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"A Thousand Kisses Deep" (09/30/2003) Jazz Instrument Botti, Chris, Columbia (USA)Personnel: Chris Botti (trumpet); Chantal Kreviazuk, Bridget Benanate (vocals); Bob Shephard (tenor saxophone); Steve Lindsey (piano, Wurlitzer piano, keyboards, shaker); Keefus Ciancia (piano, keyboards, Moog synthesizer); Jim Cox (organ, keyboards); Mark Goldenberg (keyboards, programming); Printz Board (synthesizer, programming); Dean Parks (acoustic & electric guitars); Smokey Hormel (electric guitar); Doyle Bramhall (guitar); Chuck Berghofer, Mike Elizondo (bass); Joey Waronker, Abe Laboriel, Jr. (drums); Lenny Castro (bongos, percussion). Personnel: Bridget Benenate, Chantal Kreviazuk (vocals); Dean Parks (guitar, acoustic guitar); Doyle Bramhall (guitar); Matthew Gerrard (electric guitar, keyboards, bass synthesizer, drum programming); Smokey Harmel (electric guitar); Bob Shephard (tenor saxophone); Steve Lindsey (piano, Wurlitzer organ, keyboards, shaker); Keith Ciancia (piano, keyboards, bass synthesizer, Moog synthesizer); Billy Childs Trio (piano); Jim Cox (Fender Rhodes piano, organ, keyboards); Mark Goldenberg (keyboards, drum programming); Chuck Berghofer (acoustic bass); Abe Laboriel, Jr. (drums, hi-hat); Joey Waronker (drums); Lenny Castro (bongos, percussion). Audio Mixer: Dave Way. Recording information: Bill Schnee Studios, N. Hollywood, CA; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Ocean Way Studios, Hollywood, CA; Sunset Sound Studios, Los Angeles, CA; The Green Room, Los Feliz, CA; The Lab, Santa Monica, CA; World Famous Flamingo Studios, Los Angeles, CA. Photographer: Fabrizio Ferri. Chris Botti's sixth album is a wonderfully, even perfectly crafted group of originals and covers that accent his deep crossover appeal as both a jazz and pop musician. Botti's phrasing is very keen, uncanny in the way it works with simple rhythmic structures, and his tone is rich and warm. His use of keyboards and drum loops is pretty much up to the minute in terms of its hip factor, and his arrangements appeal to serious jazz fans and are something akin to blessed-out ecstasy to smooth jazz aficionados. Therein also lies the problem. Botti hasn't significantly developed his sense of artifice since his debut album and, if anything, has delved deeper into its oh-so-cool bachelor pad faux elegance than ever on A Thousand Kisses Deep. The title track, a very moving song written by Leonard Cohen, is the finest moment on the disc. A spare guitar backdrop is adorned simply; Botti plays the melody in short, clipped staccato phrases for an entire full verse before the rhythm section enters. The effect is haunting, lushly romantic, and full of a sensual warmth that is as spooky as it is silky. The spare keyboards and brushed drums offer the song as something slightly Latin (thanks to the gorgeous guitar playing by Dean Parks). It could have been the love theme in Robert Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico -- yes, it really does feel slightly mariachi! Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love," despite a marvelous vocal by Chantal Kreviazuk, suffers from cute syndrome -- as does "The Last Three Minutes," another Bacharach tune. The straight pop stuff, such as "Ever Since We Met" with Bridget Benenate's breathy vocals, work very well. Botti's solo entwines the refrain and carries the singer's voice along into the ether. A duet with pianist Billy Childs on "My Funny Valentine" feels a tad stilted, but there is great tension resolution in the third chorus. "If I Could," another original, with the great Smokey Hormel on guitar in addition to Parks, is a true mood-setter. Smoky, slightly steamy with just a hint of a funk backdrop and Botti whispering through the pastel keyboard sounds with his own shade of deep blue and gauzy elegance, it's the babymaker on the album. In all, as with each of Botti's recordings, there is nothing inherently wrong here, and the formula is successful; it's one of the better mood records out there, but it's still formula, contrived and calculated to establish and keep the listener paying some degree of attention, but not too much. ~ Thom Jurek

