Miles in Paris

John Kelman

Senior Editor since 2004

With the realization that there will always be more music coming at him than he can keep up with, John wonders why anyone would think that jazz is dead or dying.

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Published: November 16, 2005

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Still, the performances are strong when left on their own. Garrett, in particular, excels throughout the set. Keyboardist Key Akagi gets relatively little solo space, but when he does get the chance to stretch he's got plenty to say. Bassist Benjamin Rietveld and drummer Ricky Wellman make for a strong rhythm section. And Miles is in strong voice, sharp and punchy at times, delicate and fragile elsewhere.

It's not a perfect release by any means. The fact that it hasn't received the surround sound mix treatment is unfortunate, and the video is a little grainy. Still, despite its shortcomings Miles in Paris is a more satisfying watch than Live in Munich perhaps, in fact, because some of the fat has been trimmed and what is left is a shorter but more focused set. As representative of where Miles was in the last four years of his life, Miles in Paris is an engaging, if not completely satisfying, watch.

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Personnel: Miles Davis: trumpet; Benjamin Reitveld: bass; Joseph "Foley McCreary: lead bass; Ricky Wellman: drums; John Bigham: electric percussion; Kenny Garrett: saxophone, flute; Kei Akagi: keyboards.

Track Listing: Introduction; Human Nature; Jilli; Miles on the Media; Hannibal; Miles on Art; Hannibal (continued); Miles on His Sound; Don't Stop Me Now; Amandla; Miles on South Africa; Tutu; Miles on Africa; Tutu (continued); Miles on Melody; Tutu (continued); Miles on Friends; Wrinkle; Miles on Posterity; New Blues; Miles on Fame; Mr. Pastorius/Musician Credits; Closing Credits.

Approximate Running Time: 78 Minutes; no extras.

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