Bitches Brew is a studio double album by
jazz musician
Miles Davis, released on March 30, 1970 on
Columbia Records. The album continued his experimentation with electric instruments previously featured on his critically acclaimed
In a Silent Way album. With the use of these instruments, such as the
electric piano and
guitar, Davis rejected traditional jazz rhythms in favor of a looser,
rock-influenced
improvisational style.
Bitches Brew was Davis's first
gold record; it sold more than half a million copies. Upon release, it received a mixed response, due to the album's unconventional style and experimental sound. Later,
Bitches Brew gained recognition as one of jazz's greatest albums and a progenitor of the
jazz rock genre, as well as a major influence on rock and
funk musicians. The album won a
Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 1971. In 1998,
Columbia Records released
The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions, a four-disc
box set that included the original album as well as the studio sessions through February 1970.
Recording sessions took place at Columbia's 30th Street Studio over
the course of three days in August 1969. Davis called the musicians to
the recording studio on very short notice. A few pieces on
Bitches Brew
were rehearsed before the recording sessions, but at other times the
musicians had little or no idea what they were to record. Once in the
recording studio, the players were typically given only a few
instructions: a
tempo count, a few
chords or a hint of
melody,
and suggestions as to mood or tone. Davis liked to work this way; he
thought it forced musicians to pay close attention to one another, to
their own performances, or to Davis's cues, which could change at any
moment. On the quieter moments of "Bitches Brew", for example, Davis's
voice is audible, giving instructions to the musicians: snapping his
fingers to indicate tempo, or, in his distinctive whisper, saying, "Keep
it tight" or telling individuals when to solo.
Davis composed most of the music on the album. The two important exceptions were the complex "Pharaoh's Dance" (composed by
Joe Zawinul) and the ballad "Sanctuary" (composed by
Wayne Shorter).
The latter had been recorded as a fairly straightforward ballad early
in 1968, but was given a radically different interpretation on
Bitches Brew. It begins with Davis and
Chick Corea improvising on the standard "
I Fall in Love Too Easily"
before Davis plays the "Sanctuary" theme. Then, not unlike Davis's
recording of Shorter's "Nefertiti" two years earlier, the horns repeat
the melody over and over while the rhythm section builds up the
intensity. The issued "Sanctuary" is actually two consecutive takes of
the piece.
Despite his reputation as a "cool", melodic improviser, much of
Davis's playing on this album is aggressive and explosive, often playing
fast runs and venturing into the upper
register
of the trumpet. His closing solo on "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" is
particularly noteworthy in this regard. Davis did not perform on the
short piece "John McLaughlin"
Thought by many to be among the most revolutionary albums in jazz history,
Miles Davis'
Bitches Brew
solidified the genre known as jazz-rock fusion. The original double LP
included only six cuts and featured up to 12 musicians at any given
time, some of whom were already established while others would become
high-profile players later,
Joe Zawinul,
Wayne Shorter,
Airto,
John McLaughlin,
Chick Corea,
Jack DeJohnette,
Dave Holland,
Don Alias,
Bennie Maupin,
Larry Young, and
Lenny White among them. Originally thought to be a series of long jams locked into grooves around keyboard, bass, or guitar vamps,
Bitches Brew is actually a recording that producer
Teo Macero
assembled from various jams and takes by razor blade, splice to splice,
section to section. "Pharaoh's Dance" opens the set with its slippery
trumpet lines,
McLaughlin's snaky guitar figures skirting the edge of the rhythm section and
Don Alias' conga slipping through the middle.
Corea and
Zawinul's keyboards create a haunted, riffing modal groove, echoed and accented by the basses of
Harvey Brooks and
Holland.
The title cut was originally composed as a five-part suite, though only
three were used. Here the keyboards punch through the mix and big
chords ring up distorted harmonics for
Davis to solo rhythmically over, outside the mode.
McLaughlin's comping creates a vamp, and the bass and drums carry the rest. It's a small taste of the deep voodoo funk to appear on
Davis' later records. Side three opens with
McLaughlin and
Davis trading fours and eights over a lockstep hypnotic vamp on "Spanish Key."
