The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991 (Jazz Perspectives) (Paperback)

by George Cole (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'The best Miles Davis book ever.' Randy Hall, singer/guitarist/producer, who worked with Miles in the 1980s; "Many people have come to me in the past about how the "last miles" bands had been overlooked and ignored by journalists. This book is a comprehensive answer to these omissions. From my discussions with musicians from the latter years with Miles it seems pretty clear they feel some vindication as a result of this book. I thank you sincerely for telling our story. Most everything I have read is as close to my memory of how things happened as any book could hope to be. I think you've done a wonderful job." Darryl Jones, bassist with Miles 1983-85, 1986-1988; "There simply hasn't been another book published on Miles Davis, in any period that has managed to obtain the wealth of interview material and cover his recorded work and various live tours in such a complete and comprehensive fashion... Engagingly written from start to finish, filled with more facts than you'll be able to remember first time through, The Last Miles is an essential portrait of Miles' last decade and a strong argument that his music was both valid and perfectly in keeping with a musical philosophy that would ultimately stretch over six decades." John Kelman, All About Jazz.com; ""Cole does for Miles' late work what Ian Macdonald's 'Revolution In The Head' does for The Beatles, examining each album in meticulous detail." John Lewis, Time Out; "The title is likely to send most jazzbos running, with received wisdom having handed down the rule that in the 80's Miles was only good for playing live; and half of that was just the pleasure of seeing him in person. For a single man to take on the 400-page+ task of changing popular opinion is a very tall order indeed. For him to make you want to actively revisit the decade in question is a near-miracle. Detailing album histories and giving final verdicts, Cole has made every effort to lay the evidence out bare. The analysis could have been a chore were it not for the presence of first-hand interviews with all the major players, making this not just a scholarly study, but a tribute to the man himself, And for a book such as this, you learn more about Davis that could have been expected." Jason Draper, Record Collector; "Cole's certainly produced a fascinating book." Chris Ingham, Mojo; "We veterans of Miles' last bands are lucky to have such a thorough and insightful look into Miles last period...I really enjoyed the book!" John Scofield, Miles's guitarist 1982-1985; "Cole has spoken to practically everyone who worked with Miles in his final decade. He has traced the evolution of each of those final albums, cut by cut, splice by splice...[Miles] comes out of Cole's account larger, warmer and if anything even more important than ever." Brian Morton (co-writer of The Penguin Guide to Jazz) The Wire; "The book is wonderful. Congratulations for your very important contribution to the historical documentation of many [musicians] who would otherwise have been overlooked!!!!" Robert Irving III Miles's musical director 1983-1988; "I have to say that you did a marvellous job! It brought back strong memories of that time period and answered a number of questions I had, especially the chapter on the Rubberband sessions. A brilliant job!" Patrick Murray, who worked on the road with Miles from 1986-1990 and was Miles's concert sound mixer from 1988-1990; "Wow! What a great book. Finally, something that really gets it right. Thank you for capturing what was going on, the mood, everything." Adam Holzman, Miles's keyboardist and musical director 1985-1989; Wonderful job, congratulations! An immense amount of work must have gone into it, I can't even imagine. But it was very cool to see that era of Miles treated with the same respect as every other... someone gets it!" Benny Rietveld, Miles's bassist 1988-1990; "The most immediate impact that this book had on me was to make me listen again to Miles' later recordings with a completely regenerated ear and this really is the reason why this book works so well and is an essential read for any true Miles Davis appreciator... you will be hard pressed to find a more inspirational read, written by a man who quite simply loves Miles Davis' music." Mike Chadwick, Ejazz.fm; "As with any good musical biography, Cole had made me think again about those albums such as Siesta, You're Under Arrest, The Man with the Horn, that are now stashed in my attic." John Bungey, The Times; "Cole's analysis has a meticulous, forensic character... [and] is able to bring a wealth of new information to light...This book should get people talking. It should be the first rather than the last word on an intriguing chapter of the life an extraordinarily complex artist. And Davis's vanity would surely have loved that." Kevin Le Gendre, Independent on Sunday; "I thought it was wonderful. It's a very detailed look at a certain part of the career and life of Miles Davis. A lot of people didn't pay attention to this and I'm glad that George Cole took the time to focus on these final years of Miles's life." Easy Mo Bee, co-producer of Doo-Bop; "There are large chunks of fresh material here...Fill[s] in quite a few gaps and dismisses blanket condemnations of [Miles's] pop phase." Stephen Graham, Jazzwise; "Through lively analyses of all Miles' recorded work from this period and much that went unreleased, including the 'lost' album Rubberband, [Cole] does enough to send readers back to the original albums." Simon Evans, Choice; "GREATFUCKINJOBWITDABOOK" Foley, Miles's lead bassist 1987-1991; "The book is beautiful. I think you did a great job on covering Miles's life and legacy." Sid Reynolds, hip-hop producer; "It is truly an excellent body of work that literally takes a reader from hearing rumours to realising truths about the Chicago group and our collective take on the Miles Davis comeback." Glenn Burris, co-writer of "Shout" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

