Anyone heard the new Marcus Miller cd?

[Niels Keijzer]

I saw it lying in the stores yesterday, I already have Live&More, but I think his songs could do with a little more edge to them.

I'd like to hear your opinions on this cd, you can listen to snippets at cdnow.com.

[rickbass]

Originally posted by Niels Keijzer
...but I think his songs could do with a little more edge to them....

Niels - I agree with the "edge." Some of the arrangments and instrumentation strike me as practically school jazz band level, (not dissing those bands, but Miller is way beyond that). If all you listen to is jazz, they probably don't sound so "quaint." "Amazing Grace"!?!?...give me a break! And I don't mean the selection of the song, just how it is interpreted. It doesn't have a religious feel, IMO, but it sounds like something from the Kenny G school.

The opener, "Power," "Burning Down the House," "Red Baron," and "3 Deuces" (especially Carter's sax on that one), make the album for me. They're fresh and the musicians are....well, you know who he gets into the studio. And if I can learn that flashy lick he keeps repeating on "Power"

"Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" is a fretless lover's gem, but I wish Herbie Hancock was more up front.

[Niels Keijzer]

Sure thing, he could slap "Twinkle twinkle little star" and sound glorious, he's just so insanely constant in his attacks, and it doesn't sound so compressed or uncontrolled like some other guys do.

But I think I would be better off buying Tales or the Sun don't Lie...correct me if I'm incorrect.

Thanks for the review.

[rickbass]

Originally posted by Niels Keijzer
....But I think I would be better off buying Tales or the Sun don't Lie...correct me if I'm incorrect....

Niels - If you've got the cash, his "Best of" album is a keeper.

Sun Don't Lie gives tribute to Jaco as Miller performs "Teen Town" ( !!!) and "Mr. Pastorius."

Tales is equally fine, IMO. The song itself, "Tales" is Miller at his strongest - real in your face and on top of it. "Forevermore" is a fretless player's dream.

I really admire his playfullness in the way he constantly "decorates" things with pops and slaps.

[JimK]

I'm sure I'll get around to pickin' M-Squared up...I'm reasonably sure it won't be on my playlist for too long, though(that's lame of me, I know).
Personally, I'm just a little over the slick & little too over-produced(IMO) R&B/Jazz-light albums that are so prevalent today. Sorry, IMO, Miller is so above what he's putting out...
(Great bass playin' ain't enough if the rest of the group is doin' schmaltz). Sorry(again), just one man's opinion.

On a tangent, one of my favorite albums with Marcus is Straphangin' by The Brecker Brothers.
On a cotangent, I'm reading a book about Joe Zawinul(I see MY thread is getting, like, ZERO traffic...thanks, Brad for checking in!)
Anyway, after Jaco left & Erskine left, Omar Hakim came aboard & really tried to get his buddy, Marcus Miller, into Weather Report. Well, at that time, Miller was also being courted by Miles(guess who "won"?).

[gruffpuppy]

Originally posted by Niels Keijzer
Sure thing, he could slap "Twinkle twinkle little star" and sound glorious, he's just so insanely constant in his attacks, and it doesn't sound so compressed or uncontrolled like some other guys do.

But I think I would be better off buying Tales or the Sun don't Lie...correct me if I'm incorrect.

Thanks for the review.

I like these disks much more than the live, as was said to me the live has no edge. The first two are great.

[Brad Johnson]

I think going with Miles instead of "replacing" Jaco was a wise move. I agree Jim, the Brecker Brothers album you mentioned, "Twennynine" by Lenny White, etc. ...there are so many projects MM worked on. His solo stuff, while nice, is kind of predictable. No rough edges, few surprises and it's definitely not for lack of ability. Haven't heard M2 yet.