Zawinul's lyric sensibility provides a near chorus for
Corea
to flit around in; the congas and drummers juxtapose themselves against
the basslines. It nearly segues into the brief "John McLaughlin,"
featuring an organ playing modes below arpeggiated blues guitar runs.
The end of
Bitches Brew, signified by the stellar "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down," reflects the influence of
Jimi Hendrix with its chunky, slipped chords and
Davis
playing a ghostly melody through the funkiness of the rhythm section.
It seemingly dances, becoming increasingly more chaotic until it nearly
disintegrates before shimmering into a loose foggy nadir. The disc
closes with "Sanctuary," completely redone here as a moody electric
ballad that was reworked for this band while keeping enough of its
integrity to be recognizable.
Bitches Brew
is so forward-thinking that it retains its freshness and mystery in the
21st century. [Some reissues add "Feio," recorded in early 1970 with
much of the same band.]
The revolution was recorded: in 1969
Bitches Brew sent a shiver
through a country already quaking. It was a recording whose very sound,
production methods, album-cover art, and two-LP length all signaled that
jazz could never be the same. Over three days anger, confusion, and
exhilaration had reigned in the studio, and the sonic themes, scraps,
grooves, and sheer will and emotion that resulted were percolated and
edited into an astonishingly organic work.
This Miles Davis
wasn't merely presenting a simple hybrid like jazz-rock, but a new way
of thinking about improvisation and the studio. And with this two-CD
reissue (actually, this set is a reissue of the original set plus one
track, perfect for the fan who's not so overwhelmed as to need the
four-CD
Complete Bitches Brew
box), the murk of the original recording is lifted. The instruments
newly defined and brightened, the dark energy of the original comes
through as if it were all fresh.
Joe Zawinul and Bennie Maupin's roles in the mix have been especially clarified. With a bonus track of "Feio"--a
Wayne Shorter composition recorded five months later that serves both as a warm-down for
Bitches Brew and a promise of
Weather Report to come--this is crucial listening.
The sound of this album is very hard to
describe. The instruments include trumpet (of course), up to three
electric pianos (one in the left channel, one in the right, and one in
the center), two drummers (one in the left channel and one in the
right), upright bass, up to two electric bass player, electric guitar,
soprano saxophone, congas, shakers, and bass clarinet. The music is very
experimental. The sound is very layered, so much so that there is never
a dull movement in any of the songs, there is always a pulse, moving
the song forward. The opening song "Pharaoh's Dance" to be
experienced fully needs to be listened to with headphones so you can
hear the different instruments in each channel. The two drummers and
three electric pianos drive the rhythm of the song while Miles Davis'
trumpet soars overhead with th other instruments providing a sonic
collage. This layering continues in other songs on the album. To say
that speaker placement is key in these songs would be an understatement.
The production quality is very good for having been recorded 40 years
ago. The thing is even though the album was recorded 40 years ago it
still sounds ahead of it's time. If you listen to this without any
distractions it will take you for a ride.
Often regarded as one of Miles Davis' best albums only surpassed by "Kind of Blue." To compare these two albums is hard considering the huge difference in sound between the two, where "Kind of Blue" has a very traditional classic jazz sound, "Bitches Brew" is an experimental jazz roller coaster propelled by layered instrumentation and studio manipulation. "Bitches Brew" marked a radical change for Davis
ushering in elements of rock and avant-garde into his Jazz sound,
appropriately this album is often credited with inventing the Jazz-Rock
or Jazz Fusion genres, that would continue to be popularized in the
early '70s by artists such as Chicago, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa and Santana. To me the most impressive songs are first two tracks "Pharaoh's Dance" and "Bitches Brew."
But I really like all of the songs on this album because they are
distinct yet fit together as an album well. Personally I don't have any
complaints about this album. The only complaint I could see anyone
having with this album is the length of the tracks. With only one song
below the 10 minute mark, "John McLaughlin," the tracks can drag
on to non experienced of instrumental music or jazz. For rock music fans
looking to get into Jazz, I highly recommend this album. Progressive
rock fans will also appreciate this album. If it were stolen I would
definitely have it replaced, not only for the music, but the beautiful
album art which reminds me of a Dali painting.