“Cole does for Miles’s late work what Ian MacDonald’s Revolution in the Head does for the Beatles, examining each album in meticulous detail.” 
—Time Out

“As with any good musical biography, Cole . . . made me think again about those albums such as Siesta, You’re Under Arrest, and The Man with the Horn that are now stashed in my attic.”
—London Times

“In the flurry of books since [Miles Davis’s] death, none has dealt in depth with the music of this period. Music writer George Cole fills this gap. . . . a rich and rewarding read.”
—Gazette (Montreal)

“A fascinating book.”
—Mojo

“A singular look into the last stage of Davis’s long, somewhat checkered career gained from various sources, which at the same time gives a picture of the modern music business.”
—Midwest Book Review

“There are large chunks of fresh material here. . . . Fill[s] in quite a few gaps and dismisses blanket condemnations of [Miles’s] pop phase.”
—Jazzwise

“Thank you for telling it like it was!”
—Randy Hall, singer and guitarist

“Very moving, emotional material.”
—Gordon Meltzer, Miles’s last road manager and executive producer of Doo-Bop

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press (July 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0472032607
• ISBN-13: 978-0472032600
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #544,324 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential guide to Miles Davis' 1980-1991 music!, April 8, 2005

By	J. Lund "jazzbrat" (SoCal, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991 (Jazz Perspectives) (Hardcover)

Having read virtually every significant Miles Davis book ever published, I start appreciating even more those authors who have a truly fresh take on the subject, and now George Cole has put the "post-retirement" music of 1980-1991 into sharp focus. Those looking for a general biography may prefer John Szwed's book, but those wanting the focus aimed at the music itself will find no better in-depth examination than is presented here. THE LAST MILES is more of a chronological musical analysis than a biography, albeit there's enough non-musical information to keep the reader informed of key life events not directly related to his art. Yet the end zone here is the music itself, and Cole goes to unprecedented lengths to examine how the music of Miles' last decade was created. Cole interviewed all but a handful of the participants (e.g., musicians, producers, etc.), a key element to the book reaching its potential. One wishes that a book like this would have been written regarding the earliest periods of Davis' career while those musicians were still living. Fortunately in Cole's case, nearly all of the participants are currently alive and well ... and willing to chat with the author.

The bulk of the book is devoted to individual chapters on each recording project from 1981's "comeback album" THE MAN WITH THE HORN to the posthumous releases. For each album Cole takes a "Making Of ..." approach, getting into the events leading up to the albums, background on the personnel involved, the overall context in which the music was created, and a look at the critical and consumer reaction to the music. Of particular interest is that most of the musicians become more than just a name buried in the albums' personnel listings. Sure, many music fans are aware of the major players (Kenny Garrett, John Scofield, etc.), but Cole introduces the role players as well as the stars. Every album has a story worth telling, and Cole's research fills in virtually all existing holes in our knowledge of the music of Miles' last decade.

