Miles Davis - San Francisco 1970 CD

Live broadcast performance from Davis' rarely heard 1970 septet.

As the 1960s wound to a close, Miles Davis was fearlessly forging ahead into new musical directions. Following the transitional In a Silent Way, the groundbreaking double album, Bitches Brew would signal an entirely new musical form that found Davis embracing electronic instrumentation and amplification. By 1970, Davis was performing before the largest audiences of his career, often opening for popular rock bands of the era. 

On this performance, Davis focuses primarily on new compositions ("What I Say," "Honky Tonk," Funky Tonk," and "Yesternow"), with only eleven minutes of the hour-plus performance exploring established cuts "Bitches Brew" and "Sanctuary". "Yesternow," a ferocious track Davis had recorded the previous April for the Tribute to Jack Johnson film, is followed by the title track from Bitches Brew, concluding with another new composition, "Funky Tonk." During the nearly 35 minutes of music contained in these last three pieces, the group's power and precision is nothing short of astounding. Apart from the set-closing cue of "The Theme," little of this music derives from Miles' jazz period, nor does it fall into the free jazz category that it is so often mistakenly associated with. This music is much funkier, often comprised of deep, one chord, cyclical grooves that have little in common with jazz.

Track Listing:

1. Honky Tonk
2. What I Say
3. Sanctuary
4. Yesternow
5. Bitches Brew
6. Funky Tonk

Release Date: 09.18.15