Something Brew-ing

When Miles Davis' album B----es Brew came out in 1970, it not only transcended every musical boundary line you could name off the top of your head. It also influenced a wide range of musicians from different musical genres as well. At the same time, this is where the fusion movement went full steam ahead with many of this recording's participants striking out on their own with new groups (Weather Report, Mwandishi, Return To Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, just to name a few key players in the fusion genre).

If that wasn't enough, B----es Brew sold like hot cakes to the general public...it went gold, got a lot of rock music enthusiasts turned on, became Miles' best-selling record ever. Soon he would perform at rock venues like the Fillmore West and East, as well as rock festivals such as the Isle of Wight in the summer of 1970. Purists cringed at the new directions which Miles was taking with his music but he couldn't care less; he was never one to do more of the same old, same old material which his fans were expecting him to play. And with this album, Miles made adamantly clear where he drew the line when it came to the music he wanted to perform...some of the most amazing stuff ever, BTW.

Starting with his previous effort (& a groundbreaking album for the fusion genre as well), In A Silent Way, the studio became a musical instrument in its own special way. But with B----es Brew this application of the studio as instrumentation in its own right became more fully pronounced & more obvious from the get-go (as the first two tracks, "Pharoah's Dance" & the title track boldly indicate). Although it sounded like a bunch of musicians playing some great music on one lengthy jam session, large sections of this album (particularly the tracks listed above) depended on studio technology to create something which wasn't necessarily representative of the music which was actually committed to tape. Via tape loops, extensive tape editing, delays, echo effects & reverb, B----es Brew became a hallmark not only of musical innovation but also in terms of how the studio technology was used to create such a masterpiece, such a controversial & yet so awesome work of art.

It must also be noted that this music has aged well & found ways to endure almost 40 years later. From the rollicking "Spanish Key," "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" on to the album closer "Sanctuary," Miles & company were churning out a pretty unique brew of sounds & colors previously unknown to the jazz community. Obviously, it went gold but that's another story for another article. What Miles did on B----es Brew was change the course of not only jazz but all of popular music in general & many musicians who were influenced by this album couldn;t go wrong in putting this recording among their top 10 favorite recordings ever. Yes, it's that mysterious & powerful.