Customer Reviews

Complete Jack Johnson Sessions

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I would suggest to you that this assembly is for the completist. The Jack Johnson sessions are a tribute to the protean guitar work of John McLaughlin, well-reined in by the counter punching of Miles Davis, and to the incredible editing skills of Teo Macero. The sessions themselves show Miles in terrific command of his horn, but the real dynamics exist in the lunge and parries of Davis and McLaughlin. How Macero managed to pull such a finished gem as what became the TRIBUTE TO JACK JOHNSON album from these sessions is all the more remarkable when you remember that this was all done long before digital editing.
What you also hear throughout is what wasn't working for a number of sidemen. In many respects this was a turning point for those who played with Miles. It is clear that De Johnette could not have been happy as mere timekeeper. These sessions play to none of his strengths. So too with Jarrett: he was never happy with his role on electric piano, and in fact, never returned to that instrument after this tour of duty. His artistic distate for McLaughlin was legendary, but it is audibly clear from these takes that he also had no desire to be a Hancock or Corea clone. Other musicians were essential players in teh drama of these sessions, but had it not been for Macero's considerable skills in weaving them into the African braid of the final form, their contributions would be relegated to just so much filler.
All of that is background drama and subplots to what is the main attraction: McLaughlin and Miles. McLaughlin's personal and spiritual discipline were a challenge to the excesses of Miles' lifestyle, and so it is easy enough to imagine that the double helix that these two weave is really the core dna of what was jazz's venture into fusion. In the hands of everyone after them, it was a disastrous experiment. But here! The Power is Terrifying!
Honestly, you need to be a dyed in the wool McLaughlin fan and Miles completist to rejoice in this release, but if you are either, there is much to consider.
You might also consider this as you would a Wagner opera: the first two discs basically state the themes that will reach their culmination in the remastered full renditions of "Right Off" and "Yesternow." Those themes begin to burn incessantly and incandescently through discs 3 and 4. Wagner was a bit like that. It usually took him a couple of hours to get warmed up and then, LOOK OUT! It helps understanding that this complete sessions workout is heading towards what became Miles' best rock track, "Right Off", and what basically looked back over the fusion experiment and pointed, in fact towards where he would resume in the 80's with "Yesternow". Sure, he had no idea what '75 would mean, but listen carefully, and it is undeniably present the directions that would resurface as he returned from his debilitating hiatus. Miles as Opera? In the true Wagnerian sense, yes.

Wow, five discs of incredible jamming by Miles Davis joined by some of the finest musicians of their time (and the present day). The Complete Jack Johnson sessions has a lot to recommend it. The playing is very groove oriented with the soloing setting apart each track. I frankly enjoy the raw material much more that Teo's final edits for the original single disc album.

One warning, even the greatest Miles and John M. fans will find it hard to listen to 5 or more takes of tracks like "Willie Nelson" in one sitting. I strongly recommend mixing up the tracks by either burning a mixed copy of each disc or programming your CD player. Listened to in this way, you don't tire of the same groove for an hour, and you'll find that just about every track in this box set holds a wealth of treasure (disc four is a bit out there, but I'm sure a lot of listeners like this flavor of Miles as well).

If you enjoy electric Miles, especially with a streamlined guitar oriented band, this set is priceless. It would also appeal if you like instrumental King Crimson, the Grateful Dead's jams on a good night, or other progressive rock and fusion. Packaging and remix sound quality are outstanding.

Miles Davis' most prolific period of activity in the recording studio (1967-1970) ended with the sessions issued here. It was rumored that by the 1st half of 1970 Davis was recording far in excess of what could possibly be released, and with this nearly-comprehensive boxed set series one can see the truth to the rumors. In this case, 34 pf 42 tracks are unissued. If ever progressive strains of jazz, rock, blues, and funk found common ground--without selling any of the above short--I'd argue it was in the sessions that comprise the bulk of this box. Most of what's here rocks steady, gets on the good foot, and does so with jazz intuition and blues feeling.

