Dark Magus
Occupation
- Trumpet, Organ: Miles Davis
- Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute: Dave Liebman
- Tenor Saxophone: Azar Lawrence
- Guitar Synthesizer: Pete Cosey
- Electric guitar Dominique Gaumont, Reggie Lucas
- Bass: Michael Henderson
- Drums: Al Foster
- Percussion: Mtume
Dark Magus is an album of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. It was recorded in New York's Carnegie Hall on March 30, 1974, released in Japan by Sony / Columbia Records in 1977. It is now considered one of the best live albums merger; the British music magazine Q took it in 2001 in their list of the " 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time".
The album
The live performance on March 30, was due to illness of the few recordings made by Miles Davis in 1974; in June still followed a studio session where his 30-minute tribute to Duke Ellington (He Loved Him Madly ) was added; in October came in the studio two more titles ( Mtume Maiysha ), which then appeared on the album Get Up with It. Even his previous appearance on 1 November 1973 in the Philharmonie in Berlin Jazz Festival had a lively controversy about Miles Davis ' musical development caused that documented the Davis biographer Peter Wießmüller: They ranged from " New Horizons " (Joachim -Ernst Berendt ) about " momentary dip in form of an admirable Stars" (W. Panke ) to " electronic aphorisms that should be abolished" ( Jazz Podium ) and Werner Burkhardt's more restrained statement: " Even Herrlich as ever, he is on the old puzzle. Should we love or hate him? "
Miles Davis himself later responded in his autobiography to the allegations:
A feature of this tape was in fact the use of three electric guitarists: "We are now focusing on African music, " wrote Miles Davis, "on a heavy African-American groove, in which the emphasis on percussion and rhythm and not on individual solos lay. Ever since the encounter with Jimi Hendrix I wanted this guitar sound that draws you deeper and deeper into the blues. " Davis took to the guitarist Reggie Lucas ( who contributed the repetitive radio - rhythm ), Pete Cosey ( as the main soloists) and the African Dominique Gaumont.
In addition, Miles Davis hired alongside Dave Liebman a second saxophonist Azar Lawrence: "Both play [ s] alternated with quaint lines and haunting short-winded phrasing, often in the collective competition of Überblaseffekte. " Miles Davis himself took advantage of the effects of electrically amplified trumpet ( such as wah-wah pedal ), " to radically change the characteristics of its classic sound. " Finally, he also played himself on the Yamaha organ, " with the palm of a breach in the musical flow hitting that suggests his musicians a rhythmic change. Although these are no longer the great individualists of days gone by, but they understand it, excellent to put his ideas into scene. " A central role for the group sound was the bassist Michael Henderson, " to the can again produce a somnambulistic relationship Miles. "
Liebman described in 1997 the music that had no dramatic beginnings and endings, as a " mix of funk / pop rhythms, reef -like improvisation, electronic and percussion [ sound ] colors, one in and out of improvisations on a key. "
The double album consists of four parts, which were given Swahili names, Moja, Wili, and Tatu Nne. Tatu (Part 2) contains the theme of Calypso Frelimo ( from the album Get Up with It ); Nne (Part 1) of the Ife ( from the album Big Fun ).
Reception
The album underwent during his revision as a double CD in numerous reviews mostly positive reviews; by Robert Christgau as in The Village Voice, Down Beat ( which it is valued at four ( out of five) stars ), Entertainment Weekly, JazzTimes ( Favorable ), Pitchfork Media, Rolling Stone and Spin ( Favorable )
In his review of the album called the Davis biographer Peter Wießmüller Dark Magus " very excellent music. Compared to the [ previous ] Album In Concert here is the sound created dense and differentiated due to balanced sound structures, which results from the change in instrumentation, " after Miles Davis had the second percussionist, keyboard and sitar taken out and replaced by the three guitarists.
Richard Cook and Brian Morton awarded the album the second highest rating of 3 ½ stars. They noted that the four parts of the album hardly be distinguished; " Shadings and striations of sound and, as one gets to know better thesis recordings, one Becomes almost Fixated on the tiniest inflexions. Which is where Miles enthusiasts will find meat and drink in this. "
Thom Jurek called Dark Magus in his review in Allmusic, the four ( out of five) stars gave the album, "a jam record." He points to Liebman's finding that the Carnegie Hall recording (at the end of a tour ) does not show the best performance of the band. Miles had not really rehearsed at this time with his bands; also there are no melodies apart from the system based on three notes theme Wili and the few reef - oriented tunes in Tatu -
Gaumonts effect charged guitar playing from overshadowing the " real" guitarist in the band: Pete Cosey and his partner, the rhythmically inventive Reggie Lucas. Gaumont did not fit really into it, and so he was trying to hide. Note the way in which Jurek wrote, like Miles Davis whose solos -performing so abruptly. Critical sums up the author about the importance of the album for the jazz-rock:
Scott Yanow wrote the Allmusic guide to electronica, the spontaneous music contains strong moments between Davis and Liebman; edited drastically, the double CD would be an impressive single CD arise because they would have considerable lengths. Although Dark Magus is not an essential album, but it is worthwhile to explore.
Ed Brown looked at the album by Miles Davis in the context of his live recordings that have arisen 1970-1974 in his review in Fortune (1997). Dark Magus is among the most prominent album and with its fascinating collage of wah-wah pedal, tom-toms and not classifiable ejection of sounds " probably the best live fusion album ever recorded. Since it was not as polished as studio productions such as In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, the album would have moments of rough grandeur that could keep up with all the extensive Davis oeuvre. If you're ready to go where no other music will take you, you're ready for Dark Magus. "
Title list
- Dark Magus (Sony - Columbia C2K 65137 )