Miles Davis: Rubberband
Qobuz 96/24
Believe it or not, just released yesterday, this is a brand new Miles Davis album.
From Qobuz:
Recorded in 1985, these pieces were not strictly written during the trumpeters heyday. That year, Miles shocked everybody by leaving Columbia, his record label for over 30 years, to join Warner. The move was all the more surprising given that over the preceding few years he had enjoyed commercial success thanks to The Man With the Horn (1981), Star People (1983), Decoy (1984) and the rather commercialised You're Under Arrest (1985). In October, at the age of 59, he began recording a new album entitled Rubberband in Los Angeles with producers Randy Hall and Zane Giles. During the sessions the trumpeter took his playing in a radically new direction, incorporating funk and soul grooves into his music. He even planned on recruiting Al Jarreau and Chaka Khan for the vocals. However, the album was never released and instead Miles Davis turned his attention to working on his famous Tutu with Marcus Miller, leaving Rubberbands tracks unreleased for over three decades. But now, the treasure chest has been finally opened. The album was completed by its original producers - Hall and Giles along with Vince Wilburn Jr., Miles Davis nephew who played the drums in the original sessions. The eighties synth-drenched sound features a funk/disco rhythm section. In fact, some tracks, on which Miles is rather discreet, do not sound jazzy at all (especially those featuring vocals by Ledisi and Lalah Hathaway). In any case, it is impossible to listen to Rubberband, which was conceived with keyboardists Adam Holzman, Neil Larsen and Wayne Linsey, percussionist Steve Reid, saxophonist Glen Burris and drummer Vince Wilburn, Jr., without thinking about that very distinct musical period. Nevertheless, on themes such as See I See, Miles distinctive phrases are still as impressive as ever. And throughout the album he unleashes a few soaring solos. More than enough to satisfy his fans anyway. © Max Dembo/Qobuz