...has always been my favorite Miles Davis album. So, I was pleased to see the new The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions 3 disc set. And, I was even more pleased when I was able to get it for $15 new. :D

Maybe I'm not discussing it in the right circles, but this one seems to get lost behind Bitches Brew, and the stuff with the quintet.

I think Dave Holland's playing on this set is amazing.
I missed him when I was in New York over Turkey Day, but he's actually coming to play in Atlanta in March, so I plan to make it, then.

Doesn't he play electric bass on this one, though? ;)

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
Doesn't he play electric bass on this one, though? ;)

Not in any of the pictures of the sessions...And, I'm fairly certain he is playing Upright on most of the tracks on the cds.

Well - I read the latest Bass Player where there is an inteview with Dave Holland ad he says he was playing upright and electric - a Fender Precision. It's just that to me, the memorable lines are the funky/rocky riffs that get the groove going and are clearly played on P bass.

I went off after this to listen to my copy of "In a Silent Way" and was mortified to discover that I couldn't find it!

But this motivated me to search out the boxed set and I did actually buy it and am very pleased - loads of great music that wasn't on the original and it certainly sounds better or clearer at least to me, than the CD I had.

I'm very glad I did buy it now - the presentation and information included is excellent and really helps to explain how this was recorded and what Miles was doing - a great insight into a truly innovative group of musicians, who were all at their peak, in terms of creativity.

I suppose I should thank bassmonkee now for bringing this up - ahhhh... the Christmas spirit is all around! ;)

There was another one that I loved when I was in college called "Big Fun"...two records, four songs. Still cool. I also have an occasional weakness for "Agharta" and "Pangaea", both of which feature some very warped Miles and Pete Cosey on guitar.

Panagea & Agharta are classic electric '70s Miles...both were recorded on the same day in Japan(I think Agharta was the matinee?). In any event, Fortune takes some nice solos, Henderson & Foster sound together, & Cosey is one sick individual!
From the same era-
Live-Evil & Get Up With It make nice companion discs to go along with Big Fun.

On a Dave Holland tangent-
Just picked up The Razor's Edge & a Robin Eubanks's disc(Mental Images) last week...

I've said it over on the BG side, but 'The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions' is excellent!

I stumbled across an album called 'Juan Le Pins'(I think), the other day. It's a Japanese recording of the "lost quintet" (Davis, Shorter, Corea, Holland, DeJohnette). At £25 for a single disc, it was just too expensive. I think Sony/Columbia are planning a release of the 'Complete Juan Le Pins' in the next year or so anyway.

I ended up buying Pangaea, but I can't say that I enjoy this as much as 'Agharta. Regardless, Pete Cosey is THE MAN! In Paul Tingen's book 'Miles Beyond (which I finally got!), it says that Cosey is planning to publish a book about his approach to guitar. Wow! If I could only get some of that stuff happenning on the bass!