Miles Davis - Chicago Jazz Festival 1990 CD | Leeway's Home Grown Music Network

Shortly after Duke Ellington's death in 1974, a concert in his honor was held in Grant Park, Chicago, which soon became an annual event attracting some 30,000 jazz fans each year. At the event in 1990, Miles Davis, arguably the greatest jazz musician of all time headlined the festival.

Famously reluctant to play any of his earlier work, Davis had continued to be something of a maverick ever since his first forays into jazz fusion in the late 1960s. Miles had continued to experiment throughout the 1980s, which included recording his interpretations of modern pop songs as well as utilising synthesisers, drum loops and sampling, most notably on 1986's Tutu. Davis had rightly pointed out that many jazz standards were merely pop songs from Broadway's golden age, and sought to update the catalogue. By the time Miles took to the stage to close the 12th event on 30th August that year, it was just about anyone's guess what might be in store. As one might expect, Davis was backed by an all-star band, featuring: Kenny Garrett on alto saxophone and flute, Kei Agaki on synths, Richard Patterson on bass, Ricky Wellman on drums, Erin Davis (Mile's youngest son, incorrectly announced as John Bigham) on electronic percussion, and John "Foley" McCreary, Jr. on "lead bass" - a custom Blue Marble instrument tuned almost an octave higher than a standard model to fill the role of a lead guitarist.

The choice of material was equally as curious and exciting, consisting of one cut apiece from 1983's Star People and 1989's Amandla, a few numbers previously un-released on studio recordings, and a trio of covers - Scritti Politti's 'Perfect Way,' Cyndi Lauper's 'Time After Time' and Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature.'

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