"Ken Burns Jazz: The Story of America's Music [Box]" (11/14/2000) Jazz Instrument Various Artists, Legacy RecordingsCompilation producers include: Ken Burns, Steve Berkowitz, Sarah Botstein, Michael Cuscuna, Peter Miller. Includes liner notes by Geoffrey C. Ward, Michael Cuscuna, and Loren Schoenberg. Digitally remastered by Seth Foster and Mark Wilder (Sony Studios, New York, New York) and Kevin Reeves (Universal Mastering Studios-East, Edison, New Jersey). This is part of the Columbia/Legacy Ken Burns JAZZ series. Personnel: Jimmy Garrison (vocals, chant); Mississippi Fred McDowell (vocals, guitar); Charles Gaylord (vocals, violin); Chano Pozo (vocals, congas); Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Eberie, Irene Daye, Jack Fulton, Marion Hutton, Baby Cox, Charles Mingus, Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby (vocals); "Big" Mike McKendrick (guitar, banjo); Eddie Durham (guitar, trombone); Danny Barker , Eddie Lang, Eric Gale, Ernest Ashley, Freddie Green, Will Johnson, Al Avola, Richard Fisher , Al Norris, Lawrence Lucie, Leroy Berry, Paul Chapman, Jimmy Miller , John McLaughlin , Lonnie Johnson, Ray Biondi, Pierre Ferret, Al Casey, Jimmy McLin, Bobby Johnson, Charlie Byrd (guitar); Kevin Breit (electric guitar, banjo); Charlie Christian (electric guitar); Fred Guy (banjo, tuba); Bill Johnson, Buddy Christian , Mancy Carr, Tony Gattuso, Charlie Dixon (banjo); Bronislaw Gimpel, Oscar Madera, Kurt Dieterle, Mario Perry, Carroll Dickerson, Milton Lomask, Joseph Malin, Matty Malneck, St?phane Grappelli, Harold Kohon, David Nadien, Max Hollander, Max Ellen, Harry Lookofsky (violin); Frank Brieff, Al Brown (viola); Frank Miller , Charles McCracken (cello); Wayman Carver (flute, tenor saxophone); Calvin Jones (piccolo); Don Cherry , Thomas Morris (cornemuse); Heine Beau, Eddie Barefield, Hal McLean, Garvin Bushell, Hal McIntyre, Chet Hazlett, Albert Nicholas, Charlie Holmes (clarinet, alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins, Rube Crozier, Sam Musiker (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Ernie Caceres, Harry Carney (clarinet, baritone saxophone); Darnell Howard, Edmond Hall, Jimmy Dorsey, Joe Darensbourg, Johnny Dodds, Peanuts Hucko, Rudy Jackson, Barney Bigard, Benny Goodman, Buster Bailey (clarinet); Mitch Miller (oboe); Jes£s Hern ndez, Arturo Ayala, Antonio Gonzales (reeds); Ornette Coleman (saxophone); Otto Hardwick, Sidney Bechet (soprano saxophone); George Koenig, Lester Boone, Dan Grissom, Eustis Moore, Eric Dolphy, Howard E. Johnson , George James, Jackie Fields, Bert Curry, Hilton Jefferson, Ed Brown , Manny Gershman, Ernie Powell, Jimmy Powell , Johnny Hodges, Lee Konitz, Louis Jordan, Russell Procope, Toots Mondello, Paul Desmond, Hank Freeman, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker (alto saxophone); Stanley Payne, Ronnie Perry , Dexter Gordon, Dick Clark , Kenneth Hollon, Walter Bates, Hank Mobley, Herschel Evans, Joe Gayles, Stan Getz, Teddy Hill, Teddy McRae, Tex Beneke, Tony Pastor, Vido Musso, Al Klink (tenor saxophone); Gerry Mulligan, Earl Carruthers, Phil Bodner (baritone saxophone); Louis Armstrong (trumpet, cornet, piano); Frank