Directions is a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1981 by Columbia Records.[1] It collects previously unreleased outtakes that Davis recorded between 1960 and 1970. Directions was the last of a series of compilation albums—mostly consisting of, at that time, previously unreleased music—that Columbia released to bridge Davis' recording hiatus that ended with the Man with the Horn in July 1981.[2]
Music
[edit]
Directions is a double album that features previously unreleased outtakes recorded over a 10-year period by Davis. Apart from "Song of Our Country" from the recording sessions for Sketches of Spain (1960), a 1961 recording of "'Round Midnight", and "So Near, So Far" from 1963, the album's songs are from Davis' transitional period during 1967 to 1970, when he was experimenting with a fusion of jazz and rock. They feature sidemen such as saxophonist Wayne Shorter, guitarist John McLaughlin, and keyboardists Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, and Chick Corea.[3]
Reviewing in AllMusic, critic Scott Yanow believed some of the tracks "rambled on a bit too long" but the music was nonetheless "mostly quite fascinating" and "highly recommendable to collectors with an open ear toward fusion."[3]
Track listing
[edit]
All tracks by Miles Davis except where noted.
Side 1
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Date recorded
Length
1.
"Song of Our Country"
Heitor Villa-Lobos
March 11, 1960 (1960-03-11)
3:27
2.
"'Round Midnight" (Live)
Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams, Bernie Hanighen
April 22, 1961 (1961-04-22)
7:44
3.
"So Near, So Far"
Tony Crombie, Bennie Green
April 16, 1963 (1963-04-16)
5:18
4.
"Limbo"
Wayne Shorter
May 9, 1967 (1967-05-09)
5:33
Side 2
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
5.
"Water on the Pond"
7:04
6.
"Fun"
4:12
7.
"Directions, No. 1"
Joe Zawinul
6:51
8.
"Directions, No. 2"
Joe Zawinul
4:51
Side 3
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
9.
"Ascent"
Joe Zawinul
14:44
10.
"Duran"
11:00
Side 4
No.
Title
Length
11.
"Konda"
14:10
12.
"Willie Nelson"
10:21
Personnel
[edit]
"Song of Our Country", recorded in New York, March 11, 1960. (Reissued on 1997 CD release of Sketches of Spain.)
Miles Davis – trumpet, flugelhorn
Gil Evans – arranger, conductor
Johnny Coles, Bernie Glow, Ernie Royal – trumpet
James Buffington, Tony Miranda, Joe Singer – French horn
Frank Rehak, Dick Hixon – trombone
Bill Barber – tuba
Albert Block, Harold Feldman – flute
Danny Bank – clarinet
Jack Knitzer – bassoon
Romeo Penque – oboe
Janet Putnam – harp
Paul Chambers – bass
Jimmy Cobb – drums
Elvin Jones – percussion
"'Round Midnight", recorded live at "The Blackhawk" in San Francisco, April 22, 1961. (Reissued on 2003 CD release of In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete)
Miles Davis – trumpet
Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
Wynton Kelly – piano
Paul Chambers – bass
Jimmy Cobb – drums
"So Near, So Far", recorded in Hollywood, Ca., April 16, 1963. (Reissued on the first CD of the 2004 box set Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis 1963–1964, as well as on the 2005 CD re-release of Seven Steps to Heaven.)
Miles Davis – trumpet
George Coleman – tenor saxophone
Victor Feldman – piano
Ron Carter – bass
Frank Butler – drums
"Limbo", recorded in Hollywood, Ca., May 9, 1967. (Reissued on the 1998 CD re-release of Sorcerer, as well as on the second CD of 1998 box set release The Complete Studio Recordings of The Miles Davis Quintet 1965–1968)
Miles Davis – trumpet
Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
Herbie Hancock – piano
Buster Williams; bass
Tony Williams – drums
"Water on the Pond", recorded in New York, December 28, 1967. (Reissued on the fourth CD of the 1998 box set release Miles Davis Quintet 1965–'68)
Miles Davis – trumpet
Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
Herbie Hancock – Wurlitzer electric piano
Joe Beck – guitar
Ron Carter – bass
Tony Williams – drums
"Fun", recorded in New York, January 11, 1968. (Reissued on the fourth CD of the 1998 box set release Miles Davis Quintet 1965–'68)
Miles Davis – trumpet
Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
Herbie Hancock – Wurlitzer electric piano
Bucky Pizzarelli – electric guitar
Ron Carter – bass
Tony Williams – drums
"Directions I & II" and "Ascent", recorded in New York, November 27, 1968. (All three tracks were reissued on the second CD of the 2001 box set release of The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions)
Miles Davis – trumpet
Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone
Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea – electric piano
Joe Zawinul – organ
Dave Holland – double bass
Jack DeJohnette – drums
"Duran", recorded in New York, March 17, 1970. (Reissued as "Duran (Take 6)" on the second CD of 2003 box set release The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions)
Miles Davis – trumpet
Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone
Bennie Maupin – bass clarinet
John McLaughlin – electric guitar
Dave Holland – electric bass
Billy Cobham – drums
"Konda", recorded in New York, May 21, 1970. (The unedited version of the track was issued on disc 4 of the 2003 box set release The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions.)
Miles Davis – trumpet
Keith Jarrett – electric piano
John McLaughlin – electric guitar
Airto Moreira – percussion
"Willie Nelson", recorded in New York, February 27, 1970. (Reissued on the first CD of the 2003 box set release The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions)
^Alkyer, Frank; Enright, Ed; Koransky, Jason, eds. (2007). The Miles Davis Reader. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 275. ISBN 142343076X.
^Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 57. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
Bibliography
[edit]
Considine, J. D.; et al. (November 2, 2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
Chambers, Jack (1998). Milestones: The Music and Times of Miles Davis (Pts 1 & 2, with a new introduction). Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-80849-4.
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