In A Silent Way

For a artist that has produced something in the region of 70+ Albums, and amongst that high volume of studio/Live albums, are some of the most inspired & Defining albums that Jazz music has to offer. So how do you go about picking the best of his work??......Well, firstly, do you have both "Sketches of Spain" & "Kind of Blue"..??, if not....then you need to stop reading this review and add those two albums to your 'Miles Davis' shopping list. Now I'm not saying that "Sketches of Spain" & "Kind of Blue" are the absolute best albums Miles Davis has ever made (Miles enthusiast's & Purists, will probably argue that's not the case). But what nobody can argue against is the fact that they are both not only perfect starting points for beginners & first time listeners, but also no real Miles Collection, can really be called "Complete" without them......so, have you got those albums now??, great!!....now we'll begin.

In a silent Way, is a perfect synthesis of Miles fusing Jazz, with the soothing and intimate solitude of warm electronics (Organ, Guitar), It almost feels like a wordless subtle folk album, that have been marvellously brought up to date for a more broad-minded audience. It's an album that's broken down into two distinct parts, with "Shhh/Peaceful" being the more reflective and intimate of the two pieces, it's truly amazing how the warmth of "Joe Zawinul's" organs creates a mood, in which there isn't a melody as such, not even a melodic frame as such by which everything musically hangs from, it's more a creating of ambiance and shimmering sounds. There are nothing more than grooves layered on top of another set of grooves which create dream like passages over which Miles contributes fragments of trumpet, to emphasise the mood. For me, this is Miles at some of his most restrained & delicate, and It's Miles and McLaughlin, sparing performances that seems to connect, breathing delicately from the trumpet entering into a level of hushed phrases and passages. The groove here is one, that this is dark & smoky, but never in a menacing or ominous way, it's probably has more right, as music to chill/ unwind to, as a Jazz music has any right to. As expressive as the finest electronica, and as graceful as the most beautiful ambient music, this has to be (in my humble opinion), some of the most affecting & articulate instrumental music ever.

"In a Silent Way", (Part two), although not quite a complete U-Turn in dynamics, feels more lively and the performances here are more invigorated, although not to the point of losing the subtlety of whats trying to be achieved here, more that (with the superb intergration of guitar), it gives the music a more open quality, like a piece of music with has no strict boundaries, yet feels coherent, with keyboards swelling to fill the gaps in the instrumentation perfectly and Dave Holland's paces everything along. When the first round of solos ends, and it remains arguably as soothing as the first half of the disc, just in a more engaging way, as the use of electric instruments feel more utilised here, to magnificent effect. And the way that the band swells in orchestration and then takes the tune and brings it down the barely more than a whisper with ethereal organ fading in and out of silence, is on occasion breathtaking.

For me (Personally), I have to say that this truly is one of the most breathtaking Jazz albums, I've had to pleasure to sit through. Nobody's saying for a minute that this is the best Jazz (or indeed Miles Davis) album, ever made. No, what I'm trying to convince you of, is the fact that this is a Jazz album, that is so utterly stepped in gentle ambience and downtempo moods, that it shows that not all music that could be considered "Chill-out" has to be from the Electronica Genre. Its manages to maintain that element of groove and toe-tapping rhythm, that only the best Jazz Music can invoke in a listener, but it's mood is so subtle & considered that it's more a rare form of contemplative mood music than it is Jazz. Sure, It goes without saying that Miles Davis fans (either Casual / Hardcore / Passing / general fans), must have this breath-taking effort in their collection. But I'd even go say far as to extend this recommendation to anyone that is either into Ambient, downtempo instrumental music, or Chill-out Electronica....that wants to try something a little different, as they really should allow themselves to sample this album, and I truly can't argue the case for this incredible album strongly enough.