De Broit, Jake "Vernon" Porter (trumpet, cornet); Chet Baker , Manny Klein, Nate Kazebier, Clyde Hurley, Joe Keyes, Elmer Chambers, Dizzy Gillespie, Doc Cheatham, Ed Lewis, Leigh Knowles, Chuck Peterson, Clarence Brereton, Freddie Jenkins, Homer Hobson, Demas Dean, Jimmy Blake, John Best , Harry "Sweets" Edison, Harry James, Otis Johnson, Henry "Red" Allen, Henry Busse, Hot Lips Page, Charlie Margulis, Herbie Jones, Dale McMickle, Claude Bowen, Kenny Dorham, Marcus Belgrave, Mario Bauz , Mercer Ellington, Miles Davis, Sy Oliver, Taft Jordan, Ted Curson, William Cat Anderson, Zilner Randolph, Wendell Culley, Louis Metcalf, Wallace Jones, Bubber Miley, Buck Clayton, Bunny Berigan (trumpet); George Mitchell, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, Bobby Hackett (cornet); Bill Rank, Jack Lacey, Al Mastern, Joseph Nanton, Eddie Edwards, George Arus, Russell Bowles, Herb Fleming, Honore Dutrey, Chester Burrill, Ward Andrews, Eddie Crumbley, Dave Jacobs, Amos Gillard, Boyce Cullen, J.C. Higginbotham, J.J. Johnson , Jay Kelliher, Wilbur Hall, Ted Kelly, Earl Hardy, John Mayfield, Keg Johnson, Kid Ory, Lawrence Brown , Murray McEachern, Rafael Hern ndez, Ar

"Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown [Remaster]" (02/29/2000) Jazz Instrument Vaughan, Sarah, Verve (USA)Personnel: Sarah Vaughan (vocals); Ernie Wilkins (arranger); Paul Quinichette (tenor saxophone); Clifford Brown (trumpet); Herbie Mann (flute); Jimmy Jomes (piano); Joe Benjamin (bass); Roy Haynes (drums). Producer: Bob Shad. Reissue producers: Richard Seidel, Paul Ramey. Recorded December 16 and 18, 1954, in New York. Originally released at Emarcy (36004). Includes liner notes by Michael Bourne. Digitally remastered by Kiyoshi Tokiwa. Personnel: Sarah Vaughan (vocals); Ernie Wilkins (arranger); Paul Quinichette (tenor saxophone); Clifford Brown (trumpet); Herbie Mann (flute); Jimmy Jomes (piano); Joe Benjamin (bass); Roy Haynes (drums). Producer: Bob Shad. Reissue producers: Richard Seidel, Paul Ramey. Recorded December 16 and 18, 1954, in New York. Originally released at Emarcy (36004). Includes liner notes by Michael Bourne. Personnel: Clifford Brown (trumpet); Sarah Vaughan (vocals); Herbie Mann (flute); Paul Quinichette (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Jones (piano); Roy Haynes (drums, snare drum). Audio Remixer: Kiyoshi Tokiwa. Liner Note Authors: Michael Ullman; Michael Bourne. Recording information: Fine Sound, New York, NY (12/16/1954/12/18/1954); New York, NY (12/16/1954/12/18/1954). Photographer: William Claxton. Arranger: Ernie Wilkins. This album joined the talents of legendary jazz singer Sarah Vaughan with those of 24-year-old wonder-trumpeter Clifford Brown for a December, 1954 released on Mercury Records subsidiary EmArcy. A warm and welcoming hiss washes over this album, giving it a graceful, familiar patina. One feels like a privileged listener let in on an intimate closed session. Brown's playing is sharp and confident throughout, and at times even bears a bit of a racy, histrionic edge. But it is clearly Vaughan who steals the show in this set. The opening and closing strains of "Jim" demonstrate her peerless intonation, as her voice blends with the rest of the instruments to create a mellifluous whole. On "Lullaby of Birdland," Vaughan wallows around her soupy lower register only seconds before breaking into some bebop maneuvering. It is interesting to listen to what kind of interpretive character her tight vibrato and winsome pitch-modulation bring to standards like "September Song," and the Gershwins' "Embraceable You." This is a thoroughly representative collection from one of jazz's all-time greats.

