Miles Davis-Jack Johnson Sessions D3~5-2003 [EAC - FLAC](oan)

Miles Davis - Complete Jack Johnson Sessions D3~5-2003 [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 Three: April-May 1970Disc Three contains the April 7th session that produced most of

the A Tribute To Jack Johnson album. The original liner notes

mistakenly listed two sessions, one as November 11, 1970. As

with "Go Ahead John," it is a pleasure to hear the unedited

takes. Other than sax player Steve Grossman, Miles used

musicians who weren't part of his touring band. Billy Cobham,

later to team with McLaughlin in the Mahavishnu Orchestra,

again sits in the drummer's seat. Michael Henderson, then

playing bass with Stevie Wonder, would later become a

member of Miles' band. Herbie Hancock makes an extended

cameo appearance at the session, playing organ. John

McLaughlin was still a member of the Tony Williams Lifetime

(and not yet a disciple of Sri Chinmoy). Given the number of

sessions he did with Miles and how guitar-dominant the music

on the box set is, it's interesting to note that McLaughlin was

never officially a member of any of Miles' bands.



Miles wanted the music to reflect the movements, footwork,

jabs, and punches of a boxer. The Cobham/Henderson rhythm

section lays down a solid foundation with a steady groove that

is still agile enough to swing. The distorted guitar comping of

McLaughlin combines the power of rock with jazz chord

voicings that lay the harmonic foundation for Miles and

Grossman to improvise over.



The first of the two tracks on the original Jack Johnson is "Right

Off." The title comes from Miles taking a jab at the Lifetime song

"Right On," from their Turn It Over album. The session was

loosely structured and very spontaneous: the main body of the

piece starts out with a bored McLaughlin messing around in the

studio and the others joining in. And at one point, Herbie

Hancock unexpectedly drops in and is enlisted to play organ.

The highlight of the piece is Miles' upper register playing, which

fans regard as some of his finest. The takes for this track also

show that Teo edited out much of Herbie's playing.



The second track is "Yesternow," named by James Finney,

Miles' hairdresser. A third of "Yesternow" comes from "new take

4," based on a slowed-down version of the bass line from

James Brown's "Say It Loud, I'm Black And I'm Proud." The

remainder comes from other sessions edited together by Teo.



Disc Three also includes two takes of the song "Honky Tonk,"

which have Keith Jarrett making his studio debut with Miles.

Although the structure of the tune is very repetitive, the solos on

the second take, especially Miles', make this one worth sitting

through. It ends with a satisfied Miles saying, "Teo, play some

of that one."



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. (11:10) - Right Off (take 10)

2. (04:35) - Right Off (take 10 A)

3. (06:00) - Right Off (take 11)

4. (08:50) - Right Off (take 12)

5. (09:51) - Yesternow (take 16)

6. (15:49) - Yesternow (new take 4)

7. (10:06) - Honky Tonk (take 2)

8. (11:29) - Honky Tonk (take 5)Playing Time.........: 01:17:50

Total Size...........: 461.46 MBAll tracks accurately ripped



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