Podcast appearances and mentions of The Tony Williams Lifetime

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Best podcasts about The Tony Williams Lifetime

Latest podcast episodes about The Tony Williams Lifetime

100 Guitarists
John McLaughlin: From Miles to Mahavishnu and Way Beyond

100 Guitarists

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 50:21


Guitarist John McLaughlin's career has been long and winding. From his early solo records and work with Miles Davis, he possessed a unique approach to the guitar that encompassed jazz and rock vocabulary, played with a biting tone and stellar, virtuosic technique. He's never stopped developing, and we're covering our favorite highlights of McLaughlin's career: his acoustic (and later electric) take on Indian music with Shakti, his more traditional jazz projects, and much more.There are lots of listening highlights in this episode and we've covered as much as we can: Mahavishnu Orchestra's first two records are undisputable; Tony Williams Lifetime's Emergency may be the birth of fusion guitar; McLaughlin's mid-career studies in Indian music are inspiring; his take on Coltrane in an organ-jazz setting is monumental. But we could still cover a whole other episode's worth.Sponsored by PRS Guitars: http://prsguitars.comFollow Nick: https://www.instagram.com/nickmillevoiFollow Jason: https://www.instagram.com/jasonshadrickGet at us: 100guitarists@premierguitar.comCall/Text: 319-423-9734Podcast powered by Sweetwater. Get your podcast set up here! - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/75rE0dSubscribe to the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0aXdYIDOmS8KtZaZGNazVb?si=c63d98737a6146afApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/100-guitarists/id1746527331

Burning Ambulance Podcast
Cindy Blackman Santana

Burning Ambulance Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 57:28


Cindy Blackman Santana is originally from Ohio, came to the East Coast to study at Berklee and at the Hartt School of Music, moved to New York in the late '80s and has played and recorded with a ton of people across the spectrum of jazz and rock ever since. She's made a slew of albums under her own name, including some featuring saxophonist and longtime friend of Burning Ambulance JD Allen; she toured off and on with Pharoah Sanders; she was the drummer for Spectrum Road, a tribute to Tony Williams Lifetime that featured guitarist Vernon Reid, who's also been on this podcast, plus keyboardist John Medeski, and bassist Jack Bruce. And she's probably best known to a lot of people for being Lenny Kravitz's touring drummer for many, many years, but what some people may not know is that she did not play drums on his records — he plays drums on his records. So part of our interview gets into the question of how you make music your own when you're playing someone else's parts.We also talk about her time working with Pharoah Sanders, and recording with Joe Henderson; we talk about her admiration for Tony Williams, and she gives her analysis of the changes in his style over the course of his career and how those manifested in the changes to his kit; we talk about how to lock in with a bassist, the difference in mindset between playing jazz and rock, and much more. This was a really interesting conversation. Unfortunately, it was cut short. Around 45 minutes in, my internet cut out and took our Zoom call with it. So you'll hear a sudden fade right as we start talking about the 2019 Santana album Africa Speaks, on which Cindy Blackman Santana plays. So what I've done is gone back into my archives and pulled up an interview I did with Carlos Santana when that record came out, and we talk about it, and also about her contributions to the band's music and his feelings about playing with her. I think it's a valuable addendum to this conversation, and I hope you enjoy the whole episode. Thanks as always for listening.

THE MISTERman's Take
# Tony Williams lifetime# Fred

THE MISTERman's Take

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2024 2:53


# Tony Williams Lifetime # Fred# one of the greatest drummers ever# composer and versatile musician# bandleader fusion# song composed by Allan Holdsworth# respect and appreciate rip --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mr-maxxx/support

allan holdsworth tony williams lifetime
Burning Ambulance Podcast

I have said two things all season long. The first is that we're going to be exploring a single topic for ten episodes, and that topic is fusion. But the second thing I've been saying is that what I'm talking about when I say the word fusion isn't a style or a genre, but a state of mind. It's not what you play, it's how you approach music-making.In previous episodes, we've talked about what people typically think of as fusion, which drummer Lenny White, who appeared in episode two of this series, prefers to call jazz-rock. That's the version that more or less starts with Miles Davis's Bitches Brew and Tony Williams' Lifetime and branches out to include Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return To Forever and Weather Report. But my version of that continuum also includes early Seventies Santana, it includes the Fania All Stars collaborating with Jan Hammer and Billy Cobham, it includes adventurous funk and R&B fusion, like P-Funk and Earth, Wind & Fire and the Ohio Players and Slave, and it includes jazz-funk acts like Donald Byrd and Freddie Hubbard and George Duke.Vernon Reid is a guitarist who was born in England but grew up in New York. He's best known as the leader of Living Colour, and one of the co-founders of the Black Rock Coalition along with the late writer Greg Tate, but he's got a long and varied discography that encompasses solo material, duo and trio work with other guitarists like Bill Frisell, David Torn and Elliot Sharp, and guest appearances with a ton of groups from Public Enemy to the Rollins Band, Mick Jagger, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Santana, and many, many more. His solo album Mistaken Identity from 1996 is the only album to carry co-producer credits from Prince Paul and Teo Macero. Back in 2012, he made an album with a group called Spectrum Road which featured John Medeski on keyboards, Jack Bruce on bass, and Cindy Blackman Santana on drums — it was conceptually a tribute to Tony Williams Lifetime, but it's very much its own thing as well, so definitely check that out.Reid got his start, though, with drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson's band the Decoding Society. He played guitar, banjo, and guitar synth with that group, which had two bassists: Melvin Gibbs, who was on this podcast a couple of years ago, and Reverend Bruce Johnson, and then some horn players, mostly Zane Massey on saxophones and Henry Scott on trumpet. It's high-energy music that's also really melodic in a kind of post-Prime Time way — jazz, funk, rock, Texas blues and West African music all swirled together and thrown straight at your face at a hundred miles an hour. Their albums Nasty, Street Priest, Mandance, Barbeque Dog, Montreux Jazz Festival and Earned Dreams are all incredible. They're all out of print right now, too, but some of them are on streaming services, so dig up whatever you can. Reid has a new record out with the group Free Form Funky Freqs, a trio with bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, who's also been on this podcast before, and drummer Calvin Weston, and as he explains in this conversation, it's full-on improv, starting from zero every time they play together, and because it's so limited – no rehearsals, no soundchecks with all three members – they know exactly how many times they've played together. The album represents their 73rd encounter. It's called Hymn Of The 3rd Galaxy, sort of a tribute to Return To Forever there, who had an album called Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy, and you'll hear a little bit of the music late in the podcast. I think you'll really enjoy this episode. I've been a fan of Vernon Reid's music for about 35 years. The first Living Colour album came out when I was in high school, and I saw them play on the first Lollapalooza festival in the summer of 1991. And I interviewed him once before, about 10 years ago, when he was doing a multimedia presentation called Artificial Africa. So in this conversation, we talk about his work with the Decoding Society, about the Free Form Funky Freqs, about the whole wave of guitarists who came up at the same time he did, including Michael Gregory Jackson and Kelvyn Bell and Jean-Paul Bourelly and Brandon Ross, as well as older players like James "Blood" Ulmer and Pete Cosey and Sonny Sharrock… we talk about a lot of things, and I'm just gonna end this introduction here, so you can dive in.MUSIC IN THIS EPISODE:Living Colour, “WTFF” (from Stain)Ronald Shannon Jackson and the Decoding Society, “Iola” (from Mandance)Vernon Reid & Bill Frisell, “Size 10 1/2 Sneaks” (from Smash & Scatteration)Free Form Funky Freqs, “Outer Arm” (from Hymn of the 3rd Galaxy)

