Michael Henderson - Complete On The Corner Sessions

[Lo.]

Got it today.

OMG.

MH is just wonderful. Fat bass all over it, never getting in anyone's way, always listening and squeezing tones out like no-one else can. I just wish there was more new material, that's the only negative thing I can say. I would pay the full price of this box set just for the short version of "Holly-wuud".

And don't get me started on how good Al Foster is.....the man brought hi-hat work from another planet to these recordings.

[markjazzbassist]

i gotta pick that up. thanks for the heads up.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by Lo.

Got it today.

OMG.

MH is just wonderful. Fat bass all over it, never getting in anyone's way, always listening and squeezing tones out like no-one else can. I just wish there was more new material, that's the only negative thing I can say. I would pay the full price of this box set just for the short version of "Holly-wuud".

And don't get me started on how good Al Foster is.....the man brought hi-hat work from another planet to these recordings.

May I ask what did you pay? I saw it at a Tower Records in Memphis for $101 or so.

[winston]

I read about the complete OTC sessions but I haven't heard 'em yet. It's also worth checking out "Panthalassa" which is Bill Laswell's remix of '70s era Miles.

[Lo.]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

May I ask what did you pay? I saw it at a Tower Records in Memphis for $101 or so.

It was about $80 from Amazon (I'm in the UK).

It has a very nice metal box and booklet!

[Marcury]

Yeah, Michael Henderson and Al Foster, just amazing! Henderson's two note grooves are a constant source of wonder and inspiration.

[Lo.]

Originally Posted by winston

I read about the complete OTC sessions but I haven't heard 'em yet. It's also worth checking out "Panthalassa" which is Bill Laswell's remix of '70s era Miles.

Bill Laswell's mix of On The Corner was a fine tribute, but I wasn't too keen on the others on Panthalassa....

ETA - it's the original Panthalassa album that's the good one - - don't get the Panthalassa remixes album first!

[Giraffe]

There are a lot of albums from that period, with Michael Henderson. I believe Michael played with Miles first on A Tribute To Jack Johnson, and was featured on The Cellar Door Sessions; Get Up With It; In Concert at Philharmonic Hall; Dark Magus; Agharta; Pangaea; and probably a few others. Dave Holland was just leaving the band. Check Live At The Fillmore East: It's About That Time for a taste of Dave's playing in that context.

The albums as they were issued at that time have a more flowing feel to them, due largely to Teo Macero's cutting and pasting. Listening to the re-issue packages, you get a better sense of how Miles' spontaneous composition worked in real time. Sometimes the groove stalled, because the players didn't have anything approaching charts for most of that period. Miles would assemble a band that could melt steel in their sleep, and tell them something like "Play like a waterfall."

It all smokes like mad. When Miles was assembling some of the players around that time, he would play them Sly and The Family Stone's "In Time" over and over to help the new members get a feel for what he was trying to achieve with the rhythm section. Play it loud. Then go crank up some of Miles' efforts and you can really feel how Miles incorporated that funk-rock drumming into his "everybody solos, and nobody solos" bands. This is some wonderful music if you like it, and it is an outstanding source of riffs to copy and work from. This is a great place for a bassist to study the use of space.

[Lo.]

Originally Posted by tombrien

There are a lot of albums from that period, with Michael Henderson. I believe Michael played with Miles first on A Tribute To Jack Johnson, and was featured on The Cellar Door Sessions; Get Up With It; In Concert at Philharmonic Hall; Dark Magus; Agharta; Pangaea; and probably a few others. Dave Holland was just leaving the band. Check Live At The Fillmore East: It's About That Time for a taste of Dave's playing in that context.

The albums as they were issued at that time have a more flowing feel to them, due largely to Teo Macero's cutting and pasting. Listening to the re-issue packages, you get a better sense of how Miles' spontaneous composition worked in real time. Sometimes the groove stalled, because the players didn't have anything approaching charts for most of that period. Miles would assemble a band that could melt steel in their sleep, and tell them something like "Play like a waterfall."

It all smokes like mad. When Miles was assembling some of the players around that time, he would play them Sly and The Family Stone's "In Time" over and over to help the new members get a feel for what he was trying to achieve with the rhythm section. Play it loud. Then go crank up some of Miles' efforts and you can really feel how Miles incorporated that funk-rock drumming into his "everybody solos, and nobody solos" bands. This is some wonderful music if you like it, and it is an outstanding source of riffs to copy and work from. This is a great place for a bassist to study the use of space.

It's all good - I was amazed with the Cellar Door Sessions - hearing the tracks develop over the course of a few nights.

In the grand scheme of things, MH is very overlooked IMHO. But that's only temporary, his playing speaks for itself, and will stand the test of time.

[jamfree]

Man..I'm going to have to drop some cash on this. I want Cellar Door sessions so bad too.

[jamfree]

Screw it I'm getting both, I've worn out my In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew box sets..merry xmas to me.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by Lo.

It was about $80 from Amazon (I'm in the UK).

It has a very nice metal box and booklet!

Thanks! That may be my Christmas present to myself!

[Lo.]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

Thanks! That may be my Christmas present to myself!

Gotta do it - just you wait 'til you hear "Jabali" - it's guaranteed to make anyone who listens a better bass player.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Lo.

It was about $80 from Amazon (I'm in the UK).

Amazon (US) wants $100...still.
On the earlier sets, I waited until Columbia House (a)Stocked them & (b)Ran a 60%-Off Sale. IIRC, I picked up the Complete Bitches Brew box for $19 (postage was another $10).
...and a fellow Talkbasser took me to task for buying music from Columbia House...I guess he doesn't buy USED cds, either.

I'm sure I will pick up OTC for Xmas (I've dropped enough hints).

[JimK]

Originally Posted by tombrien

...crank up some of Miles' efforts and you can really feel how Miles incorporated that funk-rock drumming into his "everybody solos, and nobody solos" bands.

Really the pre-cursor to Weather Report's MO.

This is some wonderful music if you like it, and it is an outstanding source of riffs to copy and work from. This is a great place for a bassist to study the use of space.

Hey, not so loud!

A good book recommendation for this period id Paul Tinglen's Miles Beyond: The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis.
***Punchin' In*** Amazon has USED softback copies. Looks like the hard covers are OOP totally.

[winston]

Funny, after reading/posting in this thread yesterday I heard an 18-minute version of "On the Corner" on the radio while driving back from a jam session last night. Good stuff!

[tkozal]

Originally Posted by JimK

Really the pre-cursor to Weather Report's MO.



Hey, not so loud!

A good book recommendation for this period id Paul Tinglen's Miles Beyond: The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis.
***Punchin' In*** Amazon has USED softback copies. Looks like the hard covers are OOP totally.

Great book, and he has a nice site:

http://www.miles-beyond.com/

[middlebit]

A great box set indeed - I've had nothing in my ears (save for some wax) for the past 2 weeks. And it's got me GASsing for that totally fat, verging on distorted, bass tone, though I am usually a Jazzman. I know Henderson used both Jazzes and P's around this time. Most of the tracks sound like a P bass to me, but maybe someone out there has some actual info on this?