Miles' music continues to grow in its beauty, subtlety and sheer magnificence.
Bitches' Brew is a further extension of the basic idea he investigated in his two previous albums,
Filles De Kilimanjaro and
In A Silent Way.
In a larger sense, however, the record is yet another step in the
unceasing process of evolution Miles has undergone since the Forties.
The man never stops to rest on his accomplishments. Driven forward by a
creative
elan unequaled in the history of American music, he incorporates each successive triumph into the next leap forward.
The wonderful thing about Miles' progress is that he encourages
others to grow with him. Within the context of his sound there is more
than enough room for both his musicians and his listeners to pursue
their own special visions. Looking back on the history of Miles'
ensemble, we find the likes of John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill
Evans, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, and Wayne Shorter. He always seems to
select the best young jazzmen in the country and then gives them the
freedom to develop their own unique modes of playing. Miles is known to
be a stern disciplinarian, but never a tyrant. When a man has performed
with the group long enough to gain a firm footing, he leaves as a
recognized giant on his instrument.
The present Miles Davis organization is certainly no exception to
this tradition. There is more pure talent here than in any group of any
kind currently performing. Chick Corea's piano is so full of technical
and conceptual innovations that one is caught between a feeling of
wonderment and the gnawing question, "I wonder how he does all those
things?" It was about a year ago that a Downbeat reviewer went totally
ga-ga trying to understand Chick's playing (he gave it "no stars" and
complained about how far out it was), so rather than risk the record
reviewer's funny farm I'll just ask you to listen to it.
Dave Holland's bass and Jack DeJonette's drums lay down the amorphous
rhythmic patterns for Miles' electrified sound. To put it briefly,
these chaps have discovered a new way to
cook, a way that seems
just as natural and just as swinging as anything jazz has ever known.
The soloists on the album — Wayne Shorter on soprano sax, Bennie Maupin
on bass clarinet and John McLaughlin on electric guitar — are fully
accustomed to this new groove and take one solid solo after another.
The freedom which Miles makes available to his musicians is also
there for the listener. If you haven't discovered it yet, all I can say
is that
Bitches' Brew is a marvelous place to start. This music
is so rich in its form and substance that it permits and even
encourages soaring flights of imagination by anyone who listens. If you
want, you can experience it directly as a vast tapestry of sounds which
envelop your whole being. You'll discover why fully one third of the
audience at Miles' recent Fillmore West appearances left the hall in
stunned silence, too deeply moved to want to stay for the other groups
on the bill. As a personal matter, I also enjoy Miles' music as a soft
background context for when I want to read or think deeply. In its
current form, Miles' music bubbles and boils like some gigantic
cauldron. As the musical ideas rise to the surface, the listener also
finds his thoughts rising from the depths with a new clarity and
precision. Miles is an invaluable companion for those long journeys you
take into your imagination.
But don't let my cerebral bent influence your listening. Whatever your temperament,
Bitches' Brew will reward in direct proportion to the depth of your own involvement.
Tracklist
Disc 1
1 Pharaoh's Dance - 20:00
2 Bitches Brew - 26:59
Disc 2
1 Spanish Key - 17:29
2 John McLaughlin - 4:26
3 Miles Runs The Voodoo Down - 14:04
4 Sanctuary - 10:52
Personnel:
- Miles Davis / trumpet
- Wayne Shorter / soprano saxophone
- Bennie Maupin / bass clarinet
- Chick Corea / electric piano
- John McLaughlin / guitar
- Dave Holland / bass
- Harvey Brooks / electric bass
- Lenny White / drum set
- Jack DeJohnette / drum set
- Don Alias / congas, drum set
- Juma Santos (credited as "Jim Riley") / shaker, congas
- Larry Young / electric piano
- Joe Zawinul / electric piano
- Billy Cobham / drum set
- Airto Moreira / percussion
