Miles Davis - 1973 [1997] "Black Beauty" - Miles Davis at Fillmore West

 

Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West is a live double album by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was recorded on April 10, 1970, at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, shortly after the release of the trumpeter's Bitches Brew album and the recording of Jack Johnson (1971). Black Beauty was produced by Teo Macero, Davis' longtime record producer.

A jazz-rock album, Black Beauty captured one of Davis' first performances at a rock venue during the early stages of his electric period. At the concert, he led his band—saxophonist Steve Grossman, bassist Dave Holland, keyboardist Chick Corea, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and percussionist Airto Moreira—through one continuously performed set list which functioned as a musical suite for soloists to improvise throughout. He signaled changes from one piece to the next with phrases played on his trumpet.

Black Beauty was first released only in Japan by CBS/Sony in 1973 without individual songs specified in the track listing. Columbia Records, Davis' American record label, had difficulty identifying the compositions for royalty purposes, and the album was not released in the United States until 1997. Critics were generally positive toward Black Beauty, although some were critical of its sound quality and Grossman's solos; Corea said the recording was an accurate document how that particular band of Davis' played live.

The recording of this concert, not released until 1973 and only in Japan, took place on April 10, 1970 at the Carousel Ballroom, where Bill Graham, the legendary west coast impresario of psychedelic rock, had moved his Fillmore Auditorium in 1968. Steve Grossman, who replaced Wayne Shorter, used only the soprano saxophone, an instrument more capable than the tenor of penetrating the wall of sound produced by the decidedly free and powerful rhythm section, which was pervaded by the electronic effects created by Chick Corea’s electric piano. On its first release, the four sides were simply titled “Black Beauty Part 1,” “Part 2,” etc. Admittedly, identifying these pieces, which flowed into each other in an unbroken medley, was not easy. Although fragments of “I Fall in
Love Too Easily” and “The Theme” (Miles’ sign-off since the 50s) remained, he was in the process of leaving behind his popular standards. Aside from the very abstract “Masqualero” by Wayne Shorter and “Directions,” his habitual opening number borrowed from Joe Zawinul, his program was drawn from In A Silent Way, Bitches Brew, and the Jack Johnson sessions, completed three days before the concert.

When Miles Davis gave his triumphant live date at the Fillmore East in New York City in 1970 (where it was captured in the widely acclaimed Miles Davis At Fillmore) he also gave another highly successful live performance at the Fillmore West in San Francisco the same year when he became one of the top live attractions of this rock venue.
Released in 1973, Black Beauty: Miles Davis At Fillmore West again feature the exhilarating fireworks and hard-rocking funk highlighted with a series of nonstop artistic action, soaring electric keyboard artistry which sways or screams through the live performance with stunning vitality and sheer background that have made it such a surefire hit.
By starting off with a superlative bang on Directions, the crash course- driven track set concludes on Miles Runs The Voodoo Down, Willie Nelson, a rather brief reindition of I the classic standard Fall In Love Too Easily, Sanctuary, It’s About That Time, Bitches Brew, Masqualero and Spanish Key as Miles and the band plays
them in absolute timing. Again heading a vigorous band line-up which feature Steve Grossman on tenor or soprano saxophones, Chick Corea on Fender Rhodes electric piano, Dave Holland on electric bass, Jack DeJohnette on the drums and percussion maestro Airto Moreira (who also plays the cuica) alongside Miles’ wah-wah powered trumpet solos, they give Black Beauty: Miles Davis At Fillmore West the high energy and low key vim that made it quite a hit on the jazz and R&B charts.

Track listing:

Disc 1
    Directions
    Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
    Willie Nelson
    I Fall In Love Too Easily
    Sanctuary
    It’s About That Time

Disc 2
    Bitches Brew
    Masqualero
    Spanish Key/The Theme

Personnel:

    Chick Corea – electric piano
    Miles Davis – trumpet
    Jack DeJohnette – drums
    Steve Grossman – saxophone
    Dave Holland – bass
    Airto Moreira – percussion