That’s What Happened, 1982-1985 - The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 / Miles Davis

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Miles Davis – That’s What Happened 1982-1985: The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 shines a fresh light on an underrated period of the musician’s restless career-spanning quest for sublime and transcendent sounds. 

The 3CD set includes two discs of previously unreleased studio material–from the Star PeopleDecoy and You’re Under Arrest sessions–and a third disc showcasing Miles Davis Live in Montreal on July 7, 1983; the collection comes in a slipcase with individual album mini-jackets and a booklet featuring liner notes by Marcus J. Moore and revelatory new interviews with Miles’ 80’s players including Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drummer and bandmate), John Scofield (electric guitarist), Darryl Jones (bassist), Marcus Miller (bassist) and Mike Stern (guitarist).

Eight of the ten tracks on CD 1 are unreleased studio tracks from the sessions that resulted in 1983’s Star People. The second studio album released after Miles’ six-year hiatus from recordings and performing, Star People was the artist’s last to feature the studio wizardry of Miles’ longtime producer Teo Macero. Musicians include J.J. Johnson (trombone), Bill Evans (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone), Mike Stern (guitar), John Scofield (guitar), Marcus Miller (electric bass), Al Foster (drums) and Mino Cinélu (percussion) with Miles doubling on trumpet and keyboards (without overdubs). CD1’s other two tracks–“Freaky Deaky, Part 1” and “Freaky Deaky, Part 2”–were produced by Miles Davis (trumpet and keyboards) and feature John Scofield (guitar), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Robert Irving III (Linn Drum programming) and Mino Cinélu (percussion). Recorded June 30, 1983 at A&R Studios in New York during the Decoy sessions, this previously unreleased cassette recording comes from the collection of John Scofield. 

The second CD contains unreleased studio recordings from the sessions that gave us 1985’s You’re Under Arrest. Produced by Miles Davis and Robert Irving III, You’re Under Arrest reflected Miles’ polarity of passions, from politics to pop music; among its achievements, the album transformed then-contemporary hits like Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” and Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” into abiding jazz standards. Musicians include Miles (trumpet), Bob Berg (soprano saxophone), John Scofield (guitar), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Al Foster (drums), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums, drum programming, percussion), Steve Thornton (percussion) and John McLaughlin (guitar on “Katia [full session]”). The previously unreleased recordings in this set were mixed by Steve Berkowitz and Dave Darlington in 2022 at Bass Hit Recording, NYC.

Disc 3 features Miles Davis Live at the Theatre St. Denis in Montreal, Canada on July 7, 1983. The recording showcases one of Miles Davis’ final great bands including John Scofield on guitar, Bill “The Other Bill Evans” Evans on saxophones, flute and electric piano, Darryl Jones on bass, Al Foster on drums and percussionist Mino Cinélu. Miles was back in amazing form (“incandescent and iridescent as ever”) when he mounted the stage at the Theatre St-Denis during the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal in July 1983.

Miles Davis – That’s What Happened 1982-1985: The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 was produced by the multi-GRAMMY winning team of producers Steve Berkowitz, Michael Cuscuna and Richard Seidel and mastered by multi-GRAMMY winning Sony Music engineer Mark Wilder.

REVIEWS:

The seventh volume in Miles Davis' award-winning Bootleg Series reveals the profound influence that era's pop music and MTV had on the trumpeter. Eight of disc one's ten tracks are drawn from 1983's Star People sessions, the last Davis recording, produced by Teo Macero. It opens with his bleating synth intro to the 13-minute "Santana." The choppy, repetitive horn vamps amid the jagged group interplay recall Ornette Coleman & Prime Time in places. The other highlight on disc one is the three-part "Celestial Blues." It's lithe and funky, bathed in steamy grooves. Davis -- with and without mute -- freely engages the guitarists as the rhythm section lays a deep cut.

Disc's two's highlights include two wonderful alternates of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" (from 1985's You're Under Arrest). A jagged, muscular read of "Theme from Jack Johnson (Right Off)/Intro" offers a killer break from Scofield and punchy, athletic bass from Darryl Jones. The disc closes with a smoking version of "Katia" featuring an incendiary performance by guitarist John McLaughlin. Both discs are peppered with Davis' studio banter.

The live disc is riveting. The band open with a ramped-up, driving, 13-minute "Speak (That's What Happened)" that sometimes recalls, the unruly voodoo funk on Agharta, albeit in more polished form. Here, "Star People" is loose and airy, offering great solos by guitarist, trumpeter, and saxophonist. "What It Is" offers fiery, interlocking funk as Scofield, Foster, and Jones go head to head. Closer "Code 3" is an excellent showcase for Evans and Cinelu.

There is no question that The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: That's What Happened 1982-1985 will cause controversy among jazz fans. But it isn't for them. It's for Miles Davis fans and presents an unvarnished taste of him -- from the cutting room floor no less -- attempting to reinvent himself one last time.

