I’m certainly not a jazz expert. Still, I’ve been listening to Beyond Jazz on my XM satellite radio and have been trying to expand my horizons.
I’ve liked some of the Miles Davis that I’ve heard, such as Kind of Blue. I’ve disliked some such as Sketches of Spain. But, Bitches Brew to me just seems pointless. It reminds me of a Grateful Dead concert, just endless noodling, no beginning no ending.
Did I just “have to be there” when it happened?
Possibly. I think jazz fusion was a pretty new concept at the time and it was certainly quite a departure from Davis’ earlier stuff.
I’m not crazy about it either. Even when I was in my jazz fusion stage ( Mahavishnu Orchestra/John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell and Al di Meola mostly ), I wasn’t thrilled.
admittedly Bitches Brew isn’t easily accessible to non musicians, and many jazz snobs (white guys that couldn’t play a simple swing beat, but are EXPERTS on all the greats, and will let you know when their music is BETTER than yours).
It is the shiznit.
Consider this:
almost everyone on bitches brew is HIGH on something … probably powdered.
maybe your not messed up enough on the lord, drugs, music, or some combination therein.
they are all bad asses. more musicianship in their little finger than any smooth jazz “artist”. listen. that album has some great players.
it is a reflection of the times, and the brothers need to get paid. jazz was out, and if crappy rock musicians can get paid, then these cats could too.
I think bitches brew is awesome. Far more awesome than the grateful dead (who are actually pretty bitchin in their own right if you see them live). But either you love em or hate em … they’re not kenny g and they’re not nickelback. life does get worse than a well practiced band.
maybe as a bridge to something more abstract like bitches brew, try “In a Silent Way”, which is a little easier to digest. bitches brew has a groove and a progression … it’s just not see jane run see jane play see jane run and play.
and maybe its just not your thing. thats cool. theres a lot out there.
some fusion jazz that I can dig is:
herbie hancock headhunters
stanley clarke
and another epic cat ( not really fusion but worth a listen)
Hermeto Pasqual (not for the attention to detail deficient)
so hopefully this has confused you enough to take a second listen.
I absolutely looooove Bitches Brew.
This may help provide a little insight.
First off, the album is a collaboration between the absolute cream of the crop musicians.
Second, it’s important in the launching of fusion. His album In a Silent Way actually came first and is stylistically very similar, and equally incredible IMHO, but a little smaller. I’m not sure why exactly it’s so overshadowed by BB in terms of its importance, but for some reason BB just caught the public’s attention better.
I’m not sure why fusion is such a devisive genre, but it is. There could be a whole other thread on the debate over 70s fusion and its value (I can already feel Uke rolling his eyes) but the bottom line is you either like it or you don’t.
BB brings the energy and driving rhythms of 60s rock music as opposed to the swinging syncopated rhythms of earlier jazz genres, along with electronics and psychedelia, along with a rockin’ stage presence, and combines it with sophisticated jazz harmony and virtuosity.
It is a beautiful piece of music from start to finish. YMM(and obviously has)V