electric Miles / live jazz

I've finally emerged from the lull that set in soon after the New Year arrived, so look for some more posts. Just occurred to me today that one thing I should do with the next couple months--among the many other things I've planned--is to get up some of the entries I figured I'd do sooner or later, as well as post some of the links I've squirreled away here and there (primarily on del.icio.us, as of late).

In particular, look for some finance and economics posts, as I hopefully do some reading in those areas. Finally got that going yesterday, as I picked up a used copy of Heilbroner's Teachings from the Worldly Philosophy yesterday evening, and just now dropped by the public library to pick up another book by Heilbroner and Thurow, as well as a slim book by Chernow. Also, fortuitously ran into PK over at Berkeley yesterday afternoon, and he had a bunch more (and heavier) suggestions...like this. And also ordered the Bernstein boxed set this morning.

But for now, another music post--jazz this time. I was flipping through this week's SFWeekly over dinner, and came across this short column about a live recording of the electric Miles Davis quintet, called The Cellar Door Sessions 1970:

Most of us know Davis' fusion period from In a Silent Way or Bitches Brew, but this recording of four nights at a small D.C. club is a rawer experience: Funk, rock, Latin percussion, distorted trumpet, and extended, chaotic jams all plunge into the same volcano.

This reminded me of two things that came up recently. One, back in November we went to see a nice documentary at the Red Vic titled "Miles Electric - A different kind of Blue." Best part of it was seeing all the players interviewed and reminiscing. One of them was a revelation to me--cool sax man Gary Bartz, who's also on the The Cellar Door Sessions. The first I'd come across him was last year, after illegitimately downloading a collection of tracks compiled by 4 Hero. The burner among them was one called "Music is my sanctuary"...credited to Gary Bartz.

The other thing the Cellar Doors column reminded me of was the recent spate of live recorded jazz releases. There seemed to be a buzz in the jazz world with the release last year of two "new" sides: newly discovered recordings of Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall from 1957, and of Coltrane's quartet at the Half Note from 1965.

There were two essays about those recording that caught my eye: one by Kaplan in Slate (how does the man know jazz as well as politics??), and another by Ratliff in the Times:

• Fresh Tracks - Jazz in the studio vs. jazz recorded live. By Fred Kaplan


• CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Jazz Gem Made in '57 Is a Favorite Of 2005
  

OK, enough for tonight, gotta roll.