Miles in Tokyo

Occupation

• Trumpet: Miles Davis
• Tenor saxophone Sam Rivers
• Piano: Herbie Hancock
• Bass: Ron Carter
• Drums: Tony Williams

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Miles in Tokyo is a jazz album by Miles Davis. It contains a live recording from the Kohseinenkin Hall in Tokyo on 14 July 1964 and published in 1969 initially only in Japan by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Only in 2005 the recording was released as a compact disc in the United States and in Europe by Columbia Records.

Background of the recordings

After George Coleman (who had been involved yet in February 1964 the live album My Funny Valentine ), who had left Miles Davis' band because he did not fit in its musical development, the trumpeter on the search for a new tenor saxophonist was:

This happened on the recommendation of Tony Williams, who was also from Boston. With 44 years Rivers was much older than anyone else in the band, but Williams took this well. Rivers 's first live recording in Japan was also in Davis ' case; it remained the only recordings of tenor saxophonist with Miles Davis. The quintet played the then-known live repertoire, mostly jazz standards.

Sam Rivers play on Live in Tokyo was very different from the Colemans on the previous Lps; Rivers, who worked with the then avant-garde jazz, but was not willing to play in the standard Side. "It did not work properly with Sam; it just did not fit, " Herbie Hancock said later. " Sam is of course a great musician. But he was just not what we were looking for. We were then very sure to know what we were looking for, just what Wayne had. "

Miles Davis insisted that the recording could be released only in Japan.

Title list

• Miles Davis: Miles in Tokyo (Columbia SONX 60064 -R, 60064 -R - SONX )

A1 Introduction by Teruo Isono - 1:10 A2 If I Were a Bell ( Frank Loesser ) - 10:18 A3 My Funny Valentine ( Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) - 12:45

B1 So What ( Miles Davis) - 7:50 B2 Walkin ' ( Richard H. Carpenter) - 9:11 B3 All of You ( Cole Porter) - 11:10 B4 Theme ( go-go ) and Announcement - 1:19

Reception

Linear Germain wrote in All About Jazz, tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers is an experienced and experimenter bolder than his predecessor George Coleman was. Nevertheless, let it be noted occasionally in the recording, why Davis and Rivers did not match. Thus, for example, played in Rivers If I Were a Bell by a lucid and melodic statement by Davis deliberately eccentric in his solo: "He does so with so much force that his movements are neither subtle nor nuanced; they are striking. "Nevertheless Rivers show in the lonely and gloomy sounding My Funny Valentine greater care to stay in the song melody, a method that resonates well with the rest of the group. So What goes here vonstatten faster than the version on Kind of Blue, again Davis and Rivers differ in their melodic playing mannerisms.

Still, it's Miles Davis, ' his style changes in walkin and puts some restless elements in his approach. " It preys rapidly and whipping Through his solo, Tony Williams to some manic beats provocative. " Williams sword for his part best in contexts that are more out than in, and the involvement of Sam Rivers allow greater rhythmic maneuver. Herbie Hancock also bring in Walkin ' some dissonant and interesting moments a. In the final, All of You to meet Miles Davis ' muted and lyrical " to, Rivers " but docile " and create the rest of the group a wonderful groove. In summary noted the author, Miles in Tokyo was a deviation, so that a " rare gem and worth it to be acquired. "

Scott Yanow awarded the album at Allmusic four ( out of five) stars and said that Davis had paid little attention to Rivers ' avant-garde style and the two apparently it was not possible to develop a connection to each other. The live album that documented this brief collaboration, but is of high quality, both Davis and Rivers are in good shape, and the young rhythm section exaggerating the trumpeter to develop his style.

Peter Wießmüller commented on the album that Miles Davis ' decision to cast the recording only in Japan, be comprehensible, "because the balance within the group and, not least, the rhythm section is not always balanced ." This is particularly true of the opening track If I Were a Bell. In contrast, the author praises the " instinctive safety " of the trumpeter in My Funny Valentine, also of Sam Rivers there were a couple of nice solos in the standard. However, Ron Carter and Tony Williams played not always together. An increase was, however, So What in the rhythm section swinge enormous, and Rivers einflechte many free elements in his solo. A Renewed increase would get the recording with Walkin '; here WOULD Sam Rivers alongside Miles Davis ' very contrasty, but also somewhat extravagant. "