In A Silent Way

Description

Part of Mobile Fidelitys Miles Davis catalog restoration series, In a Silent Way now immerses the listener in lineolate landscapes starlit by the intuition, suspension, and paradoxes wrought by a once-in-a-lifetime collective. Mastered from the original master tapes, this unsurpassed digital edition lifts the veil on the cutting-edge assembly process that created the pair of lengthy suites. Helmed by three electric instruments, the beveled compositions melt away all preconceived notions of jazz, rock, and ambience, following a loose theory Davis dubbed New Directions.

Few albums are so delicately textured. And on Mobile Fidelitys meticulous reissue, such sulcate elements pour over ink-black backgrounds on a canyon-wide soundstage. In particular, Tony Williams inventive percussive touchhe causes the cymbals to shimmer as a pieces of silver tend to do when exposed to sunlightis broadcast with lifelike three-dimensional qualities, the panoramic view extending to Davis nocturnal trumpet, Wayne Shorters ribbon-unfurling saxophone, Dave Hollands extrapolative bass, and the mosaic of keys.

If the records only accomplishment is its introduction of guitarist John McLaughlin to the world, it alone would be enough. Yet In a Silent Way continues to bedazzle, puzzle, and inspire for myriad reasonsnot the least of which is the seemingly telepathic communicative methods employed by the groups members. The lineup is great on paper, but, if its even possible, the octet sounds even better in practice, with the instruments and tonalities conjoining in avant-garde communion like hyper-sensitive tentacles exploring the stippled landscapes of an undiscovered planet.

Diverting from expectation, tubular grooves twist, turn, and spin, sometimes piling atop of each other, always shying away from structure and melody. Ellipsoidal solos provide hesitant guidance, ranging from Chick Coreas Fender Rhodes phrases to Davis decorative spirals. And as color is the primary unit of currency on Davis Sketches of Spain, laidback episodes, geometric spaces, and quiet sensuality reign here, with the sets maverick reputation attained via musings on solitude rather than explosions of noise.

Controversial for the period, the heavily edited production of In a Silent Way blew open the once-locked doors on what producers could attemptand how artists could assist them. Knitted together as one would construct a cross-hatched quilt, songs contain grafts of repeat passages that provide unifying structure and experimental continuity. What a statement.

Features:
Hybrid SACD
Numbered, Limited Edition
Mastered from the original master tapes

Musicians:
Miles Davis, trumpet
Wayne Shorter, soprano sax
John McLaughlin, electric guitar
Chick Corea, electric piano
Herbie Hancock, electric piano
Joe Zawinul, organ
Dave Holland, double bass
Tony Williams, drums