This Sunday, a concert -- one of only three planned nationwide -- seeks to bring that recording project to the stage here in L.A. It's the kick-off show for the Grand Performances series at the California Plaza downtown. Miles continued to develop his electric bands through the epochal “Bitches Brew" (on which the bush rumblings of both world music, other than that from Brasil, and electronica are heard), “Live/Evil" (on which Keith Jarrett proves, despite his assertions to the contrary, that the electric piano is not “a toy") and “On the Corner" albums.
The latter album is particularly significant in bringing Indian music into Davis' extended family and it's that crazy, kaleidoscopic intent of “On the Corner" that “Miles From India" pays homage to. A number of his prominent sidemen, including “Kind of Blue's" drummer Jimmy Cobb, the '60s' second great quintet bass player Ron Carter, '80s guitarist Mike Stern and keyboardist Adam Holzman, are joined with top-notch classical Indian musicians as well as members of Shakti and Remember Shakti to reinterpret Davis compositions (including the aforementioned “It's About That Time").
The project was initially conceived by producer-composer-arranger-bon vivant Belden, a man so much bigger than life that one imagines a union of Stephen Hawking, Arnold Schoenberg, Jack Kerouac and Don Simpson. Belden has been supervising the Grammy- winning Davis box sets and it is hard to imagine anyone else negotiating the arcana, the boxes upon boxes of tape. A glance at any of his liner notes ("Miles Davis Quintet, 1965- 1968: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings" is a great example of his musical analysis) reveals an encyclopedic mind, and a cursory listening to his music for “The Black Dahlia" suggests a latterday Gil Evans.
This presentation is one of only three North American performances of the ground- breaking Miles from India Ensemble. This collection of virtuosic classical Indian and American jazz musicians (some of whom performed in jazz giant Miles Davis' most famous works) reinterprets the iconic musician's best-known material, fusing sitar, tablas, mridangam and Carnatic violin with traditional western instruments.
This labor of love was brought to fruition through the efforts of Times Square Records head Yusuf Gandhi and renowned producer Bob Belden. East meets West in this warm and welcoming cross cultural celebration of music by one of the world's most innovative musicians.
This event will be hosted by KCRW's Tom Schnabel .
Grand Performances
California Plaza
300-350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Sunday June 1st 8 p.m., FREE
(213) 687-2159