Comes A Time
Joe Corsello

Comes A Time

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2022 58:38 Very Popular


This week on Comes A Time Oteil and Mike talk with jazz drummer Joe Corsello. Joe tells the guys what it was like to play with Benny Goodman, watch Miles Davis and Bill Evans play from a few feet away (for $2 dollars), and perform a high-pressure audition for Sonny Rollins. You'll also hear Joe detail his experience climbing the ladder of musicianship, talk about how the music business has changed since the pandemic, and recall a life-altering Dave Brubeck concert that he saw when he was 11 years old. Without even hearing him play, Joe's wisdom makes it clear why he was chosen to lead the rhythm section of so many great bands.Joe Corsello is a drummer born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. Joe has made a lifetime commitment to playing drums and continually striving to reach new highs in the drumming world. He studied under the watchful eye of drum legend Alan Dawson at Berklee College of Music, and later enlisted in the U.S. Army band. He would go on to tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and form the jazz/rock band, New York Mary (Arista Records). The band recorded two successful records and toured with the B52′s, Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder and Tony Williams Lifetime band. Joe can be heard on recordings with Sonny Rollins, Marian McPartland, Benny Goodman, Steve Marcus, Ralph Lalama, Mike Moore, Sal Salvadore, Gene Bertoncini, Mike Mainari and many more legendary artists.-----------*DISCLAIMER: This podcast does NOT provide medical advice. The information contained in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. No material in this podcast is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen*-----------This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please leave us a rating or review on iTunes!Comes A Time is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Oteil Burbridge and Mike Finoia. Executive Producers are Christina Collins and RJ Bee. Production, Editing and Mixing by Eric Limarenko and Matt Dwyer. Theme music by Oteil Burbridge. Production assistance by Matt Bavuso. To discover more podcasts that connect you more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com-------Visit SunsetlakeCBD.com and use the promo code TIME for 20% off premium CBD products See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Comes A Time
Joe Corsello

Comes A Time

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2022 63:55


This week on Comes A Time Oteil and Mike talk with jazz drummer Joe Corsello. Joe tells the guys what it was like to play with Benny Goodman, watch Miles Davis and Bill Evans play from a few feet away (for $2 dollars), and perform a high-pressure audition for Sonny Rollins. You'll also hear Joe detail his experience climbing the ladder of musicianship, talk about how the music business has changed since the pandemic, and recall a life-altering Dave Brubeck concert that he saw when he was 11 years old. Without even hearing him play, Joe's wisdom makes it clear why he was chosen to lead the rhythm section of so many great bands. Joe Corsello is a drummer born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. Joe has made a lifetime commitment to playing drums and continually striving to reach new highs in the drumming world. He studied under the watchful eye of drum legend Alan Dawson at Berklee College of Music, and later enlisted in the U.S. Army band. He would go on to tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and form the jazz/rock band, New York Mary (Arista Records). The band recorded two successful records and toured with the B52′s, Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder and Tony Williams Lifetime band. Joe can be heard on recordings with Sonny Rollins, Marian McPartland, Benny Goodman, Steve Marcus, Ralph Lalama, Mike Moore, Sal Salvadore, Gene Bertoncini, Mike Mainari and many more legendary artists. ----------- *DISCLAIMER: This podcast does NOT provide medical advice. The information contained in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. No material in this podcast is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen* ----------- Visit SunsetlakeCBD.com and use the promo code TIME for 20% off premium CBD products Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Album Nerds
60s Jazz (John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, The Tony Williams Lifetime)

Album Nerds

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2022 40:19


The 1960s saw a lot of change for the jazz genre. Big-name artists released influential records and the sound started to creep into other genres. Today on the show, we discuss records from the beginning, middle and end of the decade to see just how things progressed. John Coltrane – Giant Steps (Andy)Herbie Hancock – […]

jazz john coltrane herbie hancock tony williams lifetime
Tony Davenport's Jazz Session
Episode 121: The Jazz Session No.232

Tony Davenport's Jazz Session

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2021 119:59


The Jazz Session No.232 from RaidersBroadcast.com as aired in Nov 2021, featuring the stunning jazz-rock album “Emergency!” from the Tony Williams Lifetime. TRACK LISTING: The Road to Morocco - Bing Crosby & Bob Hope; But Not for Me - Chet Baker; Sid's Ahead - Miles Davis; Caravan - Dizzy Gillespie; Spectrum - The Tony Williams Lifetime; Something Spiritual - The Tony Williams Lifetime; Jazz Me Blues - Bix Beiderbecke; Hocus Pocus - Fletcher Henderson; Margueritte - Collin Walcott; Paramhansa Lake - Alice Coltrane; Search for Peace - Ishmael Ensemble; Absinthe - Dinosaur; 1919 March - Kenny Ball; That's a Plenty - Pasadena Roof Orchestra; Vashkar - The Tony Williams Lifetime; Emergency! - The Tony Williams Lifetime; Potter's Field - Tom Waits; Same Old Blues - Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band; Mona's Mood - Jimmy Heath Orchestra; Like Some Blues Man - Wood Herman's Big New Herd.

