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| Track list: 1. Move 2. Jeru 3. Moon Dreams 4. Venus De Milo 5. Budo 6. Deception 7. Godchild 8. Boplicity 9. Rocker 10. Israel 11. Rouge 12. Darn That Dream Running time: 36 minutes Released: 1957 |
You know, I had no idea this was a compilation record until I came to write this intro and found out in the course of confirming the release year. Anyhow, this is the first of three consecutive listens devoted to Miles Davis (the two discs of Bitches Brew follow). Unlike the piano, which I think I love because I played as a child, I don't know why I like trumpets so much but when played well they can add interest and depth to many different genres.
As this starts, however, I suspect that this will not be my favourite Davis album. Move has a frenetic feel to it at first, and whilst it settles down a bit it is still miles away from the laid back brilliance of Kind of Blue, which was my entry to Miles Davis' work. There is a pleasing little melody to Jeru, which has a more settled approach than the track before. This is recorded jazz, played for record. No unnecessary solo rotation here - and a cleaner presentation because of it. The tracks are all snappy and short, in total 12 of them clock in at less than 40 minutes which means there is no time for those annoyances.
I am into Moon Dreams already, and this is my favourite to date. Slower, considered and melodic, also a little melancholic. Its like the late night, after-bar walk home in a 40s movie. Its a nice little change of pace and better for the fact it is reverse immediately on the next track, left to stand. There is a nice simplicity to this, piano, bass and drums just laying a platform for the horns to wander. The faster the track, the more it veers towards a caricature of jazz. Horns all over the place, less structure than a tent after a storm and all that. For all that jazz is mocked for being all over the place, it is generally better when there is more to it than improvisations and grandstanding. The slower pieces have more definite composition and this helps them shine.
As this starts, however, I suspect that this will not be my favourite Davis album. Move has a frenetic feel to it at first, and whilst it settles down a bit it is still miles away from the laid back brilliance of Kind of Blue, which was my entry to Miles Davis' work. There is a pleasing little melody to Jeru, which has a more settled approach than the track before. This is recorded jazz, played for record. No unnecessary solo rotation here - and a cleaner presentation because of it. The tracks are all snappy and short, in total 12 of them clock in at less than 40 minutes which means there is no time for those annoyances.
I am into Moon Dreams already, and this is my favourite to date. Slower, considered and melodic, also a little melancholic. Its like the late night, after-bar walk home in a 40s movie. Its a nice little change of pace and better for the fact it is reverse immediately on the next track, left to stand. There is a nice simplicity to this, piano, bass and drums just laying a platform for the horns to wander. The faster the track, the more it veers towards a caricature of jazz. Horns all over the place, less structure than a tent after a storm and all that. For all that jazz is mocked for being all over the place, it is generally better when there is more to it than improvisations and grandstanding. The slower pieces have more definite composition and this helps them shine.
I will say, though, that I would rather not be sat listening to this now. Nothing against the music, simply more that it not the genre I would chose on a sunny Sunday afternoon / early evening. It also doesn't soundtrack the silent rugby match I have half an eye on well, however it was next on the list and - though short - completing it is another step towards getting back to the frequency of posting that I would like to. I feel severely under-qualified to comment on the merits of the music I am hearing here. I would not put money on my ability to tell one style of jazz from another, and for all that this supposedly represents the birth of "cool jazz" I have little frame of reference to distinguish it from the bebop it succeeded.
Occasionally the clarity of Davis' trumpet kicks up a notch, a brighter, cleaner sound every now and again. These moments catapult me out of a lethargy with a piercing jolt before I adjust to the swing and sound of the current track again and a foggy mind reasserts itself. Mostly I am enjoying this, but there are odd moments that I find myself thinking that a particular elaboration was not needed, or a given trill is out of place. However I cannot get excited about the disc and its contents, as can probably be told from the general tone of the post. After the opening I have hardly spoken about specifics, and now as we approach the end I look up and find how little I have put down in the time. Yes, the album runs short, but it is a sign that my mind has lacked clarity of purpose - a bit like some of the faster, freer lines carried by the brass.
Darn that Dream ends us, and it surprises me by being a song. I have no idea who is singing (I can't imagine it is Davis), but their voice is interesting - not great, not bad either. Carrying the tune in a strange half-and-half way. The backing is slow, staid and frankly uninteresting. There is a trumpet melody leading it, but it is so-so and does not sparkle. The song also appears to have little to it, and an infuriatingly long last syllable brings it to a close on a sour note. The rest of the disc was fine - better when it was slower, but reasonable at all times. Now it has finished it is farcically silent here and I feel like I just woke up. Darn that dream indeed.
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