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Despite the presence of classic tracks like Joe Zawinul's "Great Expectations," Big Fun feels like the compendium of sources it is. These tracks are all outtakes from other sessions, most notably Bitches Brew, On the Corner, and others. The other element is that many of these tracks appeared in different versions elsewhere. These were second takes, or the unedited takes before producer Teo Macero and Miles were able to edit them, cut and paste their parts into other things, or whatever. That is not to say the album should be dismissed. Despite the numerous lineups and uneven flow of the tracks, there does remain some outstanding playing and composing here. Most notably is "Great Expectations" from 1969, which opens the album. Here the lineup is Miles, Steve Grossman, Bennie Maupin, John McLaughlin, Khalil Balakrishna, and Bihari Sharma on sitar and tambura, Herbie, Chick Corea, Ron Carter, Harvey Brooks, Billy Cobham, and Airto. Creating a series of vamps from drones and a small melodic figure, there is very little in the way of groove or melodic development until the middle section, where a series of modalities enters the composition. The second album in the set features "Go Ahead John," an outtake from Jack Johnson's sessions that is 28 minutes in length. It's a riff-based groover, with McLaughlin and his wah-wah pedal setting the pace with Steve Grossman on soprano. The basic motif is the blues, floating around E and Bb flat, but there are modulations introduced by Miles into Db flat that add a kinkier dimension into the proceedings as well. Dave Holland is the bass player, and DeJohnette is the drummer. There is no piano. What's most interesting about this date is how it prefigures what would become "Right Off" from Jack Johnson. It doesn't have the same fire, nor does it manage to sustain itself for the duration, but there are some truly wonderful sections in the piece. This is for Miles fans only, especially those of his electric period, because it fills in the puzzle. The reissue added four bonus tracks to the original double-LP set, but other than "Recollections" by Zawinul, they shed little light on the mystique and development of the intensely creative music being developed in 1969 and 1970. Others should be directed to Bitches Brew, In A Silent Way, Jack Johnson, or Live Evil as starting points.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
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Miles Davis, AssociatedPerformer, MainArtist, Trumpet, Composer, Lyricist - Bob Belden, Producer - Josef Zawinul, Composer, Lyricist - John McLaughlin, Electric Guitar - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Bihari Sharma, Sitar, Tanpura - Darren Salmieri, A&R Coordinator - Khalil Balakrishna, Sitar, Tanpura - Frank Laico, Engineer - Stan Tonkel, Engineer - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Billy Cobham, Drums - Russ Payne, Mixing Engineer - HERBIE HANCOCK, Piano - Stan Weiss, Mixing Engineer - CHICK COREA, Piano - John Guerriere, Mixing Engineer - Ron Carter, Bass - Seth Foster, Re-Mastering Engineer - Harvey Brooks, Bass - Steve Grossman, Soprano Saxophone - Bennie Maupin, Bass Clarinet
(P) 1974 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Miles Davis, AssociatedPerformer, MainArtist, Trumpet, Composer, Lyricist - Bob Belden, Producer - John McLaughlin, Guitar - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Al Foster, Drums - Darren Salmieri, A&R Coordinator - Billy Hart, Drums - Frank Laico, Engineer - Badal Roy, Tabla - Stan Tonkel, Engineer - Harold I. Williams, Piano - Russ Payne, Mixing Engineer - Stan Weiss, Mixing Engineer - Michael Henderson, Bass - John Guerriere, Mixing Engineer - Sonny Fortune, Flute, Soprano Saxophone - Bennie Maupin, Clarinet, Flute - Seth Foster, Re-Mastering Engineer - Steve Grossman, Soprano Saxophone - Carlos Garnett, Soprano Saxophone
(P) 1974 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Miles Davis, AssociatedPerformer, MainArtist, Trumpet - Teo Macero, Producer - John McLaughlin, Guitar - Josef Zawinul, Composer, Lyricist - Michael Cuscuna, Executive Producer - Dave Holland, Bass Guitar - Bob Beldon, Reissue Producer - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Darren Salmieri, A&R Coordinator - Billy Cobham, Triangle - Stan Tonkel, Engineer - Joe Zawinul, Piano - Frank Laico, Engineer - CHICK COREA, Piano - Russ Payne, Mixing Engineer - Stan Weiss, Mixing Engineer - Wayne Shorter, Soprano Saxophone - John Guerriere, Mixing Engineer - Bennie Maupin, Bass Clarinet - Seth Foster, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally recorded 1970 & released 1998. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Miles Davis, AssociatedPerformer, MainArtist, Trumpet, Composer, Lyricist - Teo Macero, Producer - John McLaughlin, Guitar - Michael Cuscuna, Executive Producer - Khalil Balakrishna, Sitar - Bob Beldon, Reissue Producer - Bihari Sharma, Tanpura - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Billy Cobham, Drums - Darren Salmieri, A&R Coordinator - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Stan Tonkel, Engineer - CHICK COREA, Piano - Frank Laico, Engineer - Larry Young, Celeste, Organ - Russ Payne, Mixing Engineer - Stan Weiss, Mixing Engineer - Harvey Brooks, Bass - John Guerriere, Mixing Engineer - Dave Holland, Bass - Steve Grossman, Soprano Saxophone - Seth Foster, Re-Mastering Engineer - Bennie Maupin, Bass Clarinet
