FunkFreak75
Recorded for Columbia Records in Hollywood (tracks A1, A3, B2) on April 16, 1963 and in New York City (tracks A2, B1, B3) on May 14, 1963.
(Note. This was the beginning of the Quintet, no Wayne Shorter yet but Herbie Hancock, Ron, Carter, Tony Williams were present for 50% of the album.)
A1. "Basin Street Blues" (10:29) a quartet piece (no George Coleman) with Frank Butler on brushes in the right channel, center occupied by Ron Carter and Miles playing his muted, New Orleans-sounding "piccolo" horn (Miles up high and forward), and Victor Feldman's romantic piano in the left channel for the first minutes of this gentle "late night" tune. For the first five minutes this is really calming, but then a little bluesy vim and vinegar creeps into the tune before Miles finally backs down to allow someone else a chance to have some shine. Victor at the end of the seventh minute (where I keep expecting Frank Sinatra or Sammy Davis, Jr. to step in with an impassioned "hep cat" vocal) and then a return to Miles to close. Nice--though nothing that wows me or that will replace my memories of other great Miles tunes (like "Flamenco Sketches"). (17.75/20)
A2. "Seven Steps To Heaven" (6:24) clean, clear sound with acoustic double bass front and center, clean, clear capture of Tony Williams' crisp drumming relegated to the right channel, Herbie Hancock's choppy-style of piano zip occupying the left, George Coleman's tenor sax also in the right, and Miles' intimate trumpet front and center. My favorite parts are in the final minute when Miles and George harmonize the speedy melody in perfect unison. Fun tune--though fully-entrenched in the be-bop category. (9/10)
A3. "I Fall In Love To Easily" (6:47) a pretty late-night quartet cover of the Julie Styne Sammy Cahn classic has Frank Butler playing with some gentle stick play while a very active and smoothly melodic bass plays from Ron Carter while Victor Feldman accents and bridges from the left. Miles is up front with his muted trumpet again but for some reason he doesn't feel like the show on this one as he did on "Basin Street Blues": the performances of Ron and Victor feel equally important. I like the more respectful and collaborative feel of this one. (13.375/15)
B1. "So Near, So Far" (7:00) a cover of a Tony Crombie & Bennie Green composition, this turns out to be the most progressive and refreshing tune on the album as each of the musicians seems to be working in their own universes while being cleverly overlayed as they are all woven together quite magically as one beautiful (though busy) tapestry. Herbie and Tony are present on this one with both adding their own syncopated accents beneath Miles' dominant- though-relaxed open trumpet play. George Coleman is given the green light for a solo in the third and fourth minutes. Starting out rather stiffly he sticks to the script pretty tightly for the first minute, but then he loosens up and starts to slur and spew some cool little riffs and flourishes. Herbie is given the sixth minute before the band returns to the neat little five-part harmony weave for the final minute. I like this song! (13.75/15)
B2. "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" (8:27) a more traditional slow swing song with Miles playing a muted trumpet and Victor Feldman and Frank Butler sitting in behind him with Ron (no George). The song is a Charles Warfield and Clarence Williams (grandfather of contemporary stage and film actor, Clarence Williams III) composition from way back in 1919, here given shifting tempos throughout the song (my favorite thing about the song). Though considered a blues classic, Miles, Ron, and Victor have definitely brought it fully into the realm of jazz. Other Miles, Victor is the only other significant soloist on this quartet performance. (17.75/20)
B3. "Joshua" (7:01) the third and final song involving the full quintet, all parts are up and running from the opening notes: Ron walking all over that upright fretboard, Tony contributing his otherworldly syncopated and off-center accents, Herbie stretching out his harmonic gifts, while Miles and George explore the melodic possibilities up top. A great, adventurous, spirited, and highly-creative tune that really puts on full display the talents of these artists. It's so nice to hear Herbie, Ron, and Tony given a short leash: feeling alive! (14.125/15)
Total Time: 46:20
Though produced by Miles' longtime "finisher," Teo Mecero, this was still before the explosion of new sound engineering ideas and possibilities had emerged, so there is more of Miles and the band here than Teo's cut-and- splicing. Too bad that there are no original compositions on this album--especially with all of the talent he's got with him.
Though not a Jazz-Rock Fusion album--and by no means exhibiting the fire and brimstone of the fully-formed "Second Great Quintet"--there are a couple of songs here that push the envelope of traditional and accepted jazz modalities a bit ("So Near, So Far" and "Joshua").
A-/4.5 stars; a very solid contribution of skillful and accessible Jazz that shows some interesting ideas being developed in Miles' thinking.
