I must declare an interest – I wrote the sleeve notes for this DVD boxed set, which is must for fans of Miles’ 1980s music. There are ten discs, although the first and last discs contain non-80s music. The boxed set is a companion to the 20-CD Complete Miles Davis at Montreux boxed set, released in 2002, and is similarly packaged.
The difference of course, is that you get to see and well as hear Miles and his bands play. There are lots of great close-up shots of Miles interacting with his musicians, and you can see how Miles used to communicate with his band, using a variety of gestures, or by playing a certain phrase or a riff. I also conducted new interviews with Kei Akagi, Felton Crews, Adam Holzman, Munyungo Jackson, Marilyn Mazur, Richard Patterson, Benny Rietveld, Steve Thornton, Ricky Wellman, and Vince Wilburn Jr, who recall what it was like playing at Montreux with Miles.
The boxed set includes interviews with Montreux festival founder Claude Nobs, and many artists including, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Helen Merrill and Stanley Clarke. Quite simply, if you like Miles’ 80s music, you’ll love this boxed set!
Musicians
Miles: Trumpet and keyboards
1973 Disc
Guitar: Pete Cosey, Reggie Lucas
Saxophone: Dave Liebman
Bass: Michael Henderson
Drums: Al Foster
Percussion: James Mtume Foreman
1984-1990 Discs
Guitar: John Scofield, Robben Ford, Foley (lead bass)
Saxophone: Bob Berg, Kenny Garrett, Rick Margitza
Keyboards: Robert Irving III, Adam Holzman, Kei Akagi
Bass: Darryl Jones, Felton Crews, Benny Rietveld, Richard Patterson
Drums: Al Foster, Vince Wilburn Jr, Ricky Wellman
Percussion: Steve Thornton, Marilyn Mazur, Munyungo Jackson, Erin Davis
Artists sitting in: George Duke, David Sanborn, Chaka Khan
1991 Disc
Conductor: Quincy Jones.
Gil Evans Orchestra, George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band and others
TRACKLISTING
July 8, 1973
With: Miles Davis, trumpet, organ; Dave Liebman, tenor sax, soprano sax, flute; Reggie Lucas, guitar; Pete Cosey, guitar; Michael Henderson, bass; Al Foster, drums; James Mtume, congas, percussion, keyboards.
1 Ife (27:00)
July 8, 1984 – Afternoon
With: Miles Davis, trumpet; Bob Berg, sax, keyboards; Robert Irving III, keyboards; John Scofield, guitar; Darryl Jones, bass; Al Foster, drums; Steve Thornton, percussion.
1. Speak; That’s What Happened (11:41)
2. Star People (08. 39)
3. What It Is (07:53)
4. It Gets Better (13:42)
5. Something’s On Your Mind (11:07)
6. Time After Time (14:05)
7. Hopscotch; Star On Cicely (07:08)
8. Bass Solo (1:26)
9. Jean-Pierre (9:53)
10. Lake Geneva (4:06)
11. Something’s On Your Mind (reprise) (7:25)
July 8, 1984 – Evening
With: Miles Davis, trumpet; Bob Berg, sax, keyboards; Robert Irving III, keyboards; John Scofield, guitar; Darryl Jones, bass; Al Foster, drums; Steve Thornton, percussion.
1. Speak; That’s What Happened (8:12)
2. Star People (9:00)
3. What It Is (9:13)
4. It Gets Better (13:17)
5. Something`s On Your Mind (12:49)
6. Time After Time (12:05)
7. Hopscotch; Star On Cicely (7:59)
8. Bass Solo (1:52)
9. Jean Pierre (10:34)
10. Lake Geneva (3:06)
11. Something`s On Your Mind (reprise) (9:56)
12. Code MD (6:37)
July 14, 1985 – Afternoon
With: Miles Davis, trumpet; Bob Berg, sax, keyboards; Robert Irving III, keyboards; John Scofield, guitar; Darryl
Jones, bass; Vince Wilburn Jr., drums; Steve Thornton, percussion.
1. Theme From Jack Johnson; One Phone Call/Street Scenes; That`s What Happened (13:30)
2. Star People (6:34)
3. Maze (9:57)
4. Human Nature (5:13)
5. MD 1; Something`s On Your Mind; MD 2 (13:03)
6. Time After Time (8:12)
7. Ms Morrisine (10:32)
8. Code MD (7:51)
9. Pacific Express (14:24)
10. Hopscotch (5:56)
11. You’re Under Arrest (6:46)
12. Jean-Pierre; You’re Under Arrest; Then There Were None (8:02)
13. Decoy (4:20)
July 14, 1985 – Evening
With: Miles Davis, trumpet; Bob Berg, sax, keyboards; Robert Irving III, keyboards; John Scofield, guitar; Darryl Jones, bass; Vince Wilburn Jr., drums; Steve Thornton, percussion.
1. Theme From Jack Johnson; One Phone Call/Street Scenes; That`s What Happened (14:06)
2. Star People (6:14)
3. Maze (11:41)
4. MD 1; Something`s On Your Mind; MD 2 (13:04)
5. Time After Time (11:00)
6. Ms. Morrisine (10:10)
7. Code MD (8:07)
8. Pacific Express (15:07)
9. Hopscotch (7:54)
10. You’re Under Arrest (7:16)
11. Jean-Pierre; You’re Under Arrest; Then There Were None (8:19)
12. Decoy
July 17, 1986
With: Miles Davis, trumpet, keyboards; Bob Berg, sax; Adam Holzman, keyboards; Robert Irving III, keyboards; Robben Ford, guitar; Felton Crews, bass; Vince Wilburn Jr., drums; Steve Thornton, percussion. Special guests: George Duke, synthesiser on “Tutu” & “Splatch”; David Sanborn, sax on “Burn”, “Portia” & “Jean-Pierre”.
