Rooster_Ties Posted January 8, 2004 Report Posted January 8, 2004 SOURCE Blue Note Bulletin Boards --Miscellaneous ----Miles Davis "Bootleg" Box Author Topic: Miles Davis "Bootleg" Box deweydex Member posted June 08, 2001 12:14 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a message posted by Larry Gregan in the Miles Davis Listserv. Dear Michael Cuscuna, First, thank you very much for the care for the music, the musicians, and the listeners that is evident in all your work. As custodians of some of the treasures of humanity, you and your colleagues are resources to be valued yourselves. May I suggest that you are uniquely positioned, especially through the collective resources of Mosaic, to address one of the biggest problems in Jazz collection and preservation: radio broadcasts of European tours that are caught in the limbo between artist’s estates, State bureaucracies, bootleggers, and the labels to which the artists were signed at the time of performance. Take the Miles Davis Quintet tour of 1967 as an example. At the time of the Plugged Nickel recordings they only had one studio recording behind them and many of the considerable advancements in their concept were yet to be made. As Wayne Shorter said, “The arrival of the group’ s concepts started at the Plugged Nickel”. The music they made two years later is an extension of those concepts that is thrilling to anyone fortunate enough to hear it. It is a tragedy that few get to hear it, however, in part because of the legitimate interests of the various stakeholders. Columbia owns some tape but the artist’s estate wants a good deal. Other tape is in the hands of State broadcasters or labels driven underground or out of existence since changes to copyright laws in Europe. The performances have never been collected together and given the kind of context for appraisal and appreciation that you gave the Plugged Nickel sets. With your experience in securing short-term licensing from those who want to retain the ability to capitalize on their investment later, your extensive contacts to facilitate research and acquisition, and your reputation with which to attract people to participate in a project, you are the only person I see on the horizon who can get such a necessary project done. There are, of course, several other artists whose broadcast European tours coincided with important artistic moments that were otherwise undocumented, but I suggest the Davis Quintet of 1967 for two reasons: 1) I would love it, and 2) I’m not alone; it would seem to be the one to start with in order to make a profit and generate interest in other projects of this kind. From a strictly curatorial perspective, Davis’ 1969 tour with his “Lost” Quintet would be an essential project but as a first effort the Second Quintet would have a larger target market through intergenerational appeal. So, what do you say Michael? I know you would love this. Here’s hoping that you can get excited about the possibilities of this project. All the best to you, Larry Gregan Winnipeg, Canada 08/12/99 Dear Larry, I couldn't agree with you more. Bob Belden and I are amassing sources of various live Miles with the idea of Sony/Columbia issuing a Miles Davis "Bootleg" Box as Bob Dylan did a decade or so ago. BUT it will take time and be fraught with red tape. All the best, Michael Cuscuna 09/12/1999 This may take 10 - 15 years, but I'm already craving it..... IP: Logged Trumpet Guy Member posted June 08, 2001 01:38 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Awesome Idea!Can you include the Cal. Berkeley concert in April 67' with Albert Stinson?!Not to mention the "No Blues" date.The videos you see in various documentaries are from this time as well-"Put it ALL on the record"! IP: Logged Lon Armstrong Member posted June 08, 2001 01:54 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, sure that would be great. That letter from Cuscuna is already 21 months old. Only about ten or twenty more years of legal wrangling to go! IP: Logged JSngry Member posted June 08, 2001 01:55 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Outstanding idea. I've been getting this stuff as I can, when I can, any way thay I can. I've got a fair amount, but the discographies show how much I DON't have. If anybody can do it, Cuscuna and Belden can. Were those correspondences dated 1999? I'm patient. IP: Logged deweydex Member posted June 08, 2001 02:12 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's the link to the original post dated April 7th, 2001: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/scripts/wa.exe?...s&F=&S=&P=20119 IP: Logged Wonder if this is still something that could ever happen??? Especially the Miles 1967 material!!! Quote
Claude Posted January 8, 2004 Report Posted January 8, 2004 (edited) Wonder if this is still something that could ever happen??? Especially the Miles 1967 material!!! Thanks for bringing that up, Rooster. The October 28, 1967 concert from Antwerp, Belgium is simply the best Miles live recording I have ever heard (I've heard almost all, including many bootlegs). As it is a radio broadcast, the sound is very good. Edited January 8, 2004 by Claude Quote
