Guy Berger

I haven't heard Sleeper but this seems like an accurate description of the other two live albums, Personal Mountains and Nude Ants. In general Jarrett's 70s music had pop sensibilities (among many other sensibilities). I don't think this is a bad thing and it wasn't unique to the European quartet, but it does seem like it worked less well with them than it did with Redman/Haden/Motian. I think the grit that made it previously worthwhile was missing. (That is also my beef with "Mandala" on the My Song album.) Anyway, I still like a lot of the 1979 live material, even though Garbarek's playing on " Oasis" from Nude Ants reminds me of a dentist drill.

This is a quaintly outdated warning.

ok i take back my earlier more generous comments, that is so stupid

Agreed. It's a fan's list. That said, if I were to guess this is a guy who has listened to only a little pre-WW2 jazz (obligatory mentions of CH, BW and LY), owns a ton of Blue Note and Impulse reissues covering the 50s and 60s, and whose tastes after that period run mostly to free jazz. You provide that kind of input and you'll get this kind of list.

The CL is great - DISCOVERY is heads and shoulder above almost all of the Atlantic albums, including Forest Flower.

It's funny you mention the sides vs CDs. I routinely use that terminology despite not being around for the LP era. I also agree that it's too bad that Miles lingered so briefly in the transitional music of 1968. Listening to the music on the In a Silent Way sessions box (which includes side 2 of WB), you realize this was a massive road not taken. Musical history could have been very different if we'd first heard the unedited "shhhh... peaceful"

Fasstrack, I like what you wrote here. My initial reaction was also that side 1 was more about blowing than compositions relative to the group's "core 6" albums, but I have changed my mind since. Maybe it is true compared to something like "Footprints" or "Masqualero", but generally speaking these performances would fit right im with the Sorcerer and Nefertiti albums. Speaking of side 2, I think "Two Faced" is one of Wayne's best and most underrated compositions. Are there any other interpretations?

Except that when I read Tingen's book which was a couple of years ago, I was surprised at how critical he is of Miles's electric period. For a guy who supposedly champions this era, read what he says in the details about a number of the electric works and you will note how unflattering his descriptions are. There is a thread about this which I started I believe. He is critical in parts* and that's what makes it a worthwhile book rather than a hagiography. But unlike Crouch, he actually attempts to engage with and understand this music. There's nothing wrong with being a critic, but maybe they should do their homework first. *And made me question his sanity when he said bad things about "Mademoiselle Mabry" and "Pharoah's Dance".

I'm glad you ended up getting Head On, which is outside of this period and absolutely brilliant. I like it as much as (almost?) all of the more acclaimed 60s titles.

Like him or hate him, silly is as silly does. Why should anyone spill so much ink and blow so much hot air about Miles's motives? Why not follow Dizzy's advice and just let the music speak for itself?

By the way, aside from purely practical reasons, why does Miles's 80s music need to be "defended"? And from Stanley Crouch, of all people? If anything, it should be the reverse. The onus should be on SC to defend his silly assertions about the music.

Let me also add that every minute wasted reading Chambers's commentary on the 80s music would be better reading Paul Tingen's writing on the same subject.

Chambers was the first Miles bio I read and turned me onto some great music as a budding listener (especially Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants). But it has serious shortcomings has a biography: 1) His judgment about Miles's music becomes dicier and dicier once you move past 1963. His cluelessness on the electric music is well-known but he does not really get the 60s quintet either. 2) No primary sources!!!! This is a real shame because a lot more of the principals were still alive when he wrote this book. Later biographers would not be as lucky. 3) Lots of factual errors. I haven't read every Miles bio out there. I thought Carr was, if anything, more problematic. Szwed may be better but I am waiting for it to come out on ebook. But even if there is no acceptable substitute, this would be a very shaky bedrock on which to construct an understanding of the man and his music.

But it does demolish any legal logic used to justify this board policy. The point of the policy, I presume, is to immunize Jim from lawsuits lodged by copyright holders. But if the world's largest online retailer is selling the product, arguing that linking to such products will amount to likely lawsuits for Jim makes no sense. The point of a lawsuit is to obtain relief from harm; if nobody is bothering to sue Amazon, which is causing about 1,000,000x the harm Jim is in such a case...then why does Jim have anything to fear? It's asinine. I agree with Big Wheel here. Applying this rule in a way that forbids amazon links just doesn't make sense. Out of curiosity, can people just type the text "this recording is available via amazon.com" instead of linking it? Seems like this rule can be easily evaded.

I already have everything on F's A list except Absolutely Free (which I should pick up)... I guess I'm done!

Interesting. I have Rykos from the late 90s. Are these the screwed up mixes? (There were actually two CD issues in the first two decades of the CD era, right? Was the other one better?) I never had issues with them, but I'm also not familiar with the originals.

I like Sart better than Afric Pepperbird. Both are worth hearing for sure.

I thought this one was relatively dull (though it has its moments). Definitely not on the level of Out of the Cool or Individualism.

Haven't listened to this in a while, but recall that it's a fun album. I remember it being more like In a Silent Way - it doesn't have Bitches Brews's more aggressive tendencies. Basically for people who like IaSW and don't mind something a little more watered down. (I'd say the same thing about Electric Byrd.)

Blu Blu Blu is great! Highly recommended if you like edgy post-bebop big band writing. Hearinga Suite is almost as good. I haven't heard the others in this box so I'll have to pick it up. Amusingly, I was listening to BBB and our dog Henry was confused by the tuba playing at the beginning of the 2nd track (don't remember the tune's name).

Is Spirits worth getting?

Reading these blindfold tests makes me grateful that Miles's taste in creating in his own music was far, far better than that in judging the music of others.

Sounds fun. Who is Ms. Grimal?

Didn't his Cecil Taylor comments on the 1964 BFT prompt the response "Miles Davis plays pretty well for a millionaire" ?

I don't have a lot to add to what Jim wrote above, except that it would have been extremely tragic to forgo most of Trane's 1966-67 music. (If the Alice-haters are also lumping in the 1965 music in their conspiracy theories, even worse.) I think it is telling that McCoy included Alice on Extensions. Guy