MILES DAVIS — In a Silent Way (review)

MILES DAVIS — In a Silent Way album cover Album · 1969 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
darkshade
The calm before the storm as I like to view it as.

What makes this album great is not only the music itself, but what came before and immediately after. Miles was building up to this album with his previous albums Miles In The Sky and Filles De Killmajaro, adding electric piano and electric bass to his sound, with some emphasis on rock beats.

When this album came around, Miles had surrounded himself with many well known jazz musicians, most of which would all go on to push the genre of jazz-rock/fusion further into the 70s.

But here we are. Whenever I listen to this album, it's great every time. The mood is peaceful, soothing, but aggressive at the same time in relation to the drums. Sometimes I think to myself how Miles took this "style" of music, and added a level of ferocity to the following album Bitches Brew, which is the "storm" that this album precedes. If you are familiar with BB, you know exactly what I mean.

By the way, as with most Miles Davis albums, I get the most enjoyment out of his music when it is played at night. His music just has that dark, nightly aura about it. But a lot of mystique is added when put in context with what came afterward too.

Anyway, this music is made up of only 2 songs, both of which are similar in mood, in fact; you may not realize when the first ends and the second begins, if you're not paying attention. My favorite aspect of this album, and just about any of his albums from '67 through '75, is the personnel on these albums showcase the musicians in contexts which you would never hear them in again. So even though fusion masters like Hancock, Corea, Zawinul, Shorter, Holland, McLaughlin and Williams are here, don't expect anything they did outside of Miles' groups. In a way, it's better than anything they have done on their own.

I have trouble describing the music here, as Ive been trying to do that for the last few paragraphs. What I can say is, do yourself a favor. Get this album. If you're a jazz fan, or a fan of any of the guys playing on this album, there is no way you can not enjoy this.
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