MILES DAVIS — A Tribute to Jack Johnson (review)

MILES DAVIS — A Tribute to Jack Johnson album cover

Album · 1971 · Jazz Related Soundtracks

2/5 · 2012-01-05
dreadpirateroberts

'A Tribute to Jack Johnson' is a fairly uninspiring affair in some ways, and while it does feature some pretty aggressive and fluid soloing from Miles (and many interesting moments from McLaughlin) it's somehow unsatisfying overall and I've been struggling to articulate why I feel that way for years now.

I don't think I can do so fully now either. But let me try at least. In a way you have two styles of music in opposition on 'Tribute', not in terms of sound, but 'approach' perhaps. Sometimes such opposition is effective and it's where the best innovation happens. Sometimes not. The exploratory feel of these pieces sounds almost directionless, and without the subtle shifts and dynamics required for the best jazz-rock fusion, in 'Right Now' especially, it sounds almost like everyone just takes their solos while poor old Billy rides the same beat for half and hour.

I do exaggerate of course, but the punch, the urgency, the bold moves of the best Rock don't show up here. The subtlest moments of Jazz do not appear here either (though everyone is still clearly listening to each other quite closely.) Instead, the album falls somewhere left of both extremes - uniquely Davis but simply not as effective as some of his other albums. In 'Right Now' for instance, sometimes Herbie's distorted organ is in the spirit of the session but often it is plain jarring. At the end it becomes more conventional and the musicians almost come together in a rock band manner.

'Yesternow' is more thoughtful but it's long introductory passage that leads into a spliced section from 'In a Silent Way' is not indicative of a satisfying conclusion. Essentially the song builds up and leads nowhere, though the outro, which glances back toward 'Sketches of Spain' is a brief moment of variety. The closest comparison to the rest of Miles Davis' work might be 'In a Silent' way - yet this album doesn't have the same dynamics. Rather than a clever use of a build and release of tension, 'Right Now' chugs on endlessly (aside from brief respites where Miles's trumpet is drenched in reverb, especially before Grossman comes in for a great solo) and 'Yesternow' leaves the listener no-where by its end.

While this is not an album that represents a failure of performance, it is more a misstep in arrangement and delivery. Fusion was young here and few people were looking as far forward as Miles, it's just that the two forces, Rock and Jazz, didn't mesh so well on 'Tribute.' That doesn't take away from Miles' attempt to push boundaries, which he was a master at, but for me it's only two stars, though for the right fan, I could see them enjoying it a lot more than I do.

more than 2 years ago
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dreadpirateroberts wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Thanks, John. This one was tough to review because it OUGHT to be a knock-out (no pun intended) but it just didn't click for me, despite individual performances.

I agree, darkprince, some of what Miles does as a soloist here is superb, and I'd say there are definitely organic moments (perhaps in spite of all of Teo's cut ups etc) and it's very cool that Herbie walked in off the street (wasn't he taking some shopping home?) but I didn't find that the sum of the individual parts added up to one of his best works.

darkprinceofjazz wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I wholeheartedly disagree with the premise, this is a weak fusion album, I have enjoyed it for many years myself, In My opinion, Miles offers some of his most Muscular playing, and the music sounds more organic and less produced to me than any of the other fusion albums, this is also the most "Rock" sounding to me, I always considered this to be rock jazz, rather than jazz rock, especially "Right Off" The almost "Kraut Rock" interludes do seem out of place however and do get real close to meandering, The Meat of Jack Johnson grooves like a mutha, and this Rock band feel is what I enjoy most, it does seem unique in the Davis lexicon, as mentioned the organic feel for me, the spontaneity of it, Hancock walking off the street and being told by Miles to "play that", Right Off is just a jam really, I love it. And that solo at just past 2 minutes is easily in the top 3 of Miles Career.