Miles Davis - Cellar Door Sessions

Rob C · December-21st-2005, 09:47 PM

Oh, HELL yes.

Listening to disc one now. I was a little hesitant to drop the $ for this, but I'm already thrilled.

Rob Damen · December-21st-2005, 10:52 PM

Hope BMG does its duty!

Cheers,

Rob

Gary Sisco · December-22nd-2005, 08:15 AM

Just ordered it this morning and can't wait, especially after Blivins' rave review.

I threw the business to True Blue, because I haven't bought much from TB/Mosaic the past year. A few bucks more, maybe, but it goes to an independent dedicated to jazz. My favorite electric Miles rekkid is drawn from these sessions, so I'll likely be as breathless as Jason was when I hear it.

December-22nd-2005, 11:03 AM

Been listening to this in my car over the past two weeks.
Mostly loving it, but I gotta admit that by disc 4, I found myself
wishing Miles wasn't playing through the wah-wah pedal or whatever
effects he was using. His soloing is amazing, but the effects get a
little tiresome.

I can easily hear why fans of his 50's & 60's work would be so turned off
by this music, and I can also hear why so many loved that he was staying
and expanding in this direction.

Rob C · December-22nd-2005, 11:37 AM

I found it funny that every time the Fender Rhodes is mentioned in the liners, it has the little registered copyright symbol right after: "Fender Rhodes(R)". It's especially hilarious when Jarrett disses it. Paraphrasing: "The Fender Rhodes(R) never sounded good even when it was working right."

Gary Sisco · December-23rd-2005, 08:25 AM

That's some pretty stupid shit, right there.

Maybe I'll get a trademark for "the."

Everytime anyone wants to write about the(R) anything they'll have to ...

al j · December-25th-2005, 03:44 PM

Yes. This set kills. Positively crazy shit.

AladdinSane · December-26th-2005, 12:01 PM

I have Live-Evil and I think that is one of Miles' best concert ever. But when I hear you guys talking about Cellar Door... WOW! Than it must be a good album! I'm still thinking if I should buy it or not. Not because of the tracks, but because of the price of the box...

December-27th-2005, 07:27 PM

I loved it the first way through, but on the second listen, I started
to get a little bored. While Jarrett and Henderson are excellent, there's
a lot of repetitive vamping thrown out there that doesn't really engage me the more I hear it. Miles has some wonderful, fiery solos throughout, but the wah-wah pedal gets tiresome. And Bartz. Bartz is just not one of the better sax players to have played with Miles, and I'm not comparing him to Coltrane or Cannonball or Wayne Shorter. He's not as good as Hank Mobley or Sam Rivers or George Coleman or Kenny Garrett. or Steve Grossman.

I'd say this is my least favorite of the box sets. Shoulda been 3 discs.

BFrank · December-27th-2005, 08:47 PM

Mine arrived today. Listening to disk #1 now.

Nefertiti · December-28th-2005, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by achilles

I loved it the first way through, but on the second listen, I started to get a little bored.

There is nothing to worry about. You are perfectly normal.

This would happen to most people who listen to six consecutive concerts of the same band. Even with that band.

Gary Sisco · December-28th-2005, 07:37 AM

Got mine yesterday and listened to the first three discs last night. Fantastic. Great band, great performances, all around. DeJohnette, baby! Also interesting to hear Jarrett by himself behind Miles (I mean, with him being the only keyboard player). He really gets into some shit.

My only quibble is one of design, the red on red spine labeling. Come on, guys. Must've been one of those "it seemed like a good idea at the time" things.

Also the outside promo, thankfully a throwaway, declares this group to have been Miles's "last great band." I beg their pardon. It's a great band, but so was the one still to come, especially on "Agharta/Pangea."

But those are quibbles. I'm a Miles fiend and I love it.

walto · December-28th-2005, 08:39 AM

Quote:

He's not as good as Hank Mobley or Sam Rivers or George Coleman or Kenny Garrett. or Steve Grossman.

As I said on the other thread, like him or not, he's better than Steve "one riff wonder" Grossman.

Gary Sisco · December-28th-2005, 09:20 AM

But guys like Mobley, Rivers and Coleman couldn't have and wouldn't have played that music in that time, Grossman probably could've but had left the band, and Garrett was a small child at the time at best -- and in any case Miles wasn't playing that music either by the time Garrett came along -- so the issue doesn't exist.

One great thing about Cormac McCarthy is that he continually reminds us that what "might have been" doesn't exist and can't.

All that exists is the personal issue that Achilles doesn't dig the music much. Nothing else.

I could listen to it for days on repeat mode and likely will.

December-28th-2005, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

But guys like Mobley, Rivers and Coleman couldn't have and wouldn't have played that music in that time, Grossman probably could've but had left the band, and Garrett was a small child at the time at best -- and in any case Miles wasn't playing that music either by the time Garrett came along -- so the issue doesn't exist.

One great thing about Cormac McCarthy is that he continually reminds us that what "might have been" doesn't exist and can't.

All that exists is the personal issue that Achilles doesn't dig the music much. Nothing else.

I could listen to it for days on repeat mode and likely will.

Weird and absurdly literal analysis of a simply stated opinion.
I see you banging a gavel after such pronouncements.

December-28th-2005, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nefertiti

There is nothing to worry about. You are perfectly normal.

This would happen to most people who listen to six consecutive concerts of the same band. Even with that band.