brownie Posted January 8, 2004 Report Posted January 8, 2004 Claude, what's your audio source for that Antwerp concert? I have the J-Bop 042 'Masqualero' version from Jazz Birdies of Paradise and the sound stinks. But the concert really smokes. That Miles-Shorter-Hancock band was incredible! I was at the Paris Salle Pleyel concert one week after the Antwerp concert and this was the best Miles concert I ever heard. The Paris concert is out on JMY as 'No Blues' and the sound on that CD is much better than the J-Bop. Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted January 8, 2004 Author Report Posted January 8, 2004 Claude, what's your audio source for that Antwerp concert? I have the J-Bop 042 'Masqualero' version from Jazz Birdies of Paradise and the sound stinks. But the concert really smokes. That Miles-Shorter-Hancock band was incredible! I used to have that "Jazz Birdies of Paradise" release too (sold it a couple years ago), and yes - the sound was pretty bad. But there are a couple much better versions of the exact same concert floating around. Mine is a silver (non-CDR) CD that just has "Antwerp" stamped on it (in small letters), with some bare-bones packaging. Found it maybe three years ago in St. Louis at Euclid Records for about $25, and at the time - I didn't realize that it was the same performance as the "Birdies of Paradise" release. Fortunately the sound was so much better, that I was still glad I picked it up. (I would say it's about 90% as good as the JMY Paris date from about a week later. And the music smokes, of course!!!) Quote
bertrand Posted January 8, 2004 Report Posted January 8, 2004 In my (biased opinion), the second Miles Quintet was its absolute peak during this '67 European tour. Everything I have heard is absolutely breathtaking. I like this far better than the Plugged Nickel stuff, if only because Miles is in top-shape (unlike the PN recordings). Brownie, I can't believe you were at the Pleyel concert. No Blues is just an incredible performance. By the way, I received your e-mail. I hope my reply went through, because I've been having e-mail trouble. I used the web version of my ISP, so I think it went through. Let me know if you did not receive it - it includes my contact info in Paris. Bertrand. Quote
JohnS Posted January 8, 2004 Report Posted January 8, 2004 (edited) The 28th August 1967 Antwerp concert is also on Jazzman JM 11742. It's subtitled "His greatest concert ever". The sound is acceptable. Edited January 8, 2004 by JohnS Quote
brownie Posted January 8, 2004 Report Posted January 8, 2004 In my (biased opinion), the second Miles Quintet was its absolute peak during this '67 European tour. Everything I have heard is absolutely breathtaking. I like this far better than the Plugged Nickel stuff, if only because Miles is in top-shape (unlike the PN recordings). Brownie, I can't believe you were at the Pleyel concert. No Blues is just an incredible performance. By the way, I received your e-mail. I hope my reply went through, because I've been having e-mail trouble. I used the web version of my ISP, so I think it went through. Let me know if you did not receive it - it includes my contact info in Paris. Bertrand. Bertrand, did get your e-mail. You should have my reply with details. Quote
MartyJazz Posted January 17, 2004 Report Posted January 17, 2004 Aside from the private audio tapes I've had for many years, one of the video treasures I have of this great band is the Stockholm concert done during that fall '67 European tour. Only 33 minutes long, it's terrific to behold the members of that band in performance. (George Wein is the mc). As others have noted, snippets of this concert and others have appeared in various Miles video documentaries. I wonder how many, if any, there are of this tour. -_- Quote
rockefeller center Posted January 17, 2004 Report Posted January 17, 2004 Aside from the private audio tapes I've had for many years, one of the video treasures I have of this great band is the Stockholm concert done during that fall '67 European tour. Only 33 minutes long, it's terrific to behold the members of that band in performance. (George Wein is the mc). As others have noted, snippets of this concert and others have appeared in various Miles video documentaries. I wonder how many, if any, there are of this tour. -_- http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/sessions.asp?s=671107 Quote
ghost of miles Posted January 17, 2004 Report Posted January 17, 2004 This sounds fantastic, if it ever materializes. What's left in the "official" Miles Sony re-issue program? The Seven Steps/Live 1963-64 box... the Cellar Door material... what else am I forgetting? In any case, maybe MC and BB will move onto the bootleg material after they wrap up the above-mentioned projects. Quote
Hardbopjazz Posted February 12, 2004 Report Posted February 12, 2004 Wonder if this is still something that could ever happen??? Especially the Miles 1967 material!!! Thanks for bringing that up, Rooster. The October 28, 1967 concert from Antwerp, Belgium is simply the best Miles live recording I have ever heard (I've heard almost all, including many bootlegs). As it is a radio broadcast, the sound is very good. I have this bootleg too, and it is great. I also have another which is just a few days later, 11/6/67, which is just as good. Then I also have others from around the same time, which the sound is just horrible. Has anyone heard the 11/6/67 date? Quote
Lazaro Vega Posted February 12, 2004 Report Posted February 12, 2004 Is there any chance these two CD's or video you've mentioned are in print and available anywhere. Great letter to Cuscuna, and a promising response. Quote
PHILLYQ Posted February 18, 2004 Report Posted February 18, 2004 Lazaro, Send me a PM with your email address- I might have someone that could help you in that respect. Quote
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