WoodAirMetal Guitar Podcast
S1E29 - Spherical Agenda Interview to talk about new record!!

WoodAirMetal Guitar Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 152:44


Don't think I can beat their bio! But Spherical Agenda joins us to talk about their latest album coming out November 19th.... and we got a sneak preview and it is really astounding. Fans of amazing music need to check it out. Check out their websites, buy their music/gear etc...etc.... https://www.sphericalagenda.com/ https://sphericalagenda.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/sphericalagenda/ Here's their bio: SPHERICAL AGENDA is a jazz-rock fusion band consisting of the midwest region's top musicians. Hailing from Cincinnati, OH, their sound not only draws from the cutting edge of today's fusion, but harkens back to the reckless abandon and pure energy of groups like Tony Williams Lifetime, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Return to Forever. Featuring Matt Wiles on bass, Brandon Coleman on guitar, Ben Tweedt on keyboards and Devon Leigh on drums, Spherical Agenda is a powerhouse band whose unique chemistry gives rise to infectious grooves, daring solos, and captivating energy. ARCANE WISDOM, the band's full-length debut album, is an eclectic assortment of compositions featuring diverse musical influences and a sharply-honed skill set. Whether it be their progressive rhythmic explorations or soul-infused grooves, Spherical Agenda consistently pushes the musical envelope while paying homage to their home state's rich heritage of funk and soul. Despite the all-encompassing nature of their style and sound, the band maintains a singular, identifiable voice, proving themselves to be an up-and-coming force to be reckoned with. Despite the band itself being fairly young, the collective is cultivating an ever-growing list of accomplishments. The band's members have credits including: performances with the Snarky Horns, The Drifters, Fareed Haque, Grammy-Nominated Dan Pugach Nonet, and Sam Blakelsee Quintet and Large Ensembles, clinics and masterclasses both nationally and abroad, and recording credits such as the television series DC's Legends of Tomorrow soundtrack and the upcoming “For the Love of King”, a compilation series by the Bootsy Collins Foundation benefiting the restoration of historic King Records.Episode Notes Find out more at https://woodairmetal.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Breakfast with Vinnie!
Episode 15 Special Guest Mahavishnu JohnMcLaughlin

Breakfast with Vinnie!

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2021 64:13


This episode features the iconic John McLaughlin discussing his history with Miles Davis, The Tony Williams Lifetime, The Mahavishnu Orchestra  and more, as well as his upcoming album "Liberation Time", due for release July 16, 2021. 

The ProgCast With Gregg Bendian
Andy Partridge (Part 1) - Episode 26 - The ProgCast With Gregg Bendian

The ProgCast With Gregg Bendian

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2021 87:41


Guitarist/composer/raconteur ANDY PARTRIDGE of XTC is my delightful guest for the next three episodes of The ProgCast. Part one of our freewheeling exchange covers everything from novelty and psychedelic music to Tony Williams Lifetime, Yes, Captain Beefheart, Andy's favorite Dave Gregory solo, XTC band lingo, and what it was like to be onstage with that four-piece juggernaut. Plus: Andy plays guitar for us! Special thanks to our mutual pal, Mike Keneally for making this meeting possible.

Música para Gatos
Música para Gatos - Ep. 82 - ESPECIAL DRUMMERS: Los amos del ritmo.