-- AllMusic.com (Thom Jurek)

The live shows never stopped being awesome, while your mileage will likely vary with the studio stuff. By the same token, anyone writing off his whole decade as a wash is missing out. Whatever you think of Miles’ aesthetic choices, they were always choices made by a vibrant, ever-curious artist.

--Pitchfork



Product Description:


  • Release Date: September 16, 2022


  • Catalog Number: 19439863852


  • UPC: 194398638522


  • Label: Columbia/Legacy


  • Number of Discs: 2


  • Period: Jazz


  • Composer: Miles Davis


  • Performer: Miles Davis



Works:


  1. Santana

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet, keyboards). J.J. Johnson (trombone), Bill Evans (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone), Mike Stern (guitar), John Scofield (guitar), Marcus Miller (electric bass), Al Foster (drums) and Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  2. Minor Ninths

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet, keyboards). J.J. Johnson (trombone), Bill Evans (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone), Mike Stern (guitar), John Scofield (guitar), Marcus Miller (electric bass), Al Foster (drums) and Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  3. Celestial Blues

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet, keyboards). J.J. Johnson (trombone), Bill Evans (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone), Mike Stern (guitar), John Scofield (guitar), Marcus Miller (electric bass), Al Foster (drums) and Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  4. Remake of OBX Ballad

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet, keyboards). J.J. Johnson (trombone), Bill Evans (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone), Mike Stern (guitar), John Scofield (guitar), Marcus Miller (electric bass), Al Foster (drums) and Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  5. Remake of OBX Ballad Sessions

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet, keyboards). J.J. Johnson (trombone), Bill Evans (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone), Mike Stern (guitar), John Scofield (guitar), Marcus Miller (electric bass), Al Foster (drums) and Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  6. Freaky Deaky

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet, keyboards) and feature John Scofield (guitar), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Robert Irving III (Linn Drum programming) and Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  7. Time After Time (alternate)

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), Bob Berg (soprano saxophone), John Scofield (guitar), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Al Foster (drums), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums, drum programming, percussion), Steve Thornton (percussion) and John McLaughlin (guitar)


  8. Time After Time (full seesion)

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), Bob Berg (soprano saxophone), John Scofield (guitar), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Al Foster (drums), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums, drum programming, percussion), Steve Thornton (percussion) and John McLaughlin (guitar)


  9. Theme From Jack Johnson (Right Off) / Intro

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), Bob Berg (soprano saxophone), John Scofield (guitar), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Al Foster (drums), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums, drum programming, percussion), Steve Thornton (percussion) and John McLaughlin (guitar)


  10. Never Loved Like This (studio session demo)

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), Bob Berg (soprano saxophone), John Scofield (guitar), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Al Foster (drums), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums, drum programming, percussion), Steve Thornton (percussion) and John McLaughlin (guitar)


  11. Hopscotch

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), Bob Berg (soprano saxophone), John Scofield (guitar), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Al Foster (drums), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums, drum programming, percussion), Steve Thornton (percussion) and John McLaughlin (guitar)


  12. What’s Love Got To Do With It

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), Bob Berg (soprano saxophone), John Scofield (guitar), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Al Foster (drums), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums, drum programming, percussion), Steve Thornton (percussion) and John McLaughlin (guitar)


  13. Human Nature (alternate)

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), Bob Berg (soprano saxophone), John Scofield (guitar), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Al Foster (drums), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums, drum programming, percussion), Steve Thornton (percussion) and John McLaughlin (guitar)


  14. Katia (full session)

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), Bob Berg (soprano saxophone), John Scofield (guitar), Robert Irving III (keyboards), Darryl Jones (electric bass), Al Foster (drums), Vince Wilburn, Jr. (drums, drum programming, percussion), Steve Thornton (percussion) and John McLaughlin (guitar)


  15. Speak (That’s What Happened)

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Scofield (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophones flute, electric piano), Darryl Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums), Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  16. Star People

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Scofield (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophones flute, electric piano), Darryl Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums), Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  17. What It Is

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Scofield (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophones flute, electric piano), Darryl Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums), Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  18. It Gets Better

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Scofield (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophones flute, electric piano), Darryl Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums), Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  19. Hopscotch

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Scofield (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophones flute, electric piano), Darryl Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums), Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  20. Star on Cicely

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Scofield (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophones flute, electric piano), Darryl Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums), Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  21. Jean-Pierre

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Scofield (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophones flute, electric piano), Darryl Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums), Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  22. Code 3

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Scofield (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophones flute, electric piano), Darryl Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums), Mino Cinélu (percussion)


  23. Creepin’ In

    Performer: Miles Davis (trumpet), John Scofield (guitar), Bill Evans (saxophones flute, electric piano), Darryl Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums), Mino Cinélu (percussion)