Originally Recorded 1969 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
DISC 2
Miles Davis, AssociatedPerformer, MainArtist, Trumpet, Composer, Lyricist - Bob Belden, Producer - John McLaughlin, Electric Guitar - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Darren Salmieri, A&R Coordinator - Stan Tonkel, Engineer - Dave Holland, Bass - Frank Laico, Engineer - Steve Grossman, Saxophone - Russ Payne, Mixing Engineer - Stan Weiss, Mixing Engineer - John Guerriere, Mixing Engineer - Seth Foster, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) 1974 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Miles Davis, AssociatedPerformer, MainArtist, Trumpet, Composer, Lyricist - Bob Belden, Producer - John McLaughlin, Guitar - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Darren Salmieri, A&R Coordinator - Billy Cobham, Drums - Stan Tonkel, Engineer - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Frank Laico, Engineer - CHICK COREA, Piano - Russ Payne, Mixing Engineer - Joe Zawinul, Piano - Stan Weiss, Mixing Engineer - John Guerriere, Mixing Engineer - Harvey Brooks, Bass - Dave Holland, Bass - Seth Foster, Re-Mastering Engineer - Wayne Shorter, Saxophone - Benny Maupin, Bass Clarinet
(P) 1974 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Miles Davis, AssociatedPerformer, MainArtist, Trumpet, Composer, Lyricist - Teo Macero, Producer - John McLaughlin, Guitar - Michael Cuscuna, Executive Producer - Khalil Balakrishna, Sitar - Bob Beldon, Reissue Producer - Bihari Sharma, Tanpura - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Billy Cobham, Drums - Darren Salmieri, A&R Coordinator - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Stan Tonkel, Engineer - CHICK COREA, Piano - Frank Laico, Engineer - Larry Young, Celeste, Organ - Russ Payne, Mixing Engineer - Stan Weiss, Mixing Engineer - Harvey Brooks, Bass - John Guerriere, Mixing Engineer - Dave Holland, Bass - Steve Grossman, Soprano Saxophone - Seth Foster, Re-Mastering Engineer - Bennie Maupin, Bass Clarinet
Originally Released 1970 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Miles Davis, AssociatedPerformer, MainArtist, Trumpet, Composer, Lyricist - Teo Macero, Producer - John McLaughlin, Guitar - Michael Cuscuna, Executive Producer - Khalil Balakrishna, Sitar - Bob Beldon, Reissue Producer - Harvey Brooks, Bass Guitar - Franck Laico, Engineer - Bihari Sharma, Percussion - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Mark Wilder, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Billy Cobham, Drums, Triangle - Rob Schwartz, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer - HERBIE HANCOCK, Piano - CHICK COREA, Piano - Ron Carter, Bass - Steve Grossman, Soprano Saxophone - Bennie Maupin, Bass Clarinet
Originally Recorded 1969 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Review: Miles Davis - Big Fun (2022 Remaster)
Despite the presence of classic tracks like Joe Zawinul's "Great Expectations," Big Fun feels like the compendium of sources it is. These tracks are all outtakes from other sessions, most notably Bitches Brew, On the Corner, and others. The other element is that many of these tracks appeared in different versions elsewhere. These were second takes, or the unedited takes before producer Teo Macero and Miles were able to edit them, cut and paste their parts into other things, or whatever. That is not to say the album should be dismissed. Despite the numerous lineups and uneven flow of the tracks, there does remain some outstanding playing and composing here. Most notably is "Great Expectations" from 1969, which opens the album. Here the lineup is Miles, Steve Grossman, Bennie Maupin, John McLaughlin, Khalil Balakrishna, and Bihari Sharma on sitar and tambura, Herbie, Chick Corea, Ron Carter, Harvey Brooks, Billy Cobham, and Airto. Creating a series of vamps from drones and a small melodic figure, there is very little in the way of groove or melodic development until the middle section, where a series of modalities enters the composition. The second album in the set features "Go Ahead John," an outtake from Jack Johnson's sessions that is 28 minutes in length. It's a riff-based groover, with McLaughlin and his wah-wah pedal setting the pace with Steve Grossman on soprano. The basic motif is the blues, floating around E and Bb flat, but there are modulations introduced by Miles into Db flat that add a kinkier dimension into the proceedings as well. Dave Holland is the bass player, and DeJohnette is the drummer. There is no piano. What's most interesting about this date is how it prefigures what would become "Right Off" from Jack Johnson. It doesn't have the same fire, nor does it manage to sustain itself for the duration, but there are some truly wonderful sections in the piece. This is for Miles fans only, especially those of his electric period, because it fills in the puzzle. The reissue added four bonus tracks to the original double-LP set, but other than "Recollections" by Zawinul, they shed little light on the mystique and development of the intensely creative music being developed in 1969 and 1970. Others should be directed to Bitches Brew, In A Silent Way, Jack Johnson, or Live Evil as starting points.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 8 track(s)
- Total length: 02:22:29
- Main artists: Miles Davis
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Legacy - Columbia
- Genre: Jazz
(P) 1974 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
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