Música para Gatos

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2021 60:34


En los primeros tiempos del jazz la batería se limitaba a marcar el pulso haciendo funciones de simple metrónomo. No habían solos y el baterista solía ser el músico menos preparado de cualquier banda. De esos primeros bateristas podemos mencionar a Zutty Singleton, natural de Bunkie, y Baby Dodds, nativo de Nueva Orleans, que tocó con King Oliver y con los Hot Seven de Louis Armstrong. Ambos bateristas eran de Luisiana y trabajaban con los músicos de Nueva Orleans. Dodds fue el primero en ejecutar breaks del estilo de redobles que marcaban el final de una sección del número musical y que serían el inicio del posterior desarrollo de los solos. Fue en Chicago donde la batería adquiriría una mayor relevancia, especialmente tras la fulgurante aparición de Gene Krupa. Krupa llegó a establecerse en la cumbre del período del swing con la memorable interpretación por la orquesta de Benny Goodman de la pieza Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing), en la que hacía un largo solo de batería. Poco más tarde Jo Jones innovó trasladando la atención desde el bombo al hi-hat, una herencia que acabarían recibiendo bateristas tan importantes como Buddy Rich y Louie Bellson. El creador del estilo moderno en la batería de jazz es, sin duda Kenny Clarke. El perfil de un bateria desde entonces será el de un músico con formación académica completa que suele poder tocar otros instrumentos, leer música y hasta hacer arreglos, y que ya no es el miembro menos preparado de la banda, sino, frecuentemente, el más conocedor. Poco más tarde Max Roach perfecciona el estilo de Clarke, aportando nuevas técnicas. Roach fue el primer baterista en tocar líneas melódicas perceptibles con su instrumento, a menudo en respuesta a los solos y ejecuciones de sus compañeros, liberando con ello a la batería de su papel de mero instrumento rítmico y ampliando su campo a los ámbitos de la armonía y la melodía; también fue Roach el primero en demostrar que el swing podía tener lugar en compases diferentes del 4/4. A partir de los 50s aparece Art Blakey, que había empezado como pianista. Blakey fue uno de los primeros bateristas en investigar las raíces africanas del jazz, y las incorporó a su estilo, de fuerte inspiración en el bop. Fue gran divulgador del mundo del jazz en los escenarios con sus famosos Jazz Messengers. Desde 1956 hasta 1967, Joe Morello cobró fama por el trabajo que hacía en el cuarteto de Dave Brubeck, en especial sus experimentos con métricas inusuales.8 . De Blakey y Roach proceden los principales bateristas de la era del hard bop, como Art Taylor, Louis Hayes, Dannie Richmond, Pete La Roca, Roy Haynes, Albert Heath y, aunque llegaría mucho más allá de los límites de ese género, Elvin Jones, tal vez el baterista más imitado de la historia junto a Max Roach. Entre los bateristas de la escena de Nueva York que desarrollaron un estilo moderno del swing destacan Buddy Rich, el ejemplo paradigmático de técnica virtuosa o Louie Bellson, que introdujo el doble bombo en la orquesta de Duke Ellington. En la Costa Oeste se desarrolla un estilo diferente: Shelly Manne es el prototipo de baterista melódico; por su parte, Chico Hamilton, miembro fundador del cuarteto de Gerry Mulligan, comenzó en el cool antes de pasarse al jazz fusión. Tony Williams alcanzó notoriedad aún siendo un adolescente, primero con Jackie McLean, y después con Miles Davis, con quien grabaría algunos álbumes que pasarían a la historia como parte del segundo quinteto clásico de Davis. Después fundó su propia banda: The Tony Williams Lifetime. Williams era capaz de competir con los mejores exponentes del instrumento, y su estilo, derivado de los de Kenny Clarke y Max Roach, era original y extremadamente potente. Entre los bateristas más importantes de la corriente principal contemporánea que surgieron desde finales de los 60 en adelante, hay que citar a Billy Hart (n. 1940), Narada Michael Walden, Victor Lewis, Eddie Gladden, Al Foster, Don Alias, Jeff Hamilton, Paul Motian, Joe LaBarbera, Elliot Zigmund, Michael Di Pasqua, el noruego Jon Christensen, el sudafricano Makaya Ntshoko o el polaco Janusz Stefanski. La llegada del jazz fusión a principios de los 70 devuelve en cierta forma la batería a sus comienzos: el énfasis en el bombo y la necesidad de marcar el primer tiempo del compás con claridad son aspectos que retoman una nueva generación de bateristas entre los que destacan el ya mencionado Tony Williams y, además, Alphonse Mouzon, Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Harvey Mason, Lenny White, Jack DeJohnette, Gerry Brown, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, John Guerin, Billy Cobham o Danny Gottlieb. A partir de los 80, hay que señalar a Brian Blade, Terry Lyne Carrington, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Omar Hakim, Dave Weckl o Dennis Chambers. Hoy os vamos a hablar del único instrumento genuinamente norteamericano, la batería y hemos creído oportuno comenzar por el principio. Agarraos los cinturones que hoy vamos a escuchar a los amos del ritmo.

Deep Focus
2013.01.14 Billy Cobham on Tony Williams 2 of 2

Deep Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2020 91:41


Many people think it was Miles Davis who first fused Rock and Jazz. Sorry, folks: Tony Williams got there sooner (and louder!). His band Lifetime gave musicians from both genres an infinite array of new roads to explore and no one flew farther and faster down them than drummer Billy Cobham. Cobham was already established in the Jazz scene when Lifetime emerged in 1969 but his work with Miles, with Mahavishnu Orchestra and with his own ensembles revealed possibilities that not even Tony Williams had considered. This was surely the journey of a Lifetime.In 2013, Billy Cobham joined host Mitch Goldman for a memorable Deep Focus on some rare live recordings of Tony Williams’ Lifetime. Truly, this is one of the Great Secret Vaults. If you know, you know (and if you don’t, now you do).#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #BillyCobham #TonyWilliams #JazzRadio #JazzRockFusion #JazzInterview #JazzPodcastPhoto credit: Gisle Hannemyr, CC BY-SA 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons

Deep Focus
2013.01.14 Billy Cobham on Tony Williams 2 of 2

Deep Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2020 91:41


Many people think it was Miles Davis who first fused Rock and Jazz. Sorry, folks: Tony Williams got there sooner (and louder!). His band Lifetime gave musicians from both genres an infinite array of new roads to explore and no one flew farther and faster down them than drummer Billy Cobham. Cobham was already established in the Jazz scene when Lifetime emerged in 1969 but his work with Miles, with Mahavishnu Orchestra and with his own ensembles revealed possibilities that not even Tony Williams had considered. This was surely the journey of a Lifetime.In 2013, Billy Cobham joined host Mitch Goldman for a memorable Deep Focus on some rare live recordings of Tony Williams’ Lifetime. Truly, this is one of the Great Secret Vaults. If you know, you know (and if you don’t, now you do).#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #BillyCobham #TonyWilliams #JazzRadio #JazzRockFusion #JazzInterview #JazzPodcastPhoto credit: Gisle Hannemyr, CC BY-SA 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons

Deep Focus
2013.01.14 Billy Cobham on Tony Williams 1 of 2

Deep Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2020 82:32


Many people think it was Miles Davis who first fused Rock and Jazz. Sorry, folks: Tony Williams got there sooner (and louder!). His band Lifetime gave musicians from both genres an infinite array of new roads to explore and no one flew farther and faster down them than drummer Billy Cobham. Cobham was already established in the Jazz scene when Lifetime emerged in 1969 but his work with Miles, with Mahavishnu Orchestra and with his own ensembles revealed possibilities that not even Tony Williams had considered. This was surely the journey of a Lifetime.In 2013, Billy Cobham joined host Mitch Goldman for a memorable Deep Focus on some rare live recordings of Tony Williams’ Lifetime. Truly, this is one of the Great Secret Vaults. If you know, you know (and if you don’t, now you do). #WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #BillyCobham #TonyWilliams #JazzRadio #JazzRockFusion #JazzInterview #JazzPodcastPhoto credit: Gisle Hannemyr, CC BY-SA 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons

