JSngry Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) I played a Miles Tribute gig last night, and the sets were divided into KOB, MILES SMILES, & Electric Miles, in that order. While the electric instruments were setting up for the final set, I looked around at the mass of humanity and said to the cat who organized the whole thing and said with a grin, "Why didn't you go ahead and get a French Horn & Tuba? Then we could do BIRTH OF THE COOL too." Pause... And then, with an evil grin. "Or even better - why not use what you already got and do an electric BIRTH OF THE COOL?" Well, we both laughed for about 3 seconds before coming to the same realization simultaneously - that's not a bad idea. It's potentially even a great idea. Those charts are so full of color, but the tempos, the bottom-heavy instrumentation, and the recording capabilities of the time don't necessarily showcase the color of the arrangements to full advantage, at least on not all of them. Think about it - a rendition of those charts, with the same voicings, played with electronic textures. It would require players with extreme sensitivity and musicality, but somebody like Gil Goldstein, whose work on The Manhattan Project displays such qualities in abundance, I think, and whose same work shows a lucid understanding of Gil Evans' methodologies and esthetic, could maybe, maybe, do something really interesting with this concept. And adding accoustic instruments to the mix could make it even more interesting... The opbject wouldn't be to do something "better". or something that was different for the sake of being different. It would be to explore the implications of those arrangements as they relate to the color/textural capabilities/possibilities of today's electronic instruments. In other words - no gimmicks, just music. I think it could be quite an interesting project in the right hands. Now - has it already been done? P.S. - I'm anxiously awaiting Chuck's response. Edited May 23, 2005 by JSngry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 French arranger Laurent Cugny would be a natural for this. He did an album of electric Miles for big band which is great. He also did two albums with Gil Evans. Bertrand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted May 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 French arranger Laurent Cugny would be a natural for this. He did an album of electric Miles for big band which is great. Details, please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John L Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 The electric cool was already born a while back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 I don't know about 'Electric' birth of the cool but some years ago I saw a pretty good recreation of the original 'acoustic' nonet sessions, using the original arrangements. Herb Geller was playing the alto lead, with West Coast guys such as Bob Enevoldsen and Bill Perkins also in the band. Worked for me ! They also did some great re-creations of some of the early Shorty Rogers material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 French arranger Laurent Cugny would be a natural for this. He did an album of electric Miles for big band which is great. Details, please. ← Pretty sure Bertrand meant the Yesternow album. Click on the image on this link for details: http://3.pro.tok2.com/~sudo/Quest/cards/L/LaurentCugny/ More Miles Davis tunes arranged by Cugny for the Orchestre National de Jazz are included (along with Wynton Marsalis' 'The Majesty of the Blues'!) on the Intempo album. Have not heard these! Bertrand, that Yesternow is really great? Saw a copy of it on sale somewhere recently! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Yesternow is indeed the CD in question. I liked it a lot when I bought it and listened to it. It's been a few years, though... I saw the Orchestre National de Jazz just before Laurent's tenure was over. They played a rocking version of Zawinul's 'Dflat Waltz'. Brownie is right. The ONJ also does an electric Miles tune on the CD called In Tempo. I believe the companion CD, Reminiscing, also has one. If I remember right, one has 'Right Off' and one has 'Water On The Pond'. BTW, the Marsalis tune was the weakest thing at the gig. Laurent played it first, then announced it. I wasn't digging it as they played it without my knowing what it was (although I had a suspicion), and neither was my mother. So, you see, I don't have an a priori judgment on Wynton's stuff - I hear it first, dislike it, then find out it was one of his tunes. This is the ultimate acid test. Bertrand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari S Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 It's not quite the same thing, but Finnish big band UMO Jazz Orchestra did a great little album called "Electrifying Miles" with Tim Hagans as the soloist. Amazon.com link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 There were also a couple recordings w/Gil Evans and his arrangements which I'm pretty sure are OOP. They were billed as Gil Evans/Laurent Cugny Big Band Lumiere and the titles were Rhythm-A-Ning and Golden Hair, both on Emarcy circa 1987. Pretty good playing and recordings, IIRC. I need to check 'em out again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGUD missile Posted May 26, 2005 Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 I submit for your consideration : possibly Miles "Tutu " was the first step in such a direction .. Marcus managed to blend the electronics and the acoustic elements quite well for me .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted May 26, 2005 Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 Hmmm, electric Birth of the Cool... Honestly, the idea has about as much appeal for me as the notion of remaking Psycho in color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted May 26, 2005 Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted May 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 Can't please everybody! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted May 26, 2005 Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 Janet Leigh in color. . . . HMMH. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trumpet Guy Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Late to the game Jim... Enrico Rava's "Electric Five" on Soul Note has a version of "Boplicity" which has some electric guitars added to the mix.(Also do Milestones-new version)--- Not what you would do musically,I'm sure, but thought of your thread when I bought it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Thank goodness Heaney isn't here to see this thread!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Thank goodness Heaney isn't here to see this thread!! ← What would bother him more, the "cool" or the "electric" part? Somebody should suggest this to Paul Motian and the Electric Bebop Band, btw. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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