This is a great movie (Click the pic for the page at Amazon). Unfortunately it's only available on VHS and not DVD, but it has been running somewhat regularly on "Starz Theatre" and on the Encore's "True Stories". I Tivo'd it about 6 months ago the first time I saw it on, and if Santa brings me that DVD recorder I asked for I'll be in business.
I know this hasn't got sh!t to do with Miles, but I'm listening to Sonny Rollins "Way Out West" cd from about '57 or '58. Rollins on tenor. Ray Brown on bass. And Shelly Manni on drums. What a fantastic release. As far as I'm concerned Rollins is one of the greatest tenor sax players of all time. What a tone. What a range. And he makes it sound so simple. There's just something about the way he played, as if his horn was alive. When I used to play, I tried to do my best to sound like Sonny. Of course, my attempts were cheap imitation, but I like to think that I got at least a little close.
Sonny can flat out play, that's for sure. Have you ever listened to Johnny Griffin? Try this one: available here. He plays with both Coltrane and Mobley (who I think is very underrated) on this album. Johnny holds his own, I have to say.
I had a chance to watch this Saturday: Very good. Interviews were so/so. His brother gets the edge as a speaker But Branford can play.
--- Lee Morgan ( a personal favorite ) and Mobley played a bunch of gigs together, with Art Blakely and the JM. I have always dug the way Morgan and Mobley sounded together. Morgan is the trumpeter on this Griffin session.
The recent reissue, The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions, are beautiful. Worth getting all 3 CDs. The players, Hancock, Corea, Holland, Shorter, McLaughlin, Tony Williams are all monsters, but meld together in a very spiritual, intense way. A great collection, with no waste.
Yes, yes though... Tutu is still a very very good fusion album where his trumpet still flied... Given that I am more inclined to like fusion than traditional classic jazz I can say that Miles Davis actually did compose a lot of outstanding stuff. I saw him live, it was a fantastic concert. He obviously showed his back as always... The message being: those who happen to appreciate fusion shouldn't discard late Miles works.
Lee Morgan is great. The success of "The Sidewinder" kind of messed him up, though, since he spent the rest of his career chasing it. On the subject of Mobley: while he is great, "Big" John Patton's version of "The Turnaround" is so much better than Mobley's version. Patton just picks up the tempo a bit, and I think the song sounds so much better with an organ. It's a great song, and Mobley deserves credit for writing it, but Patton put some teeth into it.
--- Yo! Mikey. Just play some changes in B minor ( Phrygian ). That'll get us on track. I like B minor pentatonic for variety. I have no idea what I'm talking about.