What I find most impressive: (1) Miles' trumpet playing is incredibly strong, full of power across the entire range of his horn. Invariably he builds solos that find a perfect balance between basic and abstract improvisational lines (he plays mostly with open horn, with occasional muted passages). (2) Guitarist John McLaughlin also turns in hall-of-fame performances...like Miles he expertly mixes silence with imaginative solo lines, and he has an ability to crank up his axe so that sonically he captures the power one associates with the likes of Hendrix, Clapton, Page, etc., without remotely falling into imitation. And on Sonny Sharrock's few appearances...well, I hear the wheel being reinvented. (3) the "tunes" are melody-free, drums-n-bass defined mini-structures that are designed to propel the soloists to think out of the box. More often than not you can overtly hear Davis' influences (Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, etc.), yet Miles and his bandmates consistently put their stamp of individuality on those inspirations.

(4) The reedmen are also impressive, with Steve Grossman sounding better here than on the live dates (where imo he often seemed to be spinning his wheels, overusing the same improvisational phrases). And when it isn't Grossman playing, it's some even-better reedman like Wayne Shorter or Benny Maupin. (5) Several tracks from these sessions were originally issued with post-production ping-ponging of instruments from left-to-right in the stereo mix...that irritance is thankfully eliminated here. Furthermore, the remastering /remixing brings out the power of the music as never before, with the guitar(s) in particular now sounding up front as you would expect in rock-influenced music. (6) Quite a bit of the music here sounds awfully close to drums'n'bass, electronica, acid jazz, and other genres that solidified many years after these recordings were cut. Nice touch to add great jazz-like interplay and solos. (7) The funky/rocky/jazzy rhythm section, courtesy of Dave Holland, Michael Henderson, Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette and others.

Although I don't take the Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame picks all that seriously, I might if Davis got in it--and based on what's heard here he should be a shoo-in.

...quoth critic Robert Christgau, and I cannot put it any better. I'll leave the next word to Miles himself, who can be heard at the end of a take of "Go Ahead John" rasping to guitarist John McLaughlin, "That's some raunchy s*&%t, John." And raunchy is the operative word, because these sessions, recorded in the spring of 1970, scant months after Miles had scandalized the jazz world by plugging in on Bitches' Brew, are where The Prince of Darkness discovered The Heavy Funk. Paring back his ensemble to Fender bass, drums, and McLaughlin's searing electric guitar, with occasional keyboard flourishes and reed solos, Miles sought to cut his few remaining ties to jazz ("a white man's word," as he was fond of saying) by emulating the sound of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsies. These jams, amelodic, rhythmic as the JB's, with Miles' open horn soloing at length (pretty much for the last time in the decade) while McLaughlin, cranked up to 11, spars with him, evoking a heavyweight bout, is the first step in the direction of the nuclear meltdown that are Miles' pre-retirement discs, Agharta and Pangaea. Unlike his work from On The Corner onward, this disc is lean and mean, with plenty of trumpet. Brighter, more optimistic, less thick with percussion and cross-rhythms,bluesier. Significantly, Jack Johnson is where MD's steadiest collaborator till '75 , teenaged Motown bassist Michael Henderson, makes his first appearance, playing those broad circular lines that anchored the wildness, and definitively took Miles out of the jazz mainstream, and into a genre that still has no name -- it certainly doesn't sound like what was marketed as "fusion" and largely played by former Miles sidemen in that era.

Most of the stuff here is never-before released out-takes from the eponymous album; some are weak, but it is amazing how much over five discs is quality. Miles was both spooked and inspired by Hendrix and Sly Stone and here is where the influences first raises their acid-addled heads. It is also interesting to hear how producer Teo Macero cut and pasted these jams into the coherent statement that was the original "Jack Johnson" LP (included in the set). Biting, incisive, full of guitar and trumpet call-and-response, and so funky you'll hurt yourself listening to it...these are Miles' Basement Tapes, a laboratory for the dark, guitar-driven free-form funk he kept hidden from the world while he was touring rock ballrooms playing jazzier music with his Bitches' Brew crew. And like multi-disc bootlegs of The Basement Tapes, this box actually coheres and fills a huge hole in the Davis discography. Get this while it's still available at a bargain price, I do not trust Sony to keep this set in the catalog...

