Miles to Minneapolis
It's pretty clear after listening to Miles Davis' Live Around the World just why he and Prince got on so well in the last few years of his life. They both liked to splash around in the same funk swimming pool.
The bigger mystery then is just who was doing all the borrowing (or let's call it homage?) Both were (and are) regarded as originals and innovators and both were self-proclaimed fans of the other. So with covers of Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson showing up in this set, it's clear that Miles was already well aware of Prince by the time this concert was recorded. I wonder how much he was channelling Prince then? Or maybe the question is how much was Prince channelling Miles during the same period and the contemporary live shows that I've heard.
In case you're wondering, I loved the CD. And not for the reason above, but because the vibe/groove that happens throughout the show is really intoxicating. I was on an errand-day on Saturday when I let the CD play through - stopping in Oakville for a haircut, etc. With the summer sun and the leisurely afternoon pace, I was really able to dig into Davis' music and it surprised me a lot. It made me really sleepy in parts and hopped up in others. Which I suppose means that it's working...
Here's a question. (And it's hypothetical. We've already covered your reluctance to talk music in official terms. This is more of an out-there kind of dialogue.) Just what exactly is the difference between Jazz (see: Miles Davis) and simply Jammin' (see: Prince bootlegs.) The reason I ask is that Live Around the World most reminded me of Prince's ultimate boot: Small Club. The latter is a live performance that I cherish and that I am always always able to get absorbed into. Listening to Live Around the World, you could almost convince that they were recorded on the same night. Or at the very least, by the same band. And if Miles is the ultimate jazz artist, what's stopping Prince from occasionally dropping into the Jazz bunk? (Hell, if Harry Connick Jr can be there with She, it's the Wild Wild West.)
Oh, and in the interest of balance, I'd also love to get the answer from a true Jazz snob. I'm sure equating jammin' by a pop artist with true jazz could get a few noses bent out of shape...
At any rate, it occurred to me while listening to Miles Davis that capital-J Jazz is in fact one of only two genres of music that I've never been able to call home. (Reggae is the other, by the way.) I love swing, we've established that. But true jazz - the likes of which you'd read about in books or in a Ken Burns documentary - has always eluded me. Miles Davis. John Coltrane. Charlie Parker. Sonny Rollins. Thelonious Monk. These are a few of the great instrumental jazz players of the 20th Century and they mean almost nothing to me. I've never been able to find my place in this style of music, much as I've tried (and I love most jazz vocalists by the way.) So whether or not I'll ever own a Miles Davis CD, I don't know. If anything, listening to this brief sample has inspired me to dig into his catalogue a tiny bit deeper. But I've been down this road before and I usually lose interest. [Please remind me of this the next time that I tell someone there's no music that I can't enjoy.]
By the way, the transition between Miles and Deee-Lite was one of the most effortless steps yet. The opening trumpet of the Deee-Lite collection might've come right from Miles' concert.
The bigger mystery then is just who was doing all the borrowing (or let's call it homage?) Both were (and are) regarded as originals and innovators and both were self-proclaimed fans of the other. So with covers of Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson showing up in this set, it's clear that Miles was already well aware of Prince by the time this concert was recorded. I wonder how much he was channelling Prince then? Or maybe the question is how much was Prince channelling Miles during the same period and the contemporary live shows that I've heard.
In case you're wondering, I loved the CD. And not for the reason above, but because the vibe/groove that happens throughout the show is really intoxicating. I was on an errand-day on Saturday when I let the CD play through - stopping in Oakville for a haircut, etc. With the summer sun and the leisurely afternoon pace, I was really able to dig into Davis' music and it surprised me a lot. It made me really sleepy in parts and hopped up in others. Which I suppose means that it's working...
Here's a question. (And it's hypothetical. We've already covered your reluctance to talk music in official terms. This is more of an out-there kind of dialogue.) Just what exactly is the difference between Jazz (see: Miles Davis) and simply Jammin' (see: Prince bootlegs.) The reason I ask is that Live Around the World most reminded me of Prince's ultimate boot: Small Club. The latter is a live performance that I cherish and that I am always always able to get absorbed into. Listening to Live Around the World, you could almost convince that they were recorded on the same night. Or at the very least, by the same band. And if Miles is the ultimate jazz artist, what's stopping Prince from occasionally dropping into the Jazz bunk? (Hell, if Harry Connick Jr can be there with She, it's the Wild Wild West.)
Oh, and in the interest of balance, I'd also love to get the answer from a true Jazz snob. I'm sure equating jammin' by a pop artist with true jazz could get a few noses bent out of shape...
At any rate, it occurred to me while listening to Miles Davis that capital-J Jazz is in fact one of only two genres of music that I've never been able to call home. (Reggae is the other, by the way.) I love swing, we've established that. But true jazz - the likes of which you'd read about in books or in a Ken Burns documentary - has always eluded me. Miles Davis. John Coltrane. Charlie Parker. Sonny Rollins. Thelonious Monk. These are a few of the great instrumental jazz players of the 20th Century and they mean almost nothing to me. I've never been able to find my place in this style of music, much as I've tried (and I love most jazz vocalists by the way.) So whether or not I'll ever own a Miles Davis CD, I don't know. If anything, listening to this brief sample has inspired me to dig into his catalogue a tiny bit deeper. But I've been down this road before and I usually lose interest. [Please remind me of this the next time that I tell someone there's no music that I can't enjoy.]
By the way, the transition between Miles and Deee-Lite was one of the most effortless steps yet. The opening trumpet of the Deee-Lite collection might've come right from Miles' concert.
posted by J. at 8:10 PM
1 Comments:
You know, the "poo-poo jar" that was opened up about my lack of musical knowledge - well, that was mostly pillow talk, baby. I certainly didn't mean to scare you - and it looks like I did. I just get timid when asked about something I know little about. I don't like to admit to people that I don't know much about music when I am such a music fan. It's the same weird dynamic as being a driving instructor yet having very little interest OR knowledge of cars. Anyway - I only told you because, well, I was scared of sounding stoopid, and I knew the same type of question would come up again in this kind of forum. Mostly, I just thought you might like to hear a story about Eric Snelling. Why? Say his last name slowly and menacingly, and try not to have a better day.
Now, after all this - on to Miles Davis. Don't know. It's been, like, 2 1/2 years since I listened to that CD and that was the first I heard of it. I remember liking it a lot, too, but can remember nothing about it specifically. I can't really think of a difference between jammin', jazz, solos, wailin', or any other variation on improv. It probably stems from what you alluded to: snobbery. Each genre has its own terms so they can claim it as their own, maybe?
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