The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Caught it yesterday by accident, it's fantastic .
    I dug the Lee Morgan and Monk docs, but this may be the best I've ever seen!

    Interviews w Herbie, Wayne, Little Bird, Frances, etc plus never before seen photos and footage,

    You can watch it online for the next month, just Google the title, but best seen on a bigger screen if possible.

    Do NOT miss it, $ back if not satisfied

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    I watched and agree with you 100%. EXCELLENT!

  4. #3

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    I'm currently in the middle of it. Really great so far but the narrator who is trying to mimic Miles' raspy speaking voice is VERY annoying.

  5. #4
    joelf Guest
    Watching it now and bookmarked it.

    Comments to follow...

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by jbromusic
    ... the narrator who is trying to mimic Miles' raspy speaking voice is VERY annoying.
    I found that to be a bit too much also ... IMHO

  7. #6

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    It was very good, but too too short. I wanted some longer performances from some of the bits excerpted on the program.

    The interviews with his players and especially Frances Taylor Davis were excellent.

    That said, I think Miles warrants at least a 5-part, 10-hour doc. You could spend a couple of hours just listening to Miles in interviews, or analyzing his stylistic accomplishments. Or reviewing his different bands.

    I’ve always loved Miles, but lately I’ve been even more in awe of his work over so many decades. It seems like every time I put him in a certain box at a particular point in his career I find something that makes me rethink my conclusion.

    He’s the Mozart of our age for sure.

  8. #7
    joelf Guest
    I always liked and respected American Masters. By coincidence, when I was a car service driver back in Brooklyn 10 years or so ago I used to drive the producer, Prudence Glass, to work. Very nice lady.

    But they booted this one. Didn't like it one bit. I wonder why it was even made, other than ratings for PBS---the subject has been covered so much, and so much better.

    It was hagiography, a puff piece. Not about the man, they showed his flaws. But nothing but rah rahs about the musician. And I say this as someone deeply influenced by Miles Davis's playing and thinking. To me, he was the epitome of what art is about. But where's the appropriation of compositions? Blue in Green? Not even a reference that Bill Evans might have written, or even co-written it. And so many more like that, with just fawning quotes from his autobiog. Even Stanley Crouch, an avowed deconstructor of the 'Miles myth' comes off like a loving, approving pussycat. No balance or depth in this drooling love letter.

    I saved it, but will never watch it again. PBS, you f'ed up...

  9. #8

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    Well I just got done watching that. It is always interesting to compare other peoples take on Miles Davis with his own autobiography. He was much harsher on himself, frequently, than others tend to be even when his behavior has been atrocious. I think because he was a brilliant artist he got given a pass at times for behavior that would not have been tolerated in others of lesser stature.

    Miles's career was such that the 5 part/10 hour documentary probably would be necessary to cover him in depth. But something that compresses his career, like this did, also serves to highlight the astounding breadth of his involvement in music over a half a century. And also that while he can rightly be said to have changed music multiple times over the course of his career, he was often not the originator of those changes. He built upon the works of others, heard something in that and then stamped it solidly with his imprimatur and gave it heft and momentum in the jazz marketplace. He also provided a launching platform for so many other artists such as Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Mike Stern, John Scofield, John McLaughlin, etc. etc. Their talents were such that they probably would've found their own way, but their involvement with Miles certainly gave them a boost.

  10. #9

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    I think that's my all time favorite Miles album - definitely going to watch it.

  11. #10
    joelf Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Cunamara
    Well I just got done watching that. It is always interesting to compare other peoples take on Miles Davis with his own autobiography. He was much harsher on himself, frequently, than others tend to be even when his behavior has been atrocious. I think because he was a brilliant artist he got given a pass at times for behavior that would not have been tolerated in others of lesser stature.
    I had a friend who said 'genius get to go to heaven, no matter what they do'.

    I wonder...

  12. #11

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    I was happy to have a new documentary about Miles to watch, but I agree with others that it was too short to do anything but scratch the surface. They spent more time talking about his Italian sports-cars than Nefertiti or Silent Way. Way more, as I don't think they was even mentioned.

    That era and on into BBrew and JJohnson was the most influential for me, and I was hoping for a bit more insight into it. Or at least a couple good bits of gossip about what was going on around that. But almost nothin'.

    Not that Italian sports cars are bad or anything. It was kinda funny when the guy (can't think of his name) said he bought a new shirt for the Lincoln Center gig, while Miles bought a new Ferrari to drive up in.

    I also didn't dig them playing Paraphernalia as back-ground while talking about Miles in the 50's. Seemed like they shoulda been using more time appropriate stuff. Small nit to pick, but it kinda chaffed me. The subject and the sound-track out of sync.

    I did find it heartening to see any attention being paid to one of the more important people in my life, considering the usual fare on broadcast TV. All in all I enjoyed it greatly.

  13. #12

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    Can't wait to see it!

  14. #13

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    Very well done, cleaned up Disney version of Miles.

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
    Very well done, cleaned up Disney version of Miles.
    Yeah... once again it was too short to give much detail. They only had time to scratch the surface of his drinking, drugging, wife-beating and bullying. They could only touch on all that. The testimony from his manager in NYC and his son during the 5 years he put down the horn seemed fairly non-Disney to me.

    I'm no authority on DisneyLand though. I hitched to LA around '70. My girlfriend wanted to go there. When I found out how much it cost I decided to go hear Miles instead. And that changed everything. 'that' includes both hearing Miles live, and not taking my girl to DLand :)

  16. #15
    in a perfect world we'd have the aforementioned multipart series. but even PBS has to decide how much to devote to what flies in 2 hrs of allotted time....yeah, I know, but for now is what it is.
    are there any other multiple episodes on American Masters? honestly not sure but doubt it. There's only so much content you can fit in 2 hrs, no time to get into composer credits, I mean everybody digs Bill Evans but let's get real, duh.
    Grateful to have this for now, at least Miles is still recognized!
    I've read as much about him as we all have but we'll all make of it what we will.
    For me it was 2 hrs of jazz history..most I knew, or at least read, but think of how many people it probably reached, many who have no inkling of jazz let alone Miles, worth the price of admission alone...which I believe is currently zippo

  17. #16

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    You have to remember that the audience is not musicians but the general public who may or may not have familiarity with jazz. They did some creative things, cinematically speaking, to compress time via the use of quick-cut montages to sum up a particular era; montages of Miles' face over a drum riff to symbolize his drug use and social ties unraveling, etc. Given the 2 hours they had and the breadth of the story, I thought it was very well done.

    I do wish they had at least mentioned Bill Evans, talked about using the Harmon mute placed up against the mic as a key to his recorded sound, and mentioned how covering Lauper's Time after Time gave a late blip to his comeback but that's just quibbling. Everything in film making is a choice and by and large, I think the producers and director made good choices.
    Last edited by AndyV; 03-09-2020 at 05:17 AM.

  18. #17

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    Just re reading Quincy Troupe's 'Miles & Me', when he talks about this, I hit search & Voila,

    The Miles Davis Radio Project

    The Miles Davis Radio Project : Radio FREE Crockett : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive


  19. #18

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    I'm in the middle of this now. For all its flaws, I'll take it. BTW, the mute/mic thing is covered, but if you blink, you'll miss it.