Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Miles Davis: In A Silent Way

252

Miles Davis: In A Silent Way

By

View read count
Miles Davis: In A Silent Way
Miles Davis was going through exciting musical changes in 1968, listening and playing things which were leading him into the future and into In a Silent Way. His music and lifestyle were being influenced by a wave of new sounds and ideas, and he was responding deeply to the music of James Brown, Sly Stone, and Jimi Hendrix. Having already pushed acoustic jazz to the limits with his mid-Sixties quintet, Miles metamorphosed the new sounds around him, creating a work of enduring magnificence. On the title track, Miles threw away Joe Zawinul's cord sheets, transforming the original melody of "In A Silent Way" into a sublime electric mantra that was overwhelmingly beautiful and fresh. On "Shhh/Peaceful," Dave Holland and John McLaughlin intertwine to create a circularly repeating rhythm which melds elements of traditional Indian music to subtle funk, creating a trance-like groove. The three pianos of Hancock, Corea, and Zawinul play as extensions of one another, perfectly washing across the spaces left open in the rhythm without cluttering it through over-playing. Egos gave way to unity in this miraculous session. In a Silent Way represents one of the most important self-declarations of artistic independence to ever go down in jazz history. This was not "jazz" aimed at its traditional audience, but rather a new thing directed at the counter-culture that was busy turning on, tuning in, and dropping out. The album is psychedelic, spiritual, peaceful, funky, and complex. It has the power to transport those willing and able to give themselves over to the kind of close listening that it deserves. And it delivers a hypnotic vibe for those intent on chilling with soothing sounds in the background. This is music to experience, so get experienced

Track Listing

Shhh / Peaceful; In A Silent Way / It's About That Time.

Personnel

(Collective:) Miles Davis, trumpet; Wayne Shorter, tenor and soprano saxophones; Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, electric piano, organ; Herbie Hancock, electric piano; John McLaughlin, electric guitar; Dave Holland, bass; Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Joe Chambers, drums; Teo Macero, tambourine.

Album information

Title: In a Silent Way | Year Released: 1969 | Record Label: Columbia Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.