In the spring of 1970, Miles Davis entered the studio a number of times, recording primarily with guitarist John McLaughlin with him. The apex of these sessions was the stunning "A Tribute to Jack Johnson", soundtrack for an underground movie about the pioneering boxing figure and a clear statement from Davis concerning his music-- the album was firmly entrenched as a jazz/rock fusion record, soaked it overdriven guitars, funky backbeats, and downright powerful playing. Typically, it was ignored at the time of its release. But the years have been kind to 'Jack Johnson', these days its regarded as one of the peaks of its genre.

And why not? Davis was playing as well as he ever did in his career-- exploring fluidity and his horn's upper register in a way he never had, and his band was pretty much all collectively destined for stardom-- McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock and Billy Cobham have all gone on to be legends. To this, add the work of producer Teo Macero-- splicing together the two tracks that made up the album from several different sessions into two seemless suites-- the first revolving around a jam session the rhythm section had while waiting for Davis (before the trumpet player entered for what may well be his most ferocious solo on record), the second around a couple vamps and themes. The net result is something that mixes spontenaeity and composition; looseness and high production, and somehow, it all works, perfectly.

And so all of this sort of leads us into this boxed set-- 17 titles recorded over a bit less than four months in the first half of 1970 filling 5 CDs. Take after take, a couple jams, some fumbling, some missed notes, all the stuff Davis and Macero didn't really want you to hear, along with a bunch more sidemen who would go on to be legendary in the future-- Sonny Sharrock, Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter and a bunch more.

I would be remiss in telling you this material isn't exciting and powerful-- it really is, it's amazing in fact, and moreso than any of the other boxed sets, it really is a peek inside the working process and unedited majesty of Davis, but it's a bit much, and it's pretty obvious why some of these takes were never released. I'd also point out that Macero has publicly denounced this reissue series as exposing things that were never meant to be heard. And really it's a dilemma for me. This is great stuff, I'm glad to have it, but it somehow feels dishonest to me, like the kind of thing that I should be trying to trade for or pick up on sketchy European and Japanese record labels, not from Columbia.

But it is really fantastic music, and while occasionally some of the takes drag a bit, all in all it's quite a set.

Still, make your own decision-- is six takes of "Willie Nelson", which ended up spliced in the middle of 'Jack Johnson', too much? Maybe, the quality is sketchy but wow, Sonny Sharrock shines like you never knew he did. Is it really critical to have a dozen takes of material that made up the studio portions of "Live-Evil" with vocalist/songwriter Hermeto Pascoal? Not for me, but then again, I'm ecstatic to have 45 minutes of "Go Ahead John". The material on here wasn't just for 'Jack Johnson', it ended up on "Live-Evil", "Big Fun" and "Get Up With It". And as we've come to expect in this series, it comes with a rather extensive set of detailed liner notes, and quite frankly and the sound is untouchably fantastic. I'll call it four stars-- five star music in questionable presentation. More than the other boxed sets, this one convinced me maybe Macero was right.

It's clear from this set that Miles was experimenting with a new theory of recording an album. Instead of actual songs there are multiple long jams, mostly featuring Miles or guitarist John McLaughlin. These were then picked apart and woven back together to form the tapestry-like album 'A Tribute to Jack Johnson.' The tracks on these discs then are the unwoven threads.

The reason I bought the box set, and the reason I love the original, is John McLaughlin. He's mesmerizing in this era of his career. The quote in my subject line is taken from Miles himself at the end of the one of the tracks on disc 2, and it's highly accurate. The interplay between Miles and John is the key to the Jack Johnson sessions, which is made crystal clear in this set. You can hear Miles echoing John and John echoing Miles.

This isn't a finished product, don't buy it if that's what you're expecting. Maybe "the Dark Prince" would even be pissed to have it released. Actually, given the fact that we're talking about Miles Davis, that's a pretty fair bet. But neither are these rough cuts, they sound great. Basically if you're a true fan of fusion era Miles, then this is like manna from Heaven.

