[acid-jazz] Re: miles - dark magus

From: Cantor, Steven <Steven.Cantor_at_adidasus.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 08:26:42 -0800

i'm not sure i understand the point of bob davis' comments on various
miles davis albums, but when it comes to dark magus, he's simply got it
wrong.....

here's the personnel on dark magus:

Miles Davis (trumpet, organ); Dave Liebman (soprano & tenor saxophones,
flute); Azar Lawrence (tenor saxophone); Reggie Lucas, Pete Cosey,
Dominique Gaumont (guitar); Michael Henderson (electric bass); Al Foster
(drums); Mtume (percussion).

this is a much more interesting band than the one bob davis talks about
having seen (and incorrectly states appears on this recording), given
the presence of dave liebman and in particular pete cosey, whose happily
off-the-wall psychedelic guitar wailings moved this band into another
place altogether. this band starts to approach the very (very!!!) dark
fungle junk first hinted at in "on the corner" and which miles continued
to explore (agartha, pangaea) until his self-imposed "retirement" in
1975.

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Message: 7
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 10:13:51 -0500
From: "Bob Davis" <earthjuice_at_prodigy.net>
Subject: [acid-jazz] DARK MAGUS
To: <soul-patrol_at_davisind.com>
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The CD "DARK MAGUS" by Miles Davis is completely documented in detail on
the Soul-Patrol Website at the following link:
http://www.soul-patrol.com/jazz/magus.htm
I won't try to recreate here the commentary on that web page. It's one
of the most detailed, comprehensive and unique album reviews that you
will ever read.

"HALFaTrip" & "nightrain" tell the story of the "DARK MAGUS" CD far
better than I ever could...

The CD "DARK MAGUS" was released in 1997 and contains a previously
unreleased live concert of the Miles Davis Band circa 1974 from Carnegie
Hall in NYC. In the context of this discussion it's significant because
in
1974 I saw the Miles Davis Band perform live at the Syria Mosque in
Pittsburgh, so the band on "DARK MAGUS" is essentially the same one that
I saw perform live in 1974, in Pittsburgh.

Here is what I wrote about that 1974 concert in Pittsburgh...

The show was at the Syria Mosque (a large "acoustically perfect"
auditorium seating around 3,500) in 1974. Miles was the opening act for
Herbie Hancock who at that time was flying high with the big hit record
"Chameleon". Kevin Amos, myself and about 10 of our friends who were
also "MF's" "prepared for the show" and then got there early. There were
several hundred "MF's" at the show that we knew and it was obvious they
had "prepared" as well. I guess one of the biggest surprises to me was
the fact that I saw some of the city's"
Black Elite" (athletes, entertainers, politicians, etc) in attendance at
the show. I was shocked that many of this folks were in to Miles Davis
"jazz-funk", but it pleased me none the less.

We had all heard all of the stories about how outrageous Miles was in
concert and were prepared to see him do anything from spit at the
audience to playing with his back turned. He did neither, when he came
out he looked like an "African King".....played the trumpet "hunched
over".....he also had a small keyboard right next to him which he played
occasionally.

As best I can recall the Miles Davis Band that evening was:

Reggie Lucas - Guitar
Micheal Henderson - Bass
Sonny Fortune - Sax
Mtume - Percussion
Al Foster - Drums
Badal Roy - Tabla Drums

(Somebody help me out here!!!)

I don't remember the names of the songs played that night, but all of
the stuff was from "On the Corner", "Get Up With It" & "Big Fun". I sat
there in sheer amazement as I watched the "master" go to work. It was a
90 min.
workout of pure unadulterated FUNK. Miles himself didn't say one damn
word (neither the group nor the songs were introduced) during the whole
show!!

To this day....it's the "best concert I have ever attended"!!

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Bob Davis
earthjuice_at_prodigy.net
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steven cantor
steven_cantor_at_opb.org
Received on 2006-03-06 17:31:30