Miles Davis-Jack Johnson Sessions D2~5-2003 [EAC - FLAC](oan)

Miles Davis - Complete Jack Johnson Sessions D2~5-2003 [EAC - FLAC] (oan)



By Rod Sibley



The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions, Columbia's latest

addition to the Miles Davis reissue series, documents the period

from January 27, 1970 to June 4, 1970 and contains unedited

takes from the sessions plus previously unreleased material.



A bit of background: Jack Johnson was the world heavyweight

boxing champion from 1908-1915. Miles felt an affinity toward

Johnson; not only because Miles himself boxed, but because of

the racial issues of being a Black man in America both men

faced. Director William Clayton made a documentary movie

about Johnson's life. A Tribute To Jack Johnson is the

soundtrack to the film. The album was released in the summer

of 1971.



A Tribute To Jack Johnson was a continuation of Miles' musical

direction away from more traditional jazz forms. The densely

layered music of Bitches Brew, recorded in August of 1969, was

stripped down and became funkier and more groove oriented.

The music also incorporated more elements of rock with the

guitar work of John McLaughlin. For listeners whose only Miles

Davis recording is Kind Of Blue and want to hear some "electric

Miles," The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions may be the

starting point to work your way backward, as well as forward,

through the Miles Davis catalog



Disc Two: March 1970



The unedited takes of the song "Go Ahead John" are the

centerpiece of Disc Two. Miles' producer, Teo Macero, had free

reign in editing his music. One of the most commonly cited

examples of the excessive use of that freedom is his postproduction

work on "Go Ahead John," where he used an

electronic switcher that moved tracks around like an extreme

panning effect and a device that created the illusion of

instruments playing together. Despite the technology, Miles fans

tend to agree that the effects were used well past the point of

annoyance, especially when listened to with headphones. The

unaltered takes are presented for the first time in the box set.

The final version is not included, but it is available on the Big

Fun CD.



The first take has Miles soloing over a solo blues progression,

as only he can. Miles is the master of doing so much with so

little. The delay effect on the final version sounds like there are

two trumpets playing together, so hearing the original trumpet

part will make Miles fans very happy.



The switching effect makes Jack DeJohnette sound like two

drummers. The unaltered takes reveal DeJohnette's forceful

and wickedly syncopated drumming. The box set's remastering

makes the drums sound thunderous. The real shame of this

piece is not Teo's use of the switcher on the drums, but that the

drums were not recorded in stereo in the first place. The

extreme switching effect has also been removed from the take

that contains McLaughlin's highly distorted guitar solo, but does

not differ much from the final version.



Another highlight is the "part 1 remake," which has Johnny Mac

playing over the same slow blues as Miles did on "part 1."

Hearing him out of his element is a revelation. This track differs

from his playing on "Archie Moore." Instead of straight-ahead

blues riffing, we hear more of McLaughlin's personal style,

which had a raw quality at that time. His extreme string bending,

his double-stops, and his picking attack all foreshadow the time

when he kicks his chops up a notch or two and refines these

licks in the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Miles also takes a solo,

which is just as smooth as the first take version. Miles and the

blues...was there ever a better match made in heaven?



Two more of the boxer named tracks round out Disc Two:

"Duran" and "Sugar Ray." The two takes named for Roberto

Duran are funk grooves that you can almost dance to. Miles

thought that he might have had a hit record had it been

released at the time. Billy Cobham is in the drummer's seat and

he stays in the pocket. McLaughlin overdubs lead guitar on the

first take that Miles obviously likes, saying at the end, "That's

some raunchy shit, John." The second version was released on

the Directions album in 1981, adding Wayne Shorter and

Bennie Maupin on horns. It's the same groove, but with more

intensity and drive than the first version. McLaughlin and

Cobham play off of each other as if they were already

telepathically linked: a sign of things to come.



It doesn't matter whether the "Sugar Ray" track is named for

"Robinson" or "Leonard" because the tune is lame and totally

forgettable.



PERSONNEL



Miles Davis - Trumpet; John McLaughlin, Sonny Sharrock -

Guitar; Michael Henderson, Dave Holland, Ron Carter, Gene

Perla - Bass; Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette - Drums; Chick

Corea, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock - Keyboards; Steve

Grossman, Wayne Shorter - Saxophone; Bennie Maupin - Bass

Clarinet; Airto- Percussion; Hermeto Pascoal - Vocals

1. (13:09) - Go Ahead John (part 1)

2. (07:02) - Go Ahead John (part two A)

3. (10:07) - Go Ahead John (part two B)

4. (03:40) - Go Ahead John (part two C)

5. (11:06) - Go Ahead John (part one remake)

6. (05:39) - Duran (take 4)

7. (11:22) - Duran (take 6)

8. (06:16) - Sugar RayPlaying Time.........: 01:08:20

Total Size...........: 419.85 MBAll tracks accurately ripped



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