"Ah Via Musicom" (03/20/1990) Jazz Instrument Johnson, Eric (Guitar 1), Capitol/EMI RecordsPersonnel: Eric Johnson (vocals, guitar, lap steel guitar, electric sitar, piano); Steven Hennig (guitar); Wee Willie (harmonica); Steve Barber (synthesizer); Roscoe Beck, Kyle Brock, Reggie Witty (bass); Tommy Taylor (drums); Paul Bissell, James Fenner (percussion); Jody Lazo (background vocals). Recorded between March 1988 and June 1989. After being overlooked on his debut, Tones, guitarist Eric Johnson burst onto the airwaves with the surprising hit "Cliffs of Dover." Armed with excellent chops and a clear tone, Johnson took a tired formula and made it sound fresh again. Despite his talents on the fret board, he plays with great restraint and chose to explore a variety of styles, including rock, pop, blues, country, and jazz. While his singing is not quite as interesting as his guitar playing, it is not obtrusive and is at times quite pleasing. This recording has reached near-classic proportions within the guitar community. ~ Robert Taylor

"Getz/Gilberto [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster]" (05/20/1997) Jazz Instrument Gilberto, Joao, Polygram (Japan)Personnel: Joao Gilberto (vocals, guitar); Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Astrud Gilberto (vocals); Antonio Carlos Jobim (guitar, piano); Milton Banana (drums). Recording information: New York, NY (03/18/1963/03/19/1973). The record that started the bossa nova craze of the mid-'60s, GETZ-GILBERTO is a justly recognized classic. The disc's success is attributable to its spectacular personnel: the man who basically invented bossa nova, Antonio Carlos Jobim; the man who defined and perfected the genre, Joao Gilberto; his charmingly waifish-sounding wife, Astrud Gilberto; and American tenor saxophonist extraordinaire Stan Getz. Jobim plays guitar and piano; Getz provides remarkably lyrical, complementary lead lines, and Joao Gilberto plays and sings in Portuguese with the most understated, romantic, and artful vocal delivery imaginable. It's a hard combination to beat. Opening track "The Girl From Ipanema," a breezy, infectious Jobim composition with vocals by both Joao and Astrud, became one of the biggest (and most recognizable) hits of the era, and the single most popular Brazilian tune in America. The exquisite shuffle "Desafinado," the Joao-Astrud duet "Corcovado," and the eminently grooving "So Danco Samba" have gone on to become standards of both bossa nova and jazz, and the versions here are definitive. Getz's sensitive playing blends seamlessly with the deceptively casual rhythmic sophistication of Jobim, Gilberto, and percussionist Milton Banana. The material, the musicianship, and the gentle, minimal arrangements and production ensure that GETZ/GILBERTO will never date, age, or tire. It's a perfect album. One of the biggest-selling jazz albums of all time, not to mention bossa nova's finest moment, Getz/Gilberto trumped Jazz Samba by bringing two of bossa nova's greatest innovators -- guitarist/singer Joao Gilberto and composer/pianist Antonio Carlos Jobim -- to New York to record with Stan Getz. The results were magic. Ever since Jazz Samba, the jazz marketplace had been flooded with bossa nova albums, and the overexposure was beginning to make the music seem like a fad. Getz/Gilberto made bossa nova a permanent part of the jazz landscape not just with its unassailable beauty, but with one of the biggest smash hit singles in jazz history -- "The Girl from Ipanema," a Jobim classic sung by Joao's wife, Astrud Gilberto, who had never performed outside of her own home prior to the recording session. Beyond that, most of the Jobim songs recorded here also became standards of the genre -- "Corcovado" (which featured another vocal by Astrud), "So Dan?o Samba," "O Grande Amor," a new version of "Desafinado." With such uniformly brilliant material, it's no wonder the album was such a success but, even apart from that, the musicians all play with an effortless grace that's arguably the fullest expression of bossa nova's dreamy romanticism ever brought to American listeners. Getz himself has never been more lyrical, and Gilberto and Jobim pull off the harmonic and rhythmic sophistication of the songs with a warm, relaxed charm. This music has nearly universal appeal; it's one of those rare jazz records about which the purist elite and the buying public are in total agreement. Beyond essential. [The CD was also released with bonus tracks.] ~ Steve Huey

