FUNK, FUSION & HIP-HOP-MUS F011B

Miles Davis Live at the Isle of Wight Festival (Fusion)

The Performance as a Whole and Individual Songs:

 I was unable to attend a live performance owing to unforeseen circumstances and the limitations imposed by Covid-19, so I selected one of the Miles Davis concerts from the list you provided for the class. On August 29th, 1970, Miles and his band entertained and took the audience on a magical musical journey. The famous jazz soloist blended his undeniable talent with ground-breaking flair, leaving his audience jubilant; hence, the concert left a stirring impression on music history. “Call it Anything” is a thirty-eight-minute track by Miles that stood out during the Isle of Wight Festival. The name of the track sound interesting because you may call it anything as it states. I found Call it Anything a great piece that explores different musical elements and performance styles that correlate to the fusion music style and showcases Miles’ prowess in performance. The composition captured my attention from the beginning to the end, as the concert created a thrilling atmosphere that explored the music of the time. This concert report explores the intriguing performance Miles had on that wonderful night and how he integrated his performance skills to correspond to the fusion music style we learned in class.

Miles is a well-known jazz music legend who set and redefined the boundaries of jazz music. He challenged established music conventions and pushed his evolving musical styles, leaving a stirring mark on jazz music history. Because Call it Anything embraced the new fusion style and incorporated elements of rock, funk, and avant-garde, it marked a significant shift from his prior compositions. The Isle of Wight Festival setting was a perfect backdrop for the concert’s success as it gave the audience and the performers the opportunity to interact, creating an intriguing atmosphere, hence increasing the anticipation of the performance. An electric atmosphere was created at the start of the concert as a result of the audience’s excitement and elation at seeing the great jazz maestro on stage.

Performance and Comparisons:

Miles first few introduction notes reverberation captured the audience as the band prepared to present a captivating musical adventure. The band’s energy was evident as they began a lengthy improvisation that combined complex melodies with pulsating rhythms. Unlike in funk which we learned that it emphasized on strong backbeats and repeats of melodic bass line. Miles led a command of the performance with subtle assurance, and his solo stood out, capturing the atmosphere of the overall performance. He expertly guided the musical conversation while being supported by a fantastic ensemble of musicians. His teammates had lots of freedom to experiment and express themselves because of Miles’ mastery of the style transitions during the performance. His vocals were not based as much on rhythm as melody. Every bar featured a flawless shift by the band from jazz standards to thrilling rock-inspired sections, demonstrating the seamless blending of two or more genres to create a distinct style. With complicated solos and complex rhythmic patterns blending into a harmonic dissonance, the dynamic interaction between the instruments was exhilarating. A mysterious aura was enhanced by Miles’ renowned muted trumpet playing, which produced an unearthly ambiance. It proves how Miles was different from other Jazz musicians because emphasized on improvisation and concentrated primarily on instrumental music.

The performance was also simple with stage visuals and a stage production that exemplified what Miles liked. Miles did not use complex visuals but we could see the usage of lighting that primarily lit the whole stage with the glowing rays focusing on the performers and was also the center of attraction. Apart from the lighting, music was also the center of focus of the performance and what I liked about Miles was how he was interacting with his backup artists, instruments, and some audience. It was a way of incorporating his audience’s attention into the performance without even saying a word. It created a tangible sense of anticipation and unanimity between the performers and the audience. This was a good example of how a good performer should apply stage management and performance techniques. It also reflected the audience’s enthusiastic admiration for Miles whom most fans found to be very much talented because of unusual sounds with no vibrato, no high notes, just a lonely, plaintive individual sound that was unlike anything ever heard in jazz before.

Memorable Features and Emotions:

The band’s rendition of “Bitches Brew” was the most memorable highlight of the concert for me and we learned in class that this was his very first fusion recording that combined jazz, funk, rock, and Caribbean musical elements. We mentioned in class that Bitches Brew was the album that presented a case study in the use of electronic effects, multi-tracking, tape loops, and other editing techniques, and whose harmony and melody are based on the mediant relationship. It makes me believe what we mentioned in class that no event altered American music more than the release of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew in 1970. But interestingly, Jazz fans hated it, rock fans loved it, funk fans loved it and most people did not understand it, and still do not. In the Isle of Wight Festival, Miles was leading the concert with his resonant trumpet, providing a piercing and passionate note that rippled through the air with authority. He portrayed a wide variety of emotions, from haunting melancholy to fiery passion, with his sophisticated control of tone and dynamics. By capturing the listener’s attention and imagination, Miles’ trumpet became an instrument of profound expression. The pianist’s improvisation added an extra layer of ornamentation to this rendition by integrating different harmony variations and tone colors, creating the inventive nature of the performance and I enjoyed watching he concert. This concurs with want we learned in class that the musician concentrated on guitars and lessened the importance of keyboards.

As a band, Miles’ authoritative trumpet, the pianist’s adventurous keyboard improvisations, and the pounding rhythm section produced a thrilling and innovative environment. A tangible sense of enthusiasm resulted from the musicians’ desire to take chances, embrace innovation, and push the limits of their art form. The audience were mesmerized by the music’s daring and inventiveness as they set off on an auditory journey, discovering new aural terrains and savoring the excitement of musical discovery. To make his music more appealing to the audience, we learned that Miles added jazz instruments such as acoustic bass, soprano sax, trumpet, and standard jazz drums. His performance differs from the other genres in terms of blending different genres to form a new genre that has several elements of the fused genres. Most importantly, Miles introduced instrumentation that simplified harmony and chord progressions and also came up with electric piano and electric guitar. 

Conclusion:

The Call it Anything performance solidified Davis’ innovative and stylistic performance technique. His exemplary talent and prowess in music performance are shown by his smooth blending of different genres, hence defying the music conventions of the time. The concert’s avant-garde nature is created by the performers’ choice to incorporate experimentation during the performance, hence pushing and setting new boundaries in music history. Miles came up with integrating modal ideas accompanied by really great soul grooves and classical harmonies which came with an almost silent feel. He was interested in moving the African American culture through his music and that is why most fans recognized him as one of the musicians who presented cultural icons for black Americans. His desire to defy jazz music norms is conveyed by their artistic mastery of integrating experimentation into their performance, hence creating a unique atmosphere for both the audience and the performers. He liked low-lying and smooth music and long tracks which applied harmony and melody based on the mediant relationship. On the other side, he disliked funky up-tempo tracks but was also known to maintain his artistic sensibilities and integrity. Miles’ impact on this performance transcended beyond the concert, as he left a stirring mark on jazz music history including the invention of jazz fusion and electronic sounds. That is how the profound name “Miles Electric” emerged because he was innovative, intellectual, primal, and bold. We should also not forget that Miles invented fusion.

Works Cited

“Miles Davis – Call It Anything (Miles Electric).” YouTube, 17 Sept. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMYVvjoXf4o