Not to be overlooked is that the author genuinely likes the music of Miles' final years. This is to the book's benefit because Cole can look at the particulars objectively, yet take a "cup-is-half-full" attitude in dealing with some of the issues raised by the music. In other words, even when the author is critical about a particular track, his attitude is not negative (as is the case with some others who write disrespectfully about Miles' late-period music). Cole puts a lot of effort into detailing the musicians' perspectives as they recorded and/or toured with Davis. In the end, some projects succeeded moreso than others, and the author ends each chapter by fairly determining what degree of merit each album has.

The bottom line is that due to Cole's book, detractors of Miles' 1980s-era are going to have a tougher time of dismissing the music outright and maintaining credibility. That is because the author has effectively cross-examined such cliches as that 1) Miles was more interested in painting than music, 2) his creativity was stifled by the studio production techniques of the day, 3) the quality of the musicians he worked with were generally subpar, 4) he was "selling out," 5) he was suddenly obsessed with being a pop star, and so on. Eliminating such stereotypes doesn't necessarily mean that Davis' detractors are automatically going to embrace that which they previously rejected. Yet at the very least, THE LAST MILES does effectively counter the "Miles didn't take it seriously so why should I" attitude held by some. Davis was intensely involved with his 1980-91 music, but often in ways the broke existing paradigms regarding even his own music, let alone jazz in general. Cole makes that point and many others clear, and as such THE LAST MILES is a crucial, highly recommended addition to our understanding about Miles Davis' "electric-era" musical approach.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Miles Davis's music in the last phase of his career, April 30, 2005

By	Henry Berry "Henry Berry" (Southport, CT) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991 (Jazz Perspectives) (Hardcover)

Not a biography, "The Last Miles" rather concentrates on the music Miles Davis created and recorded in the last decade of his career as one of America's leading jazz musicians. Cole is interested especially in the sources of the music Davis produced in this last period of his prolific and influential career and how each piece was recorded. Such interests are related to Cole's writings as a journalist in the fields of music and technology. The author's keen interest in Davis's place in these fields extends to answering how Davis came up with the titles for each of his recordings. To answer this and other questions, Cole went to musicians who worked with Miles Davis and also the technicians who recorded his pieces. The business of promoting Davis's albums by Columbia and Warner is also covered. A singular look into the last stage of Davis's long, somewhat checkered career gained from varied sources; which at the same time gives a picture of the modern music business.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We want Miles - and this book!, April 30, 2005

By	Anders Chan Tidemann "actidemann" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991 (Jazz Perspectives) (Hardcover)

Back when I was a kid of about 20 years old living in Copenhagen in the mid 80ties, I bought Miles Davis "We Want Miles" on the same day as I bought "Kind Of Blue". The last album is obviously universally acclaimed as THE defining small group jazz album, which I didn't know at the time, I just listened to both of them with open ears.

I was equally blown away with the 2 albums when I first heard them, but more than anything I was blown away by the fact that the same artist could create 2 such different sounding albums, yet make them equally compelling. I decided to buy every single Miles Davis album I could get a hold of, and I have NEVER been disappointed in any of them.

What led me to go buy both of these albums in the first place were having caught Miles & his band in Copenhagen in 1987. Attending this concert turned out to be a life-altering event for me, actually it completely changed the direction of my life. I devoted my life almost entirely to music since that day, and always with Miles as my guiding light.

Now, if Miles music in the 80ties had sucked really badly as Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Crouch and their cohorts claim, would it have had that capacity to influence a young kid from Copenhagen this way? I am only one of many, many human beings whose lives have been positively influenced by the power of Miles Davis and his wonderful music.

If you want to get backstage and discover how Miles worked his magic - no need to go elsewhere. This is by far the best book on Miles I've ever read, as it has much more involvement from Miles musical partners than any of the others, and remains compassionate and objective at the same time.

And for those that would be interested to understand Miles working methods, you won't get any closer - even for those that prefer what Miles did in the 50ties, 60ties & 70ties, this book probably sheds a lot of indirect light on those periods as well, as it would be difficult to imagine that Miles would radically alter his working style.

Because this book gets us so close to one of the greatest musicians that ever lived, I believe it will be considered an important historical document, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to any music lover.

P.S: Buy the DVD Miles Davis "Live In Montreal" from 1985 as your companion disc - catches Miles on a great night with Scofield, Darryl Jones, Bob Berg etc.