Composer, keyboardist, Grammy-winning producer, sound designer, and bandleader Jason Miles is well-known to musicians and contemporary jazz fans. In addition to programming synths for Miles Davis on Tutu, Siesta, and Amandla, he has worked with many jazzmen, including Marcus Miller, Grover Washington, Jr. Michael Brecker, and David Sanborn. He's also assisted R&B artists such as Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, and Aretha Franklin. Black Magic is Miles' first studio album since 2015. The set -- his first for ...
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Composer, keyboardist, Grammy-winning producer, sound designer, and bandleader Jason Miles is well-known to musicians and contemporary jazz fans. In addition to programming synths for Miles Davis on Tutu, Siesta, and Amandla, he has worked with many jazzmen, including Marcus Miller, Grover Washington, Jr. Michael Brecker, and David Sanborn. He's also assisted R&B artists such as Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, and Aretha Franklin. Black Magic is Miles' first studio album since 2015. The set -- his first for Ropeadope -- includes six new compositions, three concert versions of tunes from 2015's Kind of New, and a live read of Davis' "Jean Pierre" (that originally appeared on We Want Miles). This iteration or Kind of New includes most of the group who toured Europe in 2018, with trumpeter Philip Dizack replacing Theo Croker. The lineup also includes saxophonist Jay Rodriguez, bassist Reggie Washington, drummer Gene Lake, and drum programmers Jimmy Bralower and Steven Wolf. The title-track opener finds Miles on piano setting up a flowing groove as the band coalesces. His solo is breezy but pushes against the rhythm section with mid-register flourishes setting up Dizack's fine solo. "Kathy's Groove" is all jazz-funk. Miles' trademark airy mix surrounds the bassline and shuffling rhythms. Piano and synth hold down the vamp; Miles' soloing is seductive and atmospheric, with hooky melodic ideas offering nuance before a dubby bridge. On "The Other Side of the World," Washington's lithe, slinky bassline and Lake's break-laden shuffle set the pace. Rodriguez wields a flute that swirls around the melody with affirmation before synths, and piano play in tandem to open the tune into a groove-saturated improvisation where Miles takes a high-flying solo. "Wolfadelic" grafts smooth contemporary jazz onto EDM with an infectious beat. It's the feel-good jam of the set with psychedelic funk painted onto a Horace Silver-esque piano solo. The four live tracks were cut at New York's Nublu, with three over ten-minutes long. "Jean Pierre" commences with a Rhodes piano vamp before Washington and Lake claim the groove with big-beat authority, cutting a path for Rodriguez's scorching soprano solo and canny group interplay. "Ferrari" is a dynamite showcase for the band. They visit the fusion neighborhood that inspired early records by Weather Report and Passport. On "Kat's Eye," Lake and Washington establish a whomping, NOLA-style second-line vamp for Rodriguez's bass clarinet to rest on. Miles' Rhodes piano sweeps in with dexterity, commanding the center and pushing his rhythm section into the red while simultaneously accenting the groove, making open space for Dizack and Rodriguez to solo. "Street Vibe" is overdriven fusion jazz with smoking B-3, trumpet, snare breaks, a rubbery bassline, and a punchy saxophone; it evokes the example of Davis' best electric bands better than any of the posthumous tributes. Black Magic is a total showcase for Miles and Kind of New. The live tracks are all burners, while the studio cuts offer imagination, savvy production, and inspired playing. This all-killer, no-filler date proves American fusion remains alive, well, and thriving. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
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Add this copy of Black Magic to cart. $5.00, very good condition, Sold by Service First Media rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Taylorsville, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Ropeadope.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Includes disc(s), case, booklet, and back artwork. May show slight wear. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality.
