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46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Transition from jazz to something else entirely, November 10, 2001
This review is from: Complete In a Silent Way Sessions (Audio CD)
This 3 CD box set covers recordings from September 1968 to February 1969; as such it covers a lot more than the actual In a Silent Way sessions, but nevertheless illustrates how Miles and his cohorts moved from the spontaneous abstraction of the Second Great Quintet to an ethereal sound that merged jazz, rock, and R&B. If you want to hear this transition, pick up the box; if you don't feel the need, all you really need is the eventual remaster of the original album. So it's for hardcore Davis fans only, but those fans will be very pleased. Disc 1 opens with the first session to include bassist Dave Holland and pianist Chick Corea. The languid, bluesy "Mademoiselle Mabry" and the furious boogaloo "Frelon Brun" are essential tracks from the classic album Filles de Kilimanjaro, and should really be heard in that context. Of the next four tracks, "Two Faced" is a lengthy post-bop exploration while the last 3 tracks are somewhat cheesy boogaloos (especially "Dual Mr. Anthony...") salvaged by genius of the musicians. The last track, "Splashdown", has never been previously released. Disc 2 is where the music really starts to move to new territory. Joe Zawinul's composition "Ascent" is a beautiful though slightly unfocused tone poem, a clear predecessor of "In a Silent Way" and "Orange Lady". If you like the shimmering keyboard trio sound of In a Silent Way, you'll love this. On the other hand both takes of "Directions" fuse jazz improvisation with a pounding rock backbeat; though live performances of this tune are more intense, this version definitely has its charms. Disc 2 continues with the actual In a Silent Way sessions and the first appearance of guitar virtuoso John McLaughlin: an amusing though inessential bossa nova version of Zawinul's "In a Silent Way"; the take of "In a Silent Way" that eventually appeared on the album; and Teo's original mixes for "It's About That Time" and "Shhh/Peaceful". The latter is a real surprise and gem -- it was originally a harder-hitting piece and Tony Williams played more than just the hi-hat! It's disc 3, though, that makes this package worth it: first, two previously unissued tracks with the In a Silent Way lineup plus Joe Chambers on drums. "The Ghetto Walk" is a grooving, bluesy piece not unlike the Bitches Brew material, while "Early Minor" is a gorgeous ballad in the Silent Way mold. And then the original In a Silent Way album. If you haven't heard the delicate beauty of this album, you are really missing one of jazz's masterpieces.
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly-recommended to both avid fans and non-collectors!, October 31, 2001
This review is from: Complete In a Silent Way Sessions (Audio CD)
Davis fans and collectors won't need any convincing to purchase this essential boxed set. The music maintains a consistency that is totally at odds with the manner that most of the material was previously issued (in bits and pieces over several decades). To hear the music in chronological context--and newly remastered for best possible sound--reveals even more detail regarding Davis' recording methods circa 1968-1969 than one gets by listening to the tracks scattered across a number of albums. To me this set's most striking aspect is the manner that the actual SILENT WAY album selections are presented. As with many Miles fans, I have been supportive of Teo Macero's extensive editing of the sessions for the original album, recognizing that the reorganizing process he employed has aesthetic value in of itself. Yet I maintained a wish to hear the SILENT WAY tracks as originally recorded. They are presented as such here, and it is great to hear them presented as relatively "pure" performances that is consistent with the remainder of the material on this set (for completeness, the album mixes are also heard at the end of disc three). Usually I hesitate to recommend box sets to non-fans. Yet if you can afford it, I'd say pick up this three-disc set rather than the single-disc version. For those bored with alternate takes, this set is relatively free of them (note the alternate SILENT WAY take is radically different from the album version). Although most of the tracks are quite long by most artists' standards, virtually from start to finish the music is vital and creative. And for electric-era Miles, the music has a relative sense of calm and focus (meaning the listener can approach it as a challenge AND/OR as something to relax to).
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply amazing and beautiful, October 24, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Complete In a Silent Way Sessions (Audio CD)
In a Silent Way was one of the first jazz albums I ever bought, about 15 years ago, and it remains one of my favorite. Hearing the original tracks in their entirety is a revelation. You can see why they were edited for the original release, those tracks make for a totally different listening experience than the original extended versions and yet both are simply wondeful. The remainder of the material is just as great as you'd expect from this era Miles. I have most of the tracks from other albums (Files de Kilamanjaro, Circle in the Round, Directions) but here they appear unedited and in context of the other music being created at the time. Hearing these tracks on the original release, like Directions, amidst a bunch of tracks from various stylistic periods, the music never quite clicked for me. In contrast, hearing it now in the right context, the music never sounded sooooo good! If you have any interest in this acoustic to electric transitional period of Miles career, you'll love this box set. A must buy!
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