Except that I can listen to the Plugged Nickel box, which is even longer, and
be nothing short of enthralled and enchanted every time.

Jon Abbey · December-28th-2005, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

It's a great band, but so was the one still to come, especially on "Agharta/Pangea."

easily my favorite of the electric Miles bands, and I think the one that was the closest to what Miles was going for in that time period.

crawjo · December-28th-2005, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by achilles

I loved it the first way through, but on the second listen, I started
to get a little bored. While Jarrett and Henderson are excellent, there's
a lot of repetitive vamping thrown out there that doesn't really engage me the more I hear it. Miles has some wonderful, fiery solos throughout, but the wah-wah pedal gets tiresome. And Bartz. Bartz is just not one of the better sax players to have played with Miles, and I'm not comparing him to Coltrane or Cannonball or Wayne Shorter. He's not as good as Hank Mobley or Sam Rivers or George Coleman or Kenny Garrett. or Steve Grossman.

I'd say this is my least favorite of the box sets. Shoulda been 3 discs.

I would respectfully disagree with this. To my ears, this box set sounds like it is covering territory similar to the Jack Johnson box (Miles uses wah wah effects on that one as well), although the lineup is a bit different. But more importantly, I find this music (from the Cellar Door) more energetic, less repetitive, and more inventive than his studio material from this time period. Regarding Bartz, I'm pretty neutral, but I think he fits in well with this style of playing, and in any case, his presence on these sets is far from obtrusive.

I find it odd that you would note here that it should have been three discs. Each disc seems to be pretty unique to me (with the first being the weakest), but anyway, when you compare it to the studio boxes Columbia has released, it has far more interesting material. Once you take out the tracks that had already been released, you could easily pare the memorable stuff from Jack Johnson, Davis/Coltrane, Bitches Brew and Gil Evans down to two cds or less, I would imagine.

As of right now I would rank this as my third favorite Miles box, behind the Plugged Nickel and Live at the Blackhawk sets, and ahead of Seven Steps and all the studio boxes.

Pete C · December-28th-2005, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by achilles

And Bartz. Bartz is just not one of the better sax players to have played with Miles, and I'm not comparing him to Coltrane or Cannonball or Wayne Shorter. He's not as good as Hank Mobley or Sam Rivers or George Coleman or Kenny Garrett. or Steve Grossman.

That's an odd take on Bartz. I think he was perfect for that period of Miles' music. I love Rivers, but he was not the best match for Miles when he played with him, and I'll take any Bartz over sacred cow Mobley, as well as Coleman, Garrett and certainly Grossman.

BFrank · December-28th-2005, 09:59 PM

Listening to disk #2 now. Much better than #1.

As for Bartz.........perfect in this band.

Mike Schwartz · December-28th-2005, 10:17 PM

I ordered a set, and I can't see any issue with Bartz not being excellent in this setting. Bartz is on this band in the "Miles Electric" DVD which I picked up at the start of the year.

With the music changing into this then new direction, Bartz is at least as up to the challenge [and perhaps beyond] than Mobley, Coleman, Rivers, and Grossman.

jazzfiend · December-28th-2005, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Schwartz

With the music changing into this then new direction, Bartz is at least as up to the challenge [and perhaps beyond] than Mobley, Coleman, Rivers, and Grossman.

Truer words were never spoken.

crawjo · December-28th-2005, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

sacred cow Mobley

Who said Mobley was a sacred cow?

jazzfiend · December-28th-2005, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Face of the Bass

Who said Mobley was a sacred cow?

Uncle Pete

crawjo · December-28th-2005, 11:43 PM

Okay, to be more precise, who treats Mobley like a sacred cow? I've never gotten that impression.

Gary Sisco · December-29th-2005, 08:04 AM

I don't understand the issue at all. Bartz sounds fine in that context and he's a mighty player in his own way, still today. I've heard him live several times.

Last night I listened to the parts with McLaughlin on board and, as the musicians say, especially Jarrett, in their notes, his presence really turned it into a different band. It wasn't just adding another instrument to what had gone on before, that week. Interesting how much his presence shifted the whole, I think.

I agree with Jon that Miles's last band of the 70s (Agharta/Pangea) was the one that nailed what Miles had been aiming for for several years. The others are all good and interesting as things in themselves, but you can also hear them searching the whole while. Ain't any searching on those last two records. Everyone nails it and nails it true.

stonemonkts · December-29th-2005, 09:02 AM

I'm also a big fan of Agharta/Pangaea. My only qualm with the concert is Miles' organ playing. Just not my cup of tea. Otherwise, great music.

kedoane · December-29th-2005, 10:01 AM

Definately will be ordering this as soon as I can get paid (that's tomorrow)!

Peterdubya · December-29th-2005, 04:32 PM

I just got it yesterday, and really ggot into it this morning.

Jarrett is so fluid on disc 5, I love it. McLaughlin sounds great too. I like the wah wah, it just makes it all the rockier.

Looking forward to spending more time with the box this weekend.

Hard to go wrong with a band like this.

December-30th-2005, 06:42 PM

setting shmetting. Bartz farts. I don't think Bartz is a very interesting or imaginative player. Don't like much from him outside of this work, really don't dig what he does on this box. Nothing special. I know the jazz police require all Miles' box sets to be praised to heaven, but this one seems too long to me, There's great music here, but not 6 discs worth.