MILES DAVIS
The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions
(Columbia/Legacy)
In 1969 jazz giant Miles Davis shocked the music world with the electric explorations of In a Silent Way. That sounds like hyperbole 32 years later, but in the late 60s, when rock was moving in experimental directions and traditional jazz was holding to an increasingly staid course, the combination of amplified instruments, rock dynamics and modal jazz was a radical one. Of course, what we now call fusion has become so commonplace it's usually as uninspired and unadventurous as much of the mainstream jazz it supplanted. But in the late 60s and early 70s, when fusion was in its most fertile and creative period, it could be a truly mindblowing experience.

As he had been for nearly 20 years, trumpeter Miles Davis was in the vanguard of the new music. While many pundits point to 1970's aggressive Bitches Brew as the first fusion album by a major artist, the reality is that Miles had already sailed these waters with the more meditative In a Silent Way a year earlier. Joined by old cohorts like saxophonist Wayne Shorter and drummer Tony Williams (himself a fusion pioneer with his band Lifetime) and new friends like guitarist John McLaughlin, keyboardists Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea and bassist Dave Holland, Miles pushed the envelope of jazz once again with the long, flowing tracks of acoustic and electric luminescence that would become In a Silent Way. As with most artistic upheavals, though, it didn't happen overnight, and the three-CD The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions collects all the tracks not only from the album, but also from the initial sessions in which the sound began to take shape. Many of these tracks later appeared on late 70s compilations like Water Babies, Circle in the Round and Directions; this is the first time they've been collected in one place. The result is a portrait of an artist hitting his creative peak, as well as a document of the evolution of a landmark sound.

"Mademoiselle Mabry," "Frelon Brun" and "Two Faced," the opening trio on disk 1, find Miles working in much the same mode as his slower mid-60s quintet recordings, with Holland on bass and Corea or Herbie Hancock supplying shimmering electric piano in place of the usual acoustic keyboard. Though still in line with what was expected of jazz balladry at the time, these beautiful tunes are very much a taste of things to come. "Dual Mr. Anthony Tillman Williams Process," a nod to Miles' young drummer, speeds things back up in an almost post-bop style, with Hancock making his funky presence felt. "Splash" continues the trend, with Corea joining Hancock on the Rhodes and Holland laying down busier, funkier lines, revving up to a perfect halfway point between bop and fusion. Miles' fascination with James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone makes itself felt here. Its companion piece "Splashdown" is bluesier and more agitated, and features the arrival of keyboardist Josef Zawinul, who would become an important part of the proceedings.

Disc 2 leads off with "Ascent," a lovely, shimmering ballad with meditative keyboards, some forceful trumpet work and an especially fine soprano sax solo from Shorter. The keyboard dominance of this piece points toward the work Miles did late in his life, as well as the ambient movement 25 years later. "Ascent" is followed by two versions of one of the great, unheralded Miles tracks, "Directions." Though a staple of Miles' live set at the time, the studio version wasn't released until the 1981 comp of the same name. It's difficult to understand why, as this is simply one of the trumpeter's best tunes of the period. Written by Zawinul, the song is driven by Jack DeJohnette's aggressive, rock-influenced drumming and the dueling Rhodes pianos of Zawinul and Chick Corea, all of which push Miles and Shorter toward powerhouse riffs and frenzied solos. This could arguably be called Miles' first true fusion track.

The rest of disc 2 contains the original studio versions of "Shhh/Peaceful," "In a Silent Way" and "It's About That Time," the tunes that would go on to comprise the album (after producer Teo Macero's pioneering tape edits). "Shhh/Peaceful," which is two tunes deftly spliced together even in its original form, is about a minute longer than the officially released version, though this doesn't make a huge amount of difference. Still, this long, contemplative piece, written by Miles, is one of the most beautiful and harmonious things the bandleader ever issued. Holland and Tony Williams gently shift the rhythms, keeping the tune moving without unsettling the leads. Percolating electric pianos and subliminal organ frame the long, lugubrious lines from Miles, Shorter and guitarist John McLaughlin, a new arrival. Far from the aggressive riffing of his future days with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, here McLaughlin nimbly adds layers of texture and melody, intertwining his licks with those of Shorter and Miles. A long, meditative tone poem, "Shhh/Peaceful" has influenced not only subsequent jazz records but also the ambient electronic movement of the late 80s and 90s.

"In a Silent Way" appears in two versions, a rehearsal that finds the musicians still feeling their way around the tune, and a fuller, more confident studio version. This short, dreamy Zawinul piece would find its more proper place as part of the edit into "It's About That Time." That song finds Miles working with a syncopated rhythm track from Holland and Williams, over which he plays confident horn lines as the three keyboardists (Corea, Zawinul and Hancock) alternate between staccato bursts and mellifluous harmonies. Another concert staple, "It's About That Time" is more sedate here than during live outings, making it the perfect companion piece to "In a Silent Way."

The most startling thing about disk 3 is the inclusion of two tunes recorded after the initial Silent Way sessions, but unreleased anywhere until now. The long, sinuous "The Ghetto Walk" moves through a variety of moods, from streetwise and funky to peaceful and dreamy. On the up-tempo sections, McLaughlin's bluesy guitar contrasts with Miles' stentorian trumpet, and the keyboardists double the bass line for a deeper, stickier groove. On the slower parts, Miles' horn reigns supreme. New drummer Joe Chambers is less flashy than Williams or DeJohnette, preferring to lock into the rhythm, shifting gears only when necessary. "The Ghetto Walk" isn't a classic, perhaps, but it shows Miles and band getting comfortable in their new clothes, and its harder funk direction points towards another Miles watershed, 1972's On the Corner.

The other "new" track is Zawinul's beautiful ballad "Early Minor." Originally cut in 1968 by Nat Adderly, it's transformed here into a stunningly gorgeous soundscape featuring subliminal rhythms, waterfall-like electric piano and a lush, emotional performance from Miles. It's easily one of the jazz great's best ballads. Why this and "The Ghetto Walk" have never seen the laser light of day before now is a puzzle. Disc 3 ends with the original LP versions of "Shhh/Peaceful" and "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time," with "Way" occupying its time-honored position as intro and outro to "Time." Given Legacy's usual meticulous remastering job, the tracks sound superb.

It's an open question whether anyone other than diehard Miles fanatics will want this box—more casual fans would probably be happier to have merely the original LP in a remastered form. But for those who like to dig deeper, the box spotlights a wonderfully seamless timeline that ends with one of the trumpeter's acknowledged greatest albums. Also included is a booklet with scholarly notes on the sessions. Since the music is fantastic in any form, The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions is a history lesson worth taking. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: early Weather Report, Jack DeJohnette's New Directions, Mark Isham