In a Silent Way is usually overshadowed by Miles Davis' best selling masterpiece recorded about 6 months after In a Silent Way. It is really easy to understand why some people like the reviewers on this site rate this one higher than Brew. Take the song on the first side of the lp. Shh/Peaceful is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It has a very recognizable psychadelic feel to it, especially with John McLaughlin's electric guitar and Joe Zawinul's organ. This one reminds me of the Grateful Dead's Dark Star, an amazing journey to the stars and beyond. Miles' playing here is just about unmatched. Tony Williams(1945-1997) proves in his final performance with Miles that he is, was, and will forever be the GREATEST drummer of all time. What was that? Keith Moon? Never heard of him. In a Silent Way, the song has one of the most beautiful guitar solos I've yet heard and it's not even by Jimi Hendrix(1942-1970) or Jerry Garcia(1942-1995)! John McLaughlin was pretty much unheard of at the time of this album's release; but that guitar solo puts him in the top 5 of electric guitarists. The keyboard trio is just a dream team. Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Joe Zawinul! Put that in your pipe and smoke it! All three play electric piano and Zawinul plays awesome organ as I mentioned earlier. This is one of the most beautiful, albums of all time and is definately in the top 5 Miles Davis albums. Oh, and by the way, if you have about 50 bucks than I think it would be in your best interest just to pass this by. Why? You may ask? Because your the lucky B@$t@rd who has enough money for the Complete In a Silent Way Sessions box set

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This isn't the "first fusion album". This wasn't Miles Davis's first recording with electric keyboards or, for that matter, the electric guitar. He'd been experimenting with rock, soul and pop rhythms for over a year. And yet In a Silent Way really is a first. It's the first Davis album in a new, undefined style -- informed heavily by jazz, but already heading somewhere else.

It's also the last Tony Williams appearance on a Davis album. Supposedly Williams, who was starting Lifetime with organist Larry Young and guitarist John McLaughlin, was angry and paranoid at the thought of Miles poaching his star guitarist. So for most of the CD, he plays a very repetitive rhythm -- hi hat on the first half, snare on the second - except for one brief moment, which I'll get back to shortly.

McLaughlin isn't the firebrand of the Mahavishnu Orchestra or Jack Johnson; his playing is very circumspect and cautious, blending in very well with the triple-keyboard stew of Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Joe Zawinul. Dave Holland grooves along with those funky basslines he's so good at producing. It's a testament to these great musicians that they constantly manage to keep things interesting in a fairly repetitive setting and never get in each other's way. Aside from a few collective improvisations by the rhythm section, the only soloists on this CD are Miles, Wayne Shorter (playing lovely, snaking lines on the soprano), and John McLaughlin.

The music, like many of the recordings Miles would make over the next six years, consists of lengthy medleys over funky vamps. In each, the first five minutes are repeated via splicing at the end. That kind of repetition would be irritating in other contexts, but here it's extremely effective. "Shhh/Peaceful" is one of those pieces doesn't really go anywhere but offering a fun ride as it motors along; it can work as background, and yet teems with detail for the attentive listener. "In a Silent Way", Miles's striking interpretation of Zawinul's tune, is one of the most striking pieces of music in jazz history; first John McLaughlin tentatively stating the theme, next Wayne coming in on soprano, and finally Miles stepping in. Beautiful. Then the lightly funky groove of "It's About That Time" comes in. It slowly rises in intensity during John and Wayne's solo turns, setting up Miles for some of the best (and seemingly effortless) playing of his career. He paces the notes perfectly, and then when Tony Williams finally cuts loose... well, if you've heard it, you know it's one of the most exhilirating things ever set to tape. The repeat of the title track brings the album to a perfect close -- a return to motionless silence.

A lot of people associate Miles's electric music with lengthy, amelodic jams. And while some of it really is like that, those wary of albums like Bitches Brew and Pangaea might still like the subtle, melodic beauty of In a Silent Way. In fact, I think that this album contains the seeds to unlocking the mystery of those wonderful but difficult recordings. Try it out -- I think you'll like it.

Brilliant says it. This is an awesome album, so beautiful and lithe. Truly a shining example of Davis' genius. And still, not one of his more known albums. Play this, then mix it up with A Tribute to Jack Johnson, for some minimal then funky Miles. In A Silent Way is engaging, and profoundly peaceful. Gorgeous.