Deep Focus
2013.01.14 Billy Cobham on Tony Williams 1 of 2

Deep Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2020 82:32


Many people think it was Miles Davis who first fused Rock and Jazz. Sorry, folks: Tony Williams got there sooner (and louder!). His band Lifetime gave musicians from both genres an infinite array of new roads to explore and no one flew farther and faster down them than drummer Billy Cobham. Cobham was already established in the Jazz scene when Lifetime emerged in 1969 but his work with Miles, with Mahavishnu Orchestra and with his own ensembles revealed possibilities that not even Tony Williams had considered. This was surely the journey of a Lifetime.In 2013, Billy Cobham joined host Mitch Goldman for a memorable Deep Focus on some rare live recordings of Tony Williams’ Lifetime. Truly, this is one of the Great Secret Vaults. If you know, you know (and if you don’t, now you do). #WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #BillyCobham #TonyWilliams #JazzRadio #JazzRockFusion #JazzInterview #JazzPodcastPhoto credit: Gisle Hannemyr, CC BY-SA 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons

Heavy Metal Bebop
Vernon Reid

Heavy Metal Bebop

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2019 140:45


In this series, I've spoken with many musicians who have a serious appreciation for heavy metal, and some who have plenty of experience playing it, but Vernon Reid is in another category altogether. He's a genuine legend of the genre whose band, Living Colour, achieved household-name status with their 1988 debut, Vivid. Both before Living Colour and alongside it, the guitarist and songwriter has worked on the cutting-edge of jazz, playing with artists such as drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson and pianist Geri Allen, as well as in the project Spectrum Road, a tribute to the Tony Williams Lifetime that featured Jack Bruce, John Medeski and Cindy Blackman-Santana. In this episode, Vernon discusses the Decoding Society's unique musical DNA, how he came to work with Jack Bruce, what makes the power chord essential to his musical arsenal, why the Mahavishnu Orchestra foreshadows Meshuggah and much more.

Drummer Nation
Drummer Nation Show #68 "Glenn Miller to Sonny Rollins" Guest: Joe Corsello pt 2 of 2

Drummer Nation

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2018 38:24


(Part 2 of 2)Drummer Joe Corsello was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. Joe studied at Berklee under drum legend Alan Dawson and later, with Joe Hunt. As the house drummer for Michael’s Pub in New York, Joe backed jazz greats Red Norvo, Hank Jones, Zoot Simms, and pianist, Marian McPartland, and toured with Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee. Joe is a co-founder of the jazz/rock band, New York Mary. The band recorded two successful records and toured with the B52′s, Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder and Tony Williams Lifetime band. Joe currently travels with saxophonist Sonny Rollins and can be heard on recordings with Rollins, Marian McPartland, Benny Goodman, Mike Mainari, and the list goes on…………www.joecorsello.com Website         Newsletter         Become a Patron

DJ Ian Head Mixes and Podcasts
Pullin from the Stacks - Episode 93

DJ Ian Head Mixes and Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2018 32:30


Guest set from DO77 full of jazz fusion treats. Tracklist: tracklist: Flora Purim, Tony Williams Lifetime, Miroslav Vitous, Weather Report, Frank Zappa, Azymuth, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, Jaco Pastorius

Drummer Nation
Drummer Nation Show #67 "Versatile Veteran" Guest: Joe Corsello

Drummer Nation

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2018 32:18


Drummer Joe Corsello was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. Joe studied at Berklee under drum legend Alan Dawson and later, with Joe Hunt. As the house drummer for Michael’s Pub in New York, Joe backed jazz greats Red Norvo, Hank Jones, Zoot Simms, and pianist, Marian McPartland, and toured with Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee. Joe is a co-founder of the jazz/rock band, New York Mary. The band recorded two successful records and toured with the B52′s, Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder and Tony Williams Lifetime band. Joe currently travels with saxophonist Sonny Rollins and can be heard on recordings with Rollins, Marian McPartland, Benny Goodman, Mike Mainari, and the list goes on…… www.joecorsello.com Website         Newsletter         Become a Patron    

Euphoric Musicality Radio
Episode 31 - Long Distance Runner

Euphoric Musicality Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2018 179:35


Music is the language of the soul and this episode bears fruit from that bountiful tree. Interesting things pop-up throughout this episode and we are here to bring it to light. We are bringing you fantastic long cuts on for your listening pleasure. Genres featured on this show include: Jazz, Jazz fusion, Afro-beat, “Three-of-a-Kind”, Velvet Underground, inspiration, and a little bit of prog-rock. It’s all here, ready for you to partake in Euphoric Musicality Radio. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euphoricmusicalityradioFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/euphmusicradioE-mail: euphoricmusicalityradio@gmail.comWebsite: www.euphoricmusicalityradio.caCredits:EMR Host: CurtisEMR Producer: Lesley Playlist:1) Pt. 3 - Pursuance, John Coltrane (0:00:00)2) Bright Size LIfe, Jaco Pastorius (0:13:31)3) Dreamland, Jaco Pastorius (0:18:07)4) Havona, Jaco Pastorius (0:22:16)5) Sangria for Three, The Tony Williams Lifetime (0:31:28)6) Chameleon, Herbie Hancock (0:44:34)7) Mr. Clean, Freddie Hubbard (1:02:31)8) Moving On, Tony Allan (1:16:04)9) Go Slow, Fela Kuti (1:22:45)10) Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull (1:43:18)11) Favourite Thing, The Replacements (2:05:30)12) Unsatisfied, The Replacements (2:07:49)13) Can’t Hardly Wait, The Replacements (2:10:49)14) Gun, John Cale (2:16:26)15) Illegal Bodies, Simply Saucer (2:24:22)16) Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull (2:38:31)

New Books in American Studies
Keith Waters, “The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-1968” (Oxford UP, 2011)

New Books in American Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2014 66:18


