Highlights from the Plugged Nickel - Miles Davis Quintet

Mar

15

Highlights from the Plugged Nickel - Miles Davis Quintet

≡ Category: 1960s, Highly Recommended, Post Bop, Reviews |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING

Rating:

Those who have only experienced Miles Davis’ second great quartet in the studio are in for a big surprise on Highlights from the Plugged Nickel. Whereas the studio recordings were largely given over to the compositions of quintet members Wayne Shorter (sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drums), the live recordings at the Plugged Nickel reveal the quintet stretching out on standards.

Davis’ highly analytical explorations of the melodies and harmonic content of the compositions are hardly a surprise at this point, but the way Shorter turns the thematic materials inside up, upside down, backwards and sideways in ways that are always fresh and surprising is nothing short of a revelation. Williams pulls and pushes the tempo with incredible sensitivity and power. In the context of these longer tunes that he knew so well, Hancock shows unlimited inventiveness and devastating subtlety of touch. And Carter holds it all together, providing a stable rhythm underpinning when necessary, and swinging like mad on the walking sections.

Small group playing doesn’t get much better than this, folks.

For those who REALLY like this material, I’ve included the eight CD Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel box set in the Jazzbo Notes store.