OK, this is not just a showcase for John McLaughlin but he is heavily featured and the most interesting player on it next to Miles. Like the In a Silent Way box, this does have the "as played" bits that the final mixes of the two tunes on the original Tribute to Jack Johnson album ("Right Off" & "Yesternow") were assembled from, as well as the final mixes. It also has the "as played" versions of "Go Ahead John" but not the final mix, to get that you still need Big Fun. And yes there are a lot alternate takes in a row, six of "Willie Nelson". But it does have a lot of previously unheard Miles, John McL and even some v. out there Sonny Sharrock. This is probably Miles most rock-ish period but if you're into that, as I am, then there's lots to dig here and lots of it isn't available anywhere else and may never be.

As somebody who came dangerously close to wearing out his cd copy of "A Tribute to Jack Johnson," this 5-disc overview of the sessions stretching from February to June of 1970 (some of which resulted in the raw material for "Jack Johnson",)was manna from heaven. "Jack Johnson" is, in many ways, the greatest fusion album ever recorded - stunning in its originality, often copied but never equaled. Through this box set, we get to hear, chronologically, how the album was created. Although only a handful of these tracks wound up on the original release, all the sessions exhibit traces of the new sounds Miles and company were discovering.

Bob Belden has done an impressive job with previous box sets in the Miles Davis series, and this is no exception. Sometimes, the liner notes (by Bill Milkowski) seem a little amateurish, especially compared to Belden's scholarly, track-by-track analysis from the "In A Silent Way" set from a few years back. But this is a minor quibble. 6 takes of "Willie Nelson," each funkier than the last one, prominently feature the late experimental guitarist Sonny Sharrock, making great noise on crude slide. Most of Sharrock's playing was edited out of the original release. John McLaughlin is allowed lots of new solo room, too, on slow blues crawls and awesomely funky extended takes of "Go Ahead, John." Another interesting development in the set is the addition of Mike Henderson on electric bass and Keith Jarrett on electric piano. Jarret's distorted freaky playing is a key ingrediant to the band Miles would put together immediately following these sessions, the so-called "Cellar Door" band (and the next box set in this series centers on exactly that, 6 discs of live shows later partially collected on "Live-Evil"). New, never-released compositions like "Ali" and "The Mask" show a new band working out an innovative blend of jazz, rock and funk - simple themes and/or vamps, repetitive rhythms, and raunchy solos.

There's enough hot stuff in here to keep any Miles fan busy for days. And his trumpet playing is as strong as any other time in his career - tough, solid, probing, unforgiving. As with other Miles box sets, this release forces the listener to re-evaluate all the received wisdom about Miles and his supposed "deterioration" after he introduced electricty to his bands. We're still catching up with Miles, 35 years down the road.

This set is outstanding! I was tentative at first when I saw 5 takes of Willie Nelson, 5 or 6 takes of Go Ahead John, etc etc, but each and every one of them is worth listening to. Lots of variations (check out how DeJohnette's drumming changes on each take of Willie Nelson) between them, and lots and LOTS of Mclaughlin!! Well worth it if you like McLaughlin and DeJohnette for those reasons, but also its fascinating to hear how Teo Macero created the single album from the raw takes on this set. His work should have gotten him a co-composer's credit. Legacy has done another great job with this box.

Miles Davis blew open many doors in the early '70s for those who were to follow, this box set certainly has its share of doors blown out. Many of them are just on the first CD, with Sonny Sharrock's abstractions, John McLaughlin's biting riffs and Chick Corea's ring modulated Fender Rhodes brewing over smoking bass and drums to create a manic Stockhausen meets Sly groove. Truly ahead of its time, hasn't aged a day in thirty years.

But one unique lesson this collection provides is giving us a master class in how Miles and Teo Macero put the pieces together to create large scale works like the Jack Johnson album and "Go Ahead John". This set has ALL the individual tracks that were used to put together those pieces. And it is important to dispell the myth that Teo did this process all on his own, Miles was greatly involved.