"No. 1 Smooth Jazz Radio Hits [Shanachie #1]" (01/20/2004) Jazz Instrument Various Artists, Shanachie RecordsPersonnel: Carmen Cuesta (vocals, spoken vocals); Alfonzo Blackwell (vocals); Chieli Minucci (guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, programming, drum programming); Chuck Loeb (guitar, keyboards, drum programming, percussion programming); Jeff Lockhart, Evan Marks, Bubba Jones, Allen Hinds (guitar); David Mann (flute, saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, keyboards, drum programming); Nestor Torres (flute); Jeff Kashiwa, Walter Beasley (saxophone); Kim Waters (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, keyboards, drum programming); Tony Guerrero, Barry Danielian (trumpet); Dave Darlington (keyboards, programming); Kavin Hoo (keyboards, drum programming); Dave Kochanski, Andrew Sherman, Carl Evans, Jr. (keyboards); Kevin Koch (drums, drum programming); Ricky Lawson, Lionel Cordew, Bernard Davis (drums); Daniel Sadownick, David Charles, Tom Aros (percussion). Photographer: Anthony Barboza. No. 1 Smooth Jazz Radio Hits is a ten-song collection of mellow and thoroughly modern jazz sounds featuring some of the big-name artists recording for Shanachie and Narada Jazz. Most of the tracks, like Chieli Minucci's "My Girl Sunday," Chuck Loeb's "Sarao," and Kim Waters' "Waterfall," get bogged down in overly programmed rhythms and bland, clich?d dance music atmospherics and are nothing but the kind of background music you are likely to hear while on hold with the power company. A couple of the tracks manage to escape the gloom by delving deeply into the funky end of smooth jazz: the Urban Knights' bubbling cover of R&B staple "Hi-Heel Sneakers" and Nestor Torres' grooving take on Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" are fun and almost exciting. Strip away the synths and they might even pass for jazz. ~ Tim Sendra

"Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2 [2001 Bonus Tracks] [Remaster]" (07/31/2001) Jazz Instrument Monk, Thelonious, Blue Note Records (USA)Personnel: Thelonious Monk (piano); Sahib Shihab, Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone); Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone); Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Nelson Boyd, Al McKibbon (bass); Art Blakey, Max Roach (drums). Producer: Alfred Lion. Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna. Recorded at WOR Studios, New York, New York on July 23, 1951 and May 30, 1952. Originally released on Bluenote (1511). Includes liner notes by Bob Blumenthal. Digitally remastered by Rudy Van Gelder. This is part of Blue Note's Rudy Van Gelder Editions series. Personnel: Thelonious Monk (piano); Kenny "Pancho" Hagood (vocals); Lou Donaldson, Sahib Shihab, Danny Quebec West (alto saxophone); Billy Smith , Lucky Thompson, Bill Smith (tenor saxophone); Idrees Sulieman, Kenny Dorham, George Taitt (trumpet); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Max Roach, Art Blakey, Shadow Wilson (drums). Liner Note Authors: Ira Gitler; Bob Blumenthal. Recording information: WOR STudios, New York, NY (07/23/1951-05/30/1952). Photographer: Francis Wolff. The music of pianist/composer Thelonious Monk has always inspired profound devotion amongst the hippest fans and musicians. Swing ear stars such as Coleman Hawkins and Cootie Williams were among his earliest and most vocal admirers, while Monk's influence on Bud Powell, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane (among others) was profound. As a result, his remarkable body of written work and recordings form an aesthetic cornerstone of modern jazz. And yet, because of the challenging nature of his music, his fabled personal eccentricities, and some trumped-up criminal charges which cost him his cabaret card (essentially denying him the opportunity to perform in any New York City establishment serving liquor, between 1951 and '57), recognition and success were a long time coming for this American original. The works contained on GENIUS OF MODERN MUSIC, VOL. 2 are some of the most remarkable performances and compositions in the history of American music, featuring some of Monk's greatest collaborations. With its bluesy outline, classic rhythmic breaks and superb melodic contours, "Straight No Chaser" has been a jazz standard since Monk first introduced it with this recording. Art Blakey's animated 12-bar intro sets a perfect tempo with an implied triplet feeling, as Monk's solo proceeds directly from Al McKibbon's sturdy two-beat pulse and the drummer's polyrhythmic proddings. Monk's laid-back groove belies the fierce tension his rhythmic gamesmanship, percussive dissonances, pregnant pauses, horn-like phrases and bluesy bent tones impart. All Monk tunes are full of teasing interactive themes and startling structural contrasts. As an accompanist, Monk doesn't simply feed vibraphone soloist Milt Jackson chordal backgrounds on the jagged "Criss Cross"--he enunciates a secondary theme of orchestral gravity. And few musicians are willing or able to take on the daunting melodic and rhythmic challenges of such abstract sculptures as the zig-zagging "Four In One," the skittering "Skippy," and the convoluted "Hornin' In" and "Sixteen." On the second volume in this two-disc series Thelonious Monk has come fully into his own as a leader. The program consists almost entirely of original compositions, and in fact it opens with two of his most difficult: "Four in One" (with its conventional bop intro that leads into a bizarre, repeated five-against-two quintuplet sequence) and the forbiddingly abstract "Criss Cross." Get through those and you'll eventually be rewarded with the relatively straightforward, blues-based "Straight No Chaser" and the sweet ballad "Ask Me Now," among other treats. Sidemen include the young trumpeter Kenny Dorham and bassist Al McKibbon, as well as a more clued-in Art Blakey and (replacing Blakey on half of the program) Max Roach. Sahib Shihab's sax tone is more appropriate this time out, and the production quality is somewhat better. This disc, along with Volume 1, belongs in every jazz collection. [The CD reissue includes numerous alternate takes and features a chronological song order; thus, its program