“…when people were hearing us, they were hearing the avant-garde on the one hand, and they were hearing the history of jazz that led up to it on the other hand – because Miles was that history.” -Herbie Hancock, 1968 Professor of music and musician/composer Keith Waters at the University of Colorado, Boulder has produced a masterful analysis of the Miles Davis second quintet studio recordings in the years 1965 through 1968.  Waters analyzes the remarkable period of “controlled freedom” and collaboration between trumpeter Miles Davis, keyboardist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. Waters writes that “the role of analysis is to provide further, alternative, or nuanced ways into hearing the music, to consider how the moment to moment flow of improvisation resonates with or creates frictions with aspects of jazz traditions in which the players were so firmly rooted, and to hear how the recordings themselves participated in shaping that jazz tradition.” Waters’ comprehensive and nuanced strategies for analyzing pitch, rhythm/meter and form are given context in chapter 2 followed by chapter discussions of specific quintet recordings (and selected solos within) in E.S.P. (Iris, Little One, ESP, Agitation), Miles Smiles (Dolores, Orbits, Circle, Ginger Bread Boy, Freedom Jazz Dance), Sorcerer (Vonetta, Masqualero, Prince of Darkness, Pee Wee, Limbo), Nefertiti (Hand Jive, Nefertiti, Madness, Pinocchio, Riot) in chapters 3- 6, respectively.  The albums Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro (Country Son, Paraphernalia, Black Comedy, Stuff, Petits Machins,  Tout De Suite, Filles de Kilimanjaro), according to Waters, signaled a significant departure from previous recordings/compositions with electric piano, electric bass and rock-based rhythms,  and an “imminent shift to jazz-rock fusion.”    Later groups continued forays into jazz fusion (including those from the second quintet – Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters band, Wayne Shorter’s Weather Report and The Tony Williams Lifetime). Many of the aforementioned compositions have found their way into the “jazz canon,” though Waters cautions that lead sheets may be more indicative of jazz “pedagogies” of the time that don’t reflect the highly complex modal explorations and rhythmic nuances found in the quintet recordings. Waters writes that Miles Davis embraced the concept of “sketches” which “provided his musicians with a germinal idea, allowing room for flexibility and substantial individual input.”  This also blurred the concept of “authorship,” however, since collaborations of this kind brought varied and complex alterations to the many facets of original compositions. Waters’ own biographical sketches of quintet members Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams (their interactions and what they individually said about the music and their musical colleagues) give the reader fascinating insights as to how the sum of the parts of these extraordinarily skilled jazz professionals provided a literal Big Bang of collaborative innovation in a period of three and a half years. The idea of “controlled freedom,” a concept articulated by keyboardist Herbie Hancock, is an important concept in defining the second quintet’s body of work.  Quintet leader Miles Davis, Waters emphasizes, with his “palette of timbres,” and “…melodic ideas in the middle register of the trumpet, “searing lyricism on ballad playing combines tenderness with detachment.”    He was always open to new ideas, experimentation and   artistic challenge. Waters cites critic Robert Walsar’s description of Miles Davis, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in African American Studies
Keith Waters, “The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-1968” (Oxford UP, 2011)

New Books in African American Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2014 66:18


“…when people were hearing us, they were hearing the avant-garde on the one hand, and they were hearing the history of jazz that led up to it on the other hand – because Miles was that history.” -Herbie Hancock, 1968 Professor of music and musician/composer Keith Waters at the University of Colorado, Boulder has produced a masterful analysis of the Miles Davis second quintet studio recordings in the years 1965 through 1968.  Waters analyzes the remarkable period of “controlled freedom” and collaboration between trumpeter Miles Davis, keyboardist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. Waters writes that “the role of analysis is to provide further, alternative, or nuanced ways into hearing the music, to consider how the moment to moment flow of improvisation resonates with or creates frictions with aspects of jazz traditions in which the players were so firmly rooted, and to hear how the recordings themselves participated in shaping that jazz tradition.” Waters' comprehensive and nuanced strategies for analyzing pitch, rhythm/meter and form are given context in chapter 2 followed by chapter discussions of specific quintet recordings (and selected solos within) in E.S.P. (Iris, Little One, ESP, Agitation), Miles Smiles (Dolores, Orbits, Circle, Ginger Bread Boy, Freedom Jazz Dance), Sorcerer (Vonetta, Masqualero, Prince of Darkness, Pee Wee, Limbo), Nefertiti (Hand Jive, Nefertiti, Madness, Pinocchio, Riot) in chapters 3- 6, respectively.  The albums Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro (Country Son, Paraphernalia, Black Comedy, Stuff, Petits Machins,  Tout De Suite, Filles de Kilimanjaro), according to Waters, signaled a significant departure from previous recordings/compositions with electric piano, electric bass and rock-based rhythms,  and an “imminent shift to jazz-rock fusion.”    Later groups continued forays into jazz fusion (including those from the second quintet – Herbie Hancock's Headhunters band, Wayne Shorter's Weather Report and The Tony Williams Lifetime). Many of the aforementioned compositions have found their way into the “jazz canon,” though Waters cautions that lead sheets may be more indicative of jazz “pedagogies” of the time that don't reflect the highly complex modal explorations and rhythmic nuances found in the quintet recordings. Waters writes that Miles Davis embraced the concept of “sketches” which “provided his musicians with a germinal idea, allowing room for flexibility and substantial individual input.”  This also blurred the concept of “authorship,” however, since collaborations of this kind brought varied and complex alterations to the many facets of original compositions. Waters' own biographical sketches of quintet members Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams (their interactions and what they individually said about the music and their musical colleagues) give the reader fascinating insights as to how the sum of the parts of these extraordinarily skilled jazz professionals provided a literal Big Bang of collaborative innovation in a period of three and a half years. The idea of “controlled freedom,” a concept articulated by keyboardist Herbie Hancock, is an important concept in defining the second quintet's body of work.  Quintet leader Miles Davis, Waters emphasizes, with his “palette of timbres,” and “…melodic ideas in the middle register of the trumpet, “searing lyricism on ballad playing combines tenderness with detachment.”    He was always open to new ideas, experimentation and   artistic challenge. Waters cites critic Robert Walsar's description of Miles Davis, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

In Conversation: An OUP Podcast
Keith Waters, “The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-1968” (Oxford UP, 2011)

In Conversation: An OUP Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2014 66:18