1. Theme From Jack Johnson; One Phone Call/Street Scenes; That’s What Happened (9:12)
2. New Blues (8:57)
3. Maze (07:05)
4. Human Nature (8:27)
5. Wrinkle (10:40)
6. Tutu (6:46)
7. Splatch (11:07)
8. Time After Time (8:15)
9. Al Jarreau (6:14)
10. Carnival Time (4:11)
11. Burn (8:09)
12. Portia (6:52)
13. Jean-Pierre (9:13)
July 7, 1988
With: Miles Davis, trumpet, keyboards; Kenny Garrett, sax; Robert Irving III, keyboards; Adam Holzman, keyboards; Foley, lead bass; Benny Rietveld, bass; Ricky Wellman, drums; Marilyn Mazur, percussion.
1. In A Silent Way (0:56)
2. Intruder (5:09)
3. New Blues (6:52)
4. Perfect Way (4:52)
5. The Senate; Me & U (9:06)
6. Human Nature (12:46)
7. Wrinkle (8:27)
8. Tutu (10:58)
9. Time After Time (7:52)
10. Movie Star (4:27)
11. Splatch (9:09)
12. Heavy Metal Prelude (5:07)
13. Heavy Metal (6:12)
14. Carnival Time (13:39)
15. Jean-Pierre (7:26)
16. Tomaas (11:09)
July 21, 1989
With: Miles Davis, trumpet, keyboards, Rick Margitza, tenor sax; Kei Akagi, keyboards; Adam Holzman, keyboards; Foley, lead bass; Benny Rietveld, bass; Ricky Wellman, drums; Munyungo Jackson, percussion. Special guest: Chaka Khan, vocals on “Human Nature”.
1. Intruder (5:40)
2. New Blues (12:04)
3. Perfect Way (6:29)
4. Hannibal (10:29)
5. Human Nature (10:40)
6. Mr Pastorius (4:21)
7. Tutu (13:01)
8. Jilli (6:09)
9. Time After Time (10:17)
10. Jo Jo (5:18)
11. The Senate; Me & You (11:41)
12. Wrinkle (6:28)
13. Portia (7:58)
July 20, 1990
With: Miles Davis, trumpet, keyboards; Kenny Garrett, sax; Kei Akagi, keyboards; Foley, lead bass; Richard Patterson, bass; Ricky Wellman, drums; Erin Davis, percussion.
1. Hannibal (10:32)
2. The Senate; Me & U (10:40)
3. In The Night (3:06)
4. Human Nature (12:48)
5. Time After Time (9:01)
6. Wrinkle (7:58)
7. Tutu (13:18)
8. Don’t Stop Me Now (11:06)
9. Carnival Time (13:27)
July 8, 1991
Miles Davis • trumpet – Quincy Jones • conductor Soloists: Kenny Garrett • alto sax – Wallace Roney • trumpet, flugelhorn The Gil Evans Orchestra: Tom Malone • trombone -Lew Soloff, Miles Evans • trumpet – Alex Foster • alto sax, soprano sax, flute – George Adams • tenor sax,flute – Gil Goldstein, Delmar Brown • keyboards -Kennwood Dennard • drums on “Orgone”, percussion on other tracks The George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band: George Gruntz • piano, leader – Marvin Stamm, John D’earth, Jack Walrath • trumpet, flugelhorn – John Clark, Tom Varner • french horn – Dave Bargeron, Earl McIntyre • euphonium, trombone – Dave Taylor • bass trombone – Howard Johnson • tuba, baritone sax – Sal Giorgianni • alto sax – Bob Malach • tenor sax, flute, clarinet – Larry Schneider • tenor sax, oboe, flute, clarinet – Jerry Bergonzi • tenor sax – Mike Richmond • bass – John Riley • drums, percussion
Additional musicians with the GGCJB: Manfred Schoof, Ack van Rooyen • trumpet, flugelhorn – Alex Brofsky, Claudio Pontiggia • french horn – Roland Dahinden • trombone – Anne O’Brien • flute – Julian Cawdry, Hans-Peter Frehner • flute, piccolo, alto flute – Michel Weber • clarinet – Christian Gavillet • bass clarinet, baritone sax – Tilman Zahn, Dave Seghezzo, Xavier Duss, Judith Wenziker • oboe Christian Rabe, Reiner Erb • bassoon – Xenia Schindler • harp – Conrad Herwig • trombone – Roger Rosenberg • bass clarinet, baritone sax Additional participating musicians: Benny Bailey • trumpet, flugelhorn – Carles Benavent • bass, electric bass on “The Pan Piper” and “Solea” – Grady Tate • drums
1. Introduction by Claude Nobs & Quincy Jones (7:18)
2. Boplicity (3:32)
3. Maids Of Cadiz (3:38)
4. The Duke (3:58)
5. My Ship (4:14)
6. Miles Ahead (3:39)
7. Blues For Pablo (5:38)
8. Orgone (3:50)
9. Gone, Gone, Gone (1:48)
10. Summertime (2:47)
11. Here Come De Honey Man (3:33)
12. The Pan Piper (1:40)
13. Solea (11:10)
You can pre-order the Definitive Miles Davis at Montreux DVD boxed set from Amazon UK and Amazon US
If you can’t wait until the boxed set is released, the Miles Davis: Live At Montreux Highlights 1973-1991 DVD (follow link for my overview) provides a good taster and is a more affordable option. It’s available at Amazon UK and Amazon US
Buy The Definitive Miles Davis At Montreux online from Amazon UK and Amazon US
