Miles Davis
Evolution of the Groove
Columbia/Legacy
By David Chiu
The jazz legend Miles Davis was certainly influential on rock and soul–it is no wonder that artists from those communities would want to pay tribute to him. This nearly 15-minute EP, which features updated remixes of four Miles Davis recordings between 1959 and 1972 shows how much his music has crossed over into hip-hop and rock. Purists may balk at these reworkings, but similar to the Beatles’ Love album these remixes offer a fresh and new way of looking at Davis’s eclectic music. Carlos Santana, a famous fan of Davis’s music, adds some fiery guitar riffs to “It’s About That Time,” originally from In a Silent Way. Rapper Nas pays tribute to the trumpet master and names checks members of his mid’60s Quintet on the stomping “Freedom Jazz Dance.” Fans of Davis and the landmark album Kind of Blue will also relish over the inclusion of a previously unreleased “Freddie Freeloader” outtake from those sessions. The remixes with their beats and rhythms sound fresh but they don’t take away from Davis’s distinct trumpet playing.
NewBeats 