“…when people were hearing us, they were hearing the avant-garde on the one hand, and they were hearing the history of jazz that led up to it on the other hand – because Miles was that history.” -Herbie Hancock, 1968 Professor of music and musician/composer Keith Waters at the University of Colorado, Boulder has produced a masterful analysis of the Miles Davis second quintet studio recordings in the years 1965 through 1968.  Waters analyzes the remarkable period of “controlled freedom” and collaboration between trumpeter Miles Davis, keyboardist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. Waters writes that “the role of analysis is to provide further, alternative, or nuanced ways into hearing the music, to consider how the moment to moment flow of improvisation resonates with or creates frictions with aspects of jazz traditions in which the players were so firmly rooted, and to hear how the recordings themselves participated in shaping that jazz tradition.” Waters' comprehensive and nuanced strategies for analyzing pitch, rhythm/meter and form are given context in chapter 2 followed by chapter discussions of specific quintet recordings (and selected solos within) in E.S.P. (Iris, Little One, ESP, Agitation), Miles Smiles (Dolores, Orbits, Circle, Ginger Bread Boy, Freedom Jazz Dance), Sorcerer (Vonetta, Masqualero, Prince of Darkness, Pee Wee, Limbo), Nefertiti (Hand Jive, Nefertiti, Madness, Pinocchio, Riot) in chapters 3- 6, respectively.  The albums Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro (Country Son, Paraphernalia, Black Comedy, Stuff, Petits Machins,  Tout De Suite, Filles de Kilimanjaro), according to Waters, signaled a significant departure from previous recordings/compositions with electric piano, electric bass and rock-based rhythms,  and an “imminent shift to jazz-rock fusion.”    Later groups continued forays into jazz fusion (including those from the second quintet – Herbie Hancock's Headhunters band, Wayne Shorter's Weather Report and The Tony Williams Lifetime). Many of the aforementioned compositions have found their way into the “jazz canon,” though Waters cautions that lead sheets may be more indicative of jazz “pedagogies” of the time that don't reflect the highly complex modal explorations and rhythmic nuances found in the quintet recordings. Waters writes that Miles Davis embraced the concept of “sketches” which “provided his musicians with a germinal idea, allowing room for flexibility and substantial individual input.”  This also blurred the concept of “authorship,” however, since collaborations of this kind brought varied and complex alterations to the many facets of original compositions. Waters' own biographical sketches of quintet members Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams (their interactions and what they individually said about the music and their musical colleagues) give the reader fascinating insights as to how the sum of the parts of these extraordinarily skilled jazz professionals provided a literal Big Bang of collaborative innovation in a period of three and a half years. The idea of “controlled freedom,” a concept articulated by keyboardist Herbie Hancock, is an important concept in defining the second quintet's body of work.  Quintet leader Miles Davis, Waters emphasizes, with his “palette of timbres,” and “…melodic ideas in the middle register of the trumpet, “searing lyricism on ballad playing combines tenderness with detachment.”    He was always open to new ideas, experimentation and   artistic challenge. Waters cites critic Robert Walsar's description of Miles Davis,

New Books Network
Keith Waters, “The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-1968” (Oxford UP, 2011)

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2014 66:18


“…when people were hearing us, they were hearing the avant-garde on the one hand, and they were hearing the history of jazz that led up to it on the other hand – because Miles was that history.” -Herbie Hancock, 1968 Professor of music and musician/composer Keith Waters at the University of Colorado, Boulder has produced a masterful analysis of the Miles Davis second quintet studio recordings in the years 1965 through 1968.  Waters analyzes the remarkable period of “controlled freedom” and collaboration between trumpeter Miles Davis, keyboardist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. Waters writes that “the role of analysis is to provide further, alternative, or nuanced ways into hearing the music, to consider how the moment to moment flow of improvisation resonates with or creates frictions with aspects of jazz traditions in which the players were so firmly rooted, and to hear how the recordings themselves participated in shaping that jazz tradition.” Waters’ comprehensive and nuanced strategies for analyzing pitch, rhythm/meter and form are given context in chapter 2 followed by chapter discussions of specific quintet recordings (and selected solos within) in E.S.P. (Iris, Little One, ESP, Agitation), Miles Smiles (Dolores, Orbits, Circle, Ginger Bread Boy, Freedom Jazz Dance), Sorcerer (Vonetta, Masqualero, Prince of Darkness, Pee Wee, Limbo), Nefertiti (Hand Jive, Nefertiti, Madness, Pinocchio, Riot) in chapters 3- 6, respectively.  The albums Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro (Country Son, Paraphernalia, Black Comedy, Stuff, Petits Machins,  Tout De Suite, Filles de Kilimanjaro), according to Waters, signaled a significant departure from previous recordings/compositions with electric piano, electric bass and rock-based rhythms,  and an “imminent shift to jazz-rock fusion.”    Later groups continued forays into jazz fusion (including those from the second quintet – Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters band, Wayne Shorter’s Weather Report and The Tony Williams Lifetime). Many of the aforementioned compositions have found their way into the “jazz canon,” though Waters cautions that lead sheets may be more indicative of jazz “pedagogies” of the time that don’t reflect the highly complex modal explorations and rhythmic nuances found in the quintet recordings. Waters writes that Miles Davis embraced the concept of “sketches” which “provided his musicians with a germinal idea, allowing room for flexibility and substantial individual input.”  This also blurred the concept of “authorship,” however, since collaborations of this kind brought varied and complex alterations to the many facets of original compositions. Waters’ own biographical sketches of quintet members Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams (their interactions and what they individually said about the music and their musical colleagues) give the reader fascinating insights as to how the sum of the parts of these extraordinarily skilled jazz professionals provided a literal Big Bang of collaborative innovation in a period of three and a half years. The idea of “controlled freedom,” a concept articulated by keyboardist Herbie Hancock, is an important concept in defining the second quintet’s body of work.  Quintet leader Miles Davis, Waters emphasizes, with his “palette of timbres,” and “…melodic ideas in the middle register of the trumpet, “searing lyricism on ballad playing combines tenderness with detachment.”    He was always open to new ideas, experimentation and   artistic challenge. Waters cites critic Robert Walsar’s description of Miles Davis, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in Music
Keith Waters, “The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-1968” (Oxford UP, 2011)

