Few artists in the history of American music have been more influential than Miles Davis.
In the 50’s and 60’s, this jazz trumpeter was responsible for creating some of the best records of all time, regardless of genre.
When listeners spin Davis’ Kind of Blue, they are hearing what many consider to be the greatest jazz record ever. The 1959 Columbia Records LP is the epitome of cool-modal jazz: A sub-genre that once defined recorded American music.
Davis was always pushing jazz to the brink, and nowhere is his creative prowess more visible than on his 1970 release “Bitches Brew.”
The preparation, recording sessions and mixing techniques used on Davis’ concept album “Bitches Brew” have become that of legend.
Recorded in the three days immediately following the Woodstock Festival, “Bitches Brew” is an eclectic blend of jazz-infused electric rock.
The album is significant in that Davis, the session leader and musical director by self-appointment, ignored traditional jazz patterns in favor of a heavier, improvisational-based style.
This artistic choice led to initial backlash against Davis, as many in the professional jazz community felt betrayed by this once endearing genre icon. It wasn’t long though until the popularity of “Bitches Brew” garnered Davis new fans and critic accolades alike.
If Davis had any visions of easing his fans into this new free form of jazz, the introductory track on side one throws that notion out the window.
“Pharaoh’s Dance” opens with easy-driving eighth notes on a hi-hat and mellow bari-sax bars. An electric piano also sprinkles in during the jam, along with accented riffing from an electric guitar.
The track comes into its own when the drums pick-up and bongos are added.
Davis’ solo is bright and quirky, as the trumpet maestro starts the listener on this rather unfamiliar journey.
At the halfway point, most instruments fade out to Davis and the electric piano. It’s here that the track transitions into a more rhythmic and modal-jazz sound.
Between the multi-track mixing and the assorted instrumentation showcased on the album, it is no surprise that producer Teo Macero is often given equal credit, along with Davis, for the album’s success.
On the album’s title track, Davis and Macero offer the listener a four-minute introduction, as Miles’ trumpet screams echoes through the use of a reverb effect. A steady bass keeps the track moving, as an electric piano complements Davis with a spastic give-and-take.
As with most tracks on “Brew,” minimal but frequent electric guitar riffing make the arrangements groove more than standard jazz records.
The second side of “Bitches Brew” has Davis playing a more standard-sounding jazz trumpet.
“Spanish Key” boasts active percussion, electric keys, and guitar riffing. The track clips along at a speedy pace, helped out by some very active brushwork on set.
The percussion includes two set players as well as a utility percussionist on the congas.
It’s so hard to recognize play patterns and base chords on “Brew” that listeners may feel they’ve taken Keanu Reeves place in the movie “Speed.”
The massive “Bitches Brew” vehicle plows through speakers, and there’s nothing we can do to control the direction or the speed of what we’re hearing.
On “John McLaughlin,” Davis sits out and gives the reigns to his legendary guitarist.
The groove is centralized off a chord progression of repeating off beats, and McLaughlin shows why he was considered one of the greatest session guitarists of the 20 century, flashing some brilliant versatility between a lead-rock and a rhythm-jazz sound.
On the 14-minute “Miles Runs the Voodoo Down” Davis plays call and response with the legendary Chick Corea on electric keys.
The song is crafted around some great funk and rhythm work on guitar from McLaughlin.
Davis’ trumpet work on “Bitches” is best described as fluttering, as the trumpeter will explode to begin bars and finesse his way back to a softer pianissimo sound. I love the double-bass outro that sends Davis on his way, too.
“Sanctuary” begins with a reverbed Miles sweeping into the track.
The soft and timid sustains along with mystery keys make this a fitting conclusion to the non-uniform album.
Eventually Davis and friends press out a large crescendo before digressing into a softer passage. The players then repeat the pattern to conclude the album.
With the groundbreaking creation of rock-fusion masterpiece “Bitches Brew,” Miles Davis solidified himself as one of the most diverse artists in American music.
His concept album opened the door for many new forms of music, and influenced many musicians during the 70’s. Davis first showed his deep love for rock music on this record, and it was a love that would continue into the 1980s during his work with Prince and through his digital phase up until the time of his death.

Questions or comments?
Contact Jack at
JCChand3768@winona.edu