Several of the indexes are incorrect on a So What CDR:
Disc 1: For Dave (21:21); Turnaroundphrase (18:49); Tune in 5 (8:52); Prelude (10:30).
Disc 2: Ife (22:01); Turnaroundphrase (16:23); For Dave (18:35); Calypso Frelimo
(12:59).
In addition, the first 8:41 of Disc 1 repeats the end of "Calypso Frelimo" from
Disc 2. Listen for the splice in Disc 2's "Calypso Frelimo" (at 4:15); the remainder
of the tune is grafted onto the beginning of Disc 1's "For Dave."
Evidence for the date of this recording is confused. The Davis Septet was originally
booked for two nights at the Shaboo Inn: January 24-25 (Thursday-Friday). The former
owner of the Shaboo recalls that they didn't play on Thursday because Davis'
hairdresser wasn't there -- which leaves January 25 (Friday) as the date. According
to Dave Liebman, however, the music is from Saturday -- this is written on the tape
Liebman made from the stage. Maybe the group stayed over Saturday night to make
up for the missed show on Thursday -- although I haven't found any advertisements
or reviews to corroborate this.
It's also unclear whether all of this music is from the same night. The master
(a single 120-minute tape) contains two extended but incomplete medleys. The second
fragment begins on side A of the tape with the band warming up and ends about 9:00
into side B with the incomplete "Calypso Frelimo" listed above. The first fragment
begins abruptly in the middle of "For Dave" and concludes with set-ending applause
following "Prelude, part 2."
The presence of two versions of "For Dave" suggests that the music here is from
more than one night, but this is speculation.
The Davis Septet had a busy road schedule during this period: Shaboo Inn, Willimantic
(January 24-26); Massey Hall, Toronto (January 27); Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago
(February 1); Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis (February 5); Allen Theatre, Cleveland
(February 8); Allen Theatre, Cleveland (February 8); Masonic Auditorium, Detroit
(February 10); Keystone Korner, San Francisco (February 12-17); Club Etcetera, Washington
(February 24-March 3); Carnegie Hall, New York (March 30); Chicago Auditorium (April
13). I'm sure there are many other dates here, but I'm still looking for ads and
reviews.
A review of a Club Etcetera show begins by describing it as "one of the few local
engagements [Davis] has not canceled," and goes on to capture nicely the Septet's
performance: "His group is improvising, listening to each other, throwing phrases
back and forth. They are not working under predefined changes or chord progressions.
Neither are they being guided through the performance of a piece they have rehearsed
to perfection with the score in front of them. Davis is giving direction to their
improvisation, establishing a control that lessens the low points in communication
that high-energy improvisational music is prone to suffer from."
Another review, this one from Detroit's Masonic Auditorium, was less enthusiastic:
On Sunday, February 10, the legendary Miles Davis turned out one of the worst
performances of his career at the Masonic Temple in Detroit. It started out badly,
as Miles was an hour and a half late... When Miles finally showed up, things went
for the worse. His band was sensational, no, indescribably delicious, but Miles
appeared sick and possibly drunk and played out of key, and without energy. He
kept spitting on the floor, grossing the audience out. Amid catcalls and boos
(his pants were even falling down), Miles finally walked off stage, only to
return after heated arguments offstage and continue with a lackluster showing.
It's sad, too, as the other people in his entourage were remarkable in their
show, and also seemed irritated with Miles' unusual weirdness...
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