New Books in Music

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2014 66:18


“…when people were hearing us, they were hearing the avant-garde on the one hand, and they were hearing the history of jazz that led up to it on the other hand – because Miles was that history.” -Herbie Hancock, 1968 Professor of music and musician/composer Keith Waters at the University of Colorado, Boulder has produced a masterful analysis of the Miles Davis second quintet studio recordings in the years 1965 through 1968.  Waters analyzes the remarkable period of “controlled freedom” and collaboration between trumpeter Miles Davis, keyboardist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. Waters writes that “the role of analysis is to provide further, alternative, or nuanced ways into hearing the music, to consider how the moment to moment flow of improvisation resonates with or creates frictions with aspects of jazz traditions in which the players were so firmly rooted, and to hear how the recordings themselves participated in shaping that jazz tradition.” Waters’ comprehensive and nuanced strategies for analyzing pitch, rhythm/meter and form are given context in chapter 2 followed by chapter discussions of specific quintet recordings (and selected solos within) in E.S.P. (Iris, Little One, ESP, Agitation), Miles Smiles (Dolores, Orbits, Circle, Ginger Bread Boy, Freedom Jazz Dance), Sorcerer (Vonetta, Masqualero, Prince of Darkness, Pee Wee, Limbo), Nefertiti (Hand Jive, Nefertiti, Madness, Pinocchio, Riot) in chapters 3- 6, respectively.  The albums Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro (Country Son, Paraphernalia, Black Comedy, Stuff, Petits Machins,  Tout De Suite, Filles de Kilimanjaro), according to Waters, signaled a significant departure from previous recordings/compositions with electric piano, electric bass and rock-based rhythms,  and an “imminent shift to jazz-rock fusion.”    Later groups continued forays into jazz fusion (including those from the second quintet – Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters band, Wayne Shorter’s Weather Report and The Tony Williams Lifetime). Many of the aforementioned compositions have found their way into the “jazz canon,” though Waters cautions that lead sheets may be more indicative of jazz “pedagogies” of the time that don’t reflect the highly complex modal explorations and rhythmic nuances found in the quintet recordings. Waters writes that Miles Davis embraced the concept of “sketches” which “provided his musicians with a germinal idea, allowing room for flexibility and substantial individual input.”  This also blurred the concept of “authorship,” however, since collaborations of this kind brought varied and complex alterations to the many facets of original compositions. Waters’ own biographical sketches of quintet members Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams (their interactions and what they individually said about the music and their musical colleagues) give the reader fascinating insights as to how the sum of the parts of these extraordinarily skilled jazz professionals provided a literal Big Bang of collaborative innovation in a period of three and a half years. The idea of “controlled freedom,” a concept articulated by keyboardist Herbie Hancock, is an important concept in defining the second quintet’s body of work.  Quintet leader Miles Davis, Waters emphasizes, with his “palette of timbres,” and “…melodic ideas in the middle register of the trumpet, “searing lyricism on ballad playing combines tenderness with detachment.”    He was always open to new ideas, experimentation and   artistic challenge. Waters cites critic Robert Walsar’s description of Miles Davis, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in History
Keith Waters, “The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-1968” (Oxford UP, 2011)

New Books in History

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2014 66:18


“…when people were hearing us, they were hearing the avant-garde on the one hand, and they were hearing the history of jazz that led up to it on the other hand – because Miles was that history.” -Herbie Hancock, 1968 Professor of music and musician/composer Keith Waters at the University of Colorado, Boulder has produced a masterful analysis of the Miles Davis second quintet studio recordings in the years 1965 through 1968.  Waters analyzes the remarkable period of “controlled freedom” and collaboration between trumpeter Miles Davis, keyboardist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. Waters writes that “the role of analysis is to provide further, alternative, or nuanced ways into hearing the music, to consider how the moment to moment flow of improvisation resonates with or creates frictions with aspects of jazz traditions in which the players were so firmly rooted, and to hear how the recordings themselves participated in shaping that jazz tradition.” Waters’ comprehensive and nuanced strategies for analyzing pitch, rhythm/meter and form are given context in chapter 2 followed by chapter discussions of specific quintet recordings (and selected solos within) in E.S.P. (Iris, Little One, ESP, Agitation), Miles Smiles (Dolores, Orbits, Circle, Ginger Bread Boy, Freedom Jazz Dance), Sorcerer (Vonetta, Masqualero, Prince of Darkness, Pee Wee, Limbo), Nefertiti (Hand Jive, Nefertiti, Madness, Pinocchio, Riot) in chapters 3- 6, respectively.  The albums Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro (Country Son, Paraphernalia, Black Comedy, Stuff, Petits Machins,  Tout De Suite, Filles de Kilimanjaro), according to Waters, signaled a significant departure from previous recordings/compositions with electric piano, electric bass and rock-based rhythms,  and an “imminent shift to jazz-rock fusion.”    Later groups continued forays into jazz fusion (including those from the second quintet – Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters band, Wayne Shorter’s Weather Report and The Tony Williams Lifetime). Many of the aforementioned compositions have found their way into the “jazz canon,” though Waters cautions that lead sheets may be more indicative of jazz “pedagogies” of the time that don’t reflect the highly complex modal explorations and rhythmic nuances found in the quintet recordings. Waters writes that Miles Davis embraced the concept of “sketches” which “provided his musicians with a germinal idea, allowing room for flexibility and substantial individual input.”  This also blurred the concept of “authorship,” however, since collaborations of this kind brought varied and complex alterations to the many facets of original compositions. Waters’ own biographical sketches of quintet members Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams (their interactions and what they individually said about the music and their musical colleagues) give the reader fascinating insights as to how the sum of the parts of these extraordinarily skilled jazz professionals provided a literal Big Bang of collaborative innovation in a period of three and a half years. The idea of “controlled freedom,” a concept articulated by keyboardist Herbie Hancock, is an important concept in defining the second quintet’s body of work.  Quintet leader Miles Davis, Waters emphasizes, with his “palette of timbres,” and “…melodic ideas in the middle register of the trumpet, “searing lyricism on ballad playing combines tenderness with detachment.”    He was always open to new ideas, experimentation and   artistic challenge. Waters cites critic Robert Walsar’s description of Miles Davis, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices