Miles Davis wasn't one for nostalgia. The chameleonic trumpeter believed in forging ahead, which is why he proved to be highly influential in at least four different areas of jazz: bebop, cool jazz (which was essentially bop played with subtlety and understatement), post-bop, and fusion.
Davis even flirted with smooth jazz on parts of 1984-1985's
You're Under Arrest (although his introspective versions of
Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" and
Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" had a lot more substance than the average
Kenny G or
Richard Elliot snoozefest), and he was moving in a hip-hop-minded direction on his final recording,
Doo-Bop. So if one is going to pay tribute to
Davis, there is certainly a lot to choose from. Tributes to bop
Davis or modal
Davis have been plentiful; drummer
Gerry Gibbs, however, salutes
Davis' fusion output on
The Music of Miles Davis: 1967-1975 -- and he does so with excellent results. A few of the tunes that
Gibbs and his
Electric Thrasher Orchestra embrace come from the tail end of
Davis' post-bop period, including "Nefertiti," "Masqualero," and "Pinocchio." But they definitely belong on this two-CD set, because in 1967
Davis was getting ready to take the fusion plunge with 1969's
In a Silent Way. And for the rigid, dogmatic jazz purists and myopic bop snobs who insist that
Davis sold his soul to Beelzebub when he started combining jazz with rock and funk, there is no comfort to be found on this 2008 recording.
The Music of Miles Davis: 1967-1975 is happily, enthusiastically, unapologetically fusion, and
Gibbs' admiration for
Davis' electric period comes through loud and clear on gems like "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" from
Bitches Brew and "Right Off" from
A Tribute to Jack Johnson. Not that
Gibbs offers carbon copies of the original versions -- this release is about interpretation, not emulation.
Davis didn't cease to be an improviser when he started using electric instruments; being influenced by rock, soul, and funk didn't cause him to lose his jazz mentality. And a jazz mentality is always present throughout
Gibbs' exciting
Davis tribute. ~ Alex Henderson