MILES DAVIS — Water Babies (review)

MILES DAVIS — Water Babies album cover Album · 1976 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
A weird album that received a Japan-only release at the time, some 8 or 9 years after the recording sessions took place. By 75, Miles had retired from the music scene ,until the early 80's and his record label, started releasing old material, in order to kept he money coming in, since they didn't know when their capricious star would be healthy enough to return to the studios for new albums. Among the release is this relatively bizarre album tht relates to his 60's quintet, According to the recording dates (three months were given but I find two of these doubtful, but WTFDIK, right) and the line-up, we are in the Miles In The Sky And Fille De Kilimanjaro era, but the music appears more standard jazz than the music on both these album. Whether they were separate sessions from these two album's respective sessions or were they clearly separate section, it's not clear for me. In either case, the jazz appearing here is certainly more ancient-style than the music on FDK and MITS. I mean, considering the general jazz history, this could date from the late 50's or early 60's as well. I can easily see this album being release to try to regain older fans who had deserted Miles after his going elecrtric, and indeed this is exactly the kind of album that they'd love, although I'm not certain the artwork would've. Musically the first three tracks (the shorter ones, originally on side 1) are of much lesser interest (IMHO, of course), while the two longer one (of which, one is supoosed to be a bonus track) are more interesting, because they align both Hancock and Corea on piano, and Both Carter and Holland on bass, which provide much more drama in a very good Two Faced (exploiting the double instruments possibilities) and .Dual Mr. Tillman where they're more laid back.

So let's face it, this standard jazz album might be good or not, don't be fooled by its 76 release date, it's not related to the man's recent music, but rather completely anachronic, but the two longer tracks are of interest, showing a nascent form of fusion on one track. Hardly essential, though.
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