The Complete Miles Davis at Montreux: 1973-1991

The Complete Miles Davis at Montreux is a 2002 box set of 20 CDs comprising 11 appearances by Miles Davis at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1973 and 1991, every performance by the trumpeter at the famed Swiss jazz festival in its entirety. Produced with loving care by Claude Nobs, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, with no edits or overdubs, this document of Miles Davis's Montreux performances shows through never-before-released material how Miles and company transformed his music live, with their fire, invention, and interplay. The list of sidemen on these dates is a who's who of today's superstars, including saxophonist Dave Liebman, guitarists John Scofield and Robben Ford, keyboardists Adam Holzman and Kei Akagi, bassist Michael Henderson, and percussionist Mtume. Most of the music on these discs features versions of Davis's fusion "hits." The funky and R&B-ish ditty "Ife" and the bouncy "Calypso Frelimo" are rendered with more gusto than their studio versions, as are the in-the-pocket, mid-'80s tunes "Star People" and "New Blues." A package this big has more than a few surprises, however. Chaka Khan lends her powerful pipes to Davis's unique cover of the Michael Jackson sleeper, "Human Nature," and "Al Jarreau" is an upbeat (though too short) tribute to the great vocalise master. Other new offerings include "Lake Geneva," "Pacific Express," and the intense "Maze." This important set has two memorable milestones. There's the previously released 1991 Quincy Jones-led concert with the 50-piece, George Gruntz/Gil Evans Orchestra, where Davis recreates his historic Gil Evans-orchestrated charts of "The Birth of the Cool," "Porgy and Bess," "Miles Ahead," and "Sketches of Spain." Davis's disciple Wallace Roney backs up Davis on the complex melodic lines, and alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett soars with his clean, Sonny Stitt-like solos. Garrett is also onstage with Davis on a sextet date at Nice, France, on July 17, 1991, released here for the first time, that features material from the poppish Scritti Politti tune "Perfect Way" to the Cyndi Lauper ballad "Time After Time." Whether Davis's trumpet is open, muted, or electrified, his playing, as this collection shows, is honest and enduring, regardless of the material. --Eugene Holley Jr.

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