"The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions [Long Box]" (08/23/2005) Jazz Instrument Davis, Miles, Legacy RecordingsPersonnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); Hermeto Pascoal (vocals, whistling, drums); Steve Grossman, Wayne Shorter (soprano saxophone); Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet); Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea (electric piano, organ); Keith Jarrett (electric piano); Sonny Sharrock, John McLaughlin (guitar); Dave Holland (acoustic & electric basses); Ron Carter (acoustic bass); Michael Henderson, Gene Perla (electric bass); Jack DeJohnette, Billy Cobham, Lenny White (drums); Airto Moreira (percussion). Recorded at Columbia Studios, New York, New York between February & June 1970. Includes liner notes by Miles Davis, Michael Cuscuna and Bill Milkowski. THE COMPLETE JACK JOHNSON SESSIONS won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package. Of all the Miles Davis recordings, the 16 weeks of sessions that created a single, two-selection LP produced by Teo Macero called A Tribute to Jack Johnson have been the most apocryphal. While the album itself was a confounding obscurity upon release -- due to its closeness in proximity to the nearly simultaneous release of the vastly inferior yet infinitely more label-promoted Live at the Fillmore East -- its reputation as the first complete fusion of jazz and rock is cemented. It also garnered a place in the history books for guitarist John McLaughlin, the axis around whose raw, slash-and-burn playing the entire album turns. The five-CD Complete Jack Johnson Sessions set, covering February 18 to June 4 of 1970, reveals that a revolving cast of musicians entered the Davis/Macero music and sound lab and made a series of mind-bending, often inspired -- yet sometimes maddeningly monotonous -- recording dates, where the creation of backbeat-driven grooves and short, rhythmic, rock- and funk-inflected riffs were the only ideas presented by Davis; everything else flowed freely, for better or worse. No less than five albums have benefited from these sessions: the others include Live-Evil, Get Up with It, Directions, and Big Fun. The two cuts that make up A Tribute to Jack Johnson, "Right Off" and "Yesternow," make up the last two selections on disc five. The arrangement of the session is basically chronological. Thus, there are not only numerous takes of a composition but insertion and remake takes as well. For instance, there are two takes of "Willie Nelson," two inserted "versions," and two remakes, all sequenced here in a row. Likewise is the strange genesis, deconstruction, and rebirth of "Go Ahead John," which appeared in this form on Big Fun. Still, despite the hypnotic grooves where already elongated tunes turn into monolithic groove structures, the historical importance of these sessions and the sheer listening pleasure they provide in doses cannot be overestimated. There are 17 previously unissued performances here, 14 takes, and alternates that have never been issued in full form! As a small example, the official unearthing of the "Duran" alternate take offers so much more in terms of different instrumentation (many alternates here provide this) and ambience than the circulated version that it is nearly a different tune altogether. The roots of "Right Off" and "Yesternow," which appear on disc three, compare to the final heavily edited versions on the album as startlingly different compositions. Evolution becomes not only the crux of the Davis sessions, but a whole new way of making jazz records. These sides reveal how, decades later, Davis's own playing remains firmly committed to the jazz ideal as a soloist despite the fact that McLaughlin and others such as Bennie Maupin, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Steve Grossman, Michael Henderson, Ron Carter, Sonny Sharrock, Airto, Dave Holland, and Hermeto Pascoal were essentially playing jam- and groove-based rock. The role of guitarist Sonny Sharrock is finally defined here. It has previously been discounted and provided endless grist for the Davis rumor mill how he was mixed out of the session. Yes, he was, but so was almost everyone but McLaughlin and Miles at one point or another. Check out