 1964, when his mid-sixties quintet (Carter, Hancok, Shorter and Williams) created a new, defining, and singularly identifiable sound. After 1964, there was modern jazx, and there was Miles Davis modern jazz.
Seven Steps causes a radical re-thinking of this approach, the one viewing Davis’ career as exceptional if staggered. Although nothing novel emerged in the span of one year, Davis created both exemplary music and nurtured the seeds of a new era of creativity.
In terms of his nightly song list, little changes even as personnel experiments occur. “My Funny Valentine,” Autumn Leaves,” “Walkin’,” “Joshua” and “Seven Steps” are the staples, with no new composing. But they gradually emerge with new shapes, particularly with two saxophonist changes—first, the brief if ill-fitting experiment with Sam Rivers (I am a Rivers fan, and he plays great, but there was an incompatibility that made his tenure appropriately short), and then the rounding out of his quintet with Wayne Shorter, where the pieces fell into place.
Listening to the seven CDs in this set (with eight previously unreleased cuts and three released now without editing) shows a gradual evolution in approach, with disc seven showing his younger group of musicians, especially Williams, Hancock and Shorter, taking liberties with the standards and hinting at a new musical vision. Throughout, Davis plays exceptionally and at length, perhaps recognizing that an absence in innovation needed to be compensated for by a brilliance in performance. And listening brings a greater appreciation to the skills of two little-heralded Davis sidemen—pianist Victor Feldman, who beautifully complemented the trumpeter, and tenor George Coleman, who stood side by side with Davis much better than predecessor Hank Mobley. Coleman deserves note for his rich sound, imagination, and spirit.
Perhaps it did take seven steps, one per CD, to reach a new plateau. But they are intriguing and rewarding steps, and this boxed set demands that the listener appreciate the transitional period of an artist in a new and rich way.
Release Date: 28 September 2004
Miles Davis:
Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis, 1963-64 - 3-CD set (Columbia/Legacy)
— includes material from the following albums:
— Seven Steps to Heaven (studio, Apr-May 1963),
with
George Coleman (tenor sax),
Ron Carter (bass) and
either
Victor Feldman (piano) &
Frank Butler (drums)
or
Herbie Hancock (piano) &
Tony Williams (drums);
includes previously unreleased alternate takes of "Joshua" and two of "Seven Steps"
with Feldman
and a rehearsal take of "Seven Steps" with Hancock
— Miles in Europe (Antibes, 27Jul1963), continuing with
George Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams,
with the previously unissued tunes "Bye Bye Blackbird" (16'47) & "Theme" (6'06),
plus the
unedited versions of "Autumn Leaves" (13'55), "Joshua" (11'36)
and "All of You" (16'54)
— the complete Philharmonic Hall concert (12Feb1964),
with both sets complete
and in performance order
(originally issued out-of-sequence as
My Funny Valentine and
Four & More);
includes previously unissued tune "Autumn Leaves" (10'40),
plus introductions by Mort Fega & Billy Taylor
— Miles in Tokyo (14Jul1964), with
Sam Rivers on tenor sax
— Miles in Berlin (25Sep1964), with
Wayne Shorter on tenor sax;
includes a previously unissued version of "Stella by Starlight" (12'54)
— in all, set includes over an hour of previously unreleased music
— includes 92-page booklet with liner notes by Bob Blumenthal, a full discography of the period
and rare and previously-unpublished photos of the musicians
— and the initial pressings are packaged with a metal spine
please send comments to jazzmatazz@att.net
last update 29 September 2004