Paylist Week of 2015-07-18

* Miles Davis: The Bootleg Series Vol.4: At Newport 1955-1975 (Columbia/Legacy 4CD)

* Max Roach: Chattahoochee Red (Columbia LP)

* Bobby Hutcherson: Oblique (Blue Note CD)

* V/A: Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain’s Visionary Music (Universal 2CD)

* John Renbourn: Sir John A Lot Of… (Transatlantic/Lost Lake Arts LP)

* John Renbourn: The Lady And The Unicorn (Transatlantic/Reprise LP)

* The Strawbs: The Best of Strawbs (A&M 2LP)

* Steeleye Span: Below The Salt (Chrysalis LP)

* Tim Buckley: Tim Buckley (Elektra/Rhino Handmade 2CD)

* Tim Buckley: Tim Buckley (Elektra LP)

* Gentle Giant: Interview (Capitol LP)

* Yutaka: Yutaka (Alfa LP)

* Stomu Yamashta/Steve Winwood/Michael Shrieve: Go (Island LP)

* Stomu Yamashta’s Go: Go Too (Island LP)

* V/A: Have A Nice Decade: The ‘70s Pop Culture Box (selections) (Rhino 7CD)

* V/A: All Day Thumbsucker Revisited (Blue Thumb 2CD)

* Michael Brook with Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois: Hybrid (Editions EG LP)

* Bill Laswell, et al.: Divination: Distill (Sub Meta 2CD)

* Bill Laswell & Laraaji: Divination: Sacrifice (Meta CD)

* Jordan De La Sierra: Valentine Eleven (Global Pacific LP)

* Paul Speer: Collection 983: Spectral Voyages (Catero LP)

* Spencer Brewer: Shadow Dancer (Willow Rose LP)

* Free Parking: Disguise/Delimit (Bandelism LP)

* The Waterboys: This Is The Sea (Island LP)

* The dBs: The Sound of Music (I.R.S. LP)

* Let’s Active: Cypress (I.R.S. LP)

* Wally Badarou: Echoes (Island LP)

* Daft Punk: Random Access Memory (Columbia 2LP)

* Usnea: Random Cosmic Violence (Relapse 2-45RPM LP)

* Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (Interscope CD)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

I was expecting the next volume of the Miles Davis Bootleg Series would follow the chronological progression of the previous three and move on to 1971 and feature some of the several European radio broadcasts available from that spectacular tour. Well, we get that, at least in part, with a set from Dietikon, Switzerland from October 22, 1971 --  but only as part of a larger conceit: Miles at the Newport Jazz Festival, whether it was held in Rhode Island, New York, or overseas.

Spread across four CDs, we get Miles's historic first "comeback" from 1955; a performance from the Kind of Blue band from 1958; two spellbinding sets from the "Second Great Quintet" from 1966 and '67; the Bitches Brew live premiere from 1969; the aforementioned Dietikon show from 1971; a lengthy show from loud, electric guitar-driven 1973 band in Berlin; and, finally, a mere fragment from Avery Fisher Hall in July 1975, his last before disappearing into a shadowy retirement. It's a fascinating overview of how Miles's music changed so radically over those twenty years, from hard bop to avant-funk-rock and beyond. 

Some of this stuff has been previously released, but over three hours has never been heard in such stunning sound quality, making this a must-have for every Miles Davis head. I still wouldn't mind seeing a "Europe 1971" box for Volume 5 -- maybe even including a DVD again like Volumes 1 and 2. I know there's got to be killer footage out there from that tour. Whatever it is, I can't wait!