Though he's revered for his work from the 1950s to the mid '60s, jazz legend Miles Davis spent the entire second half of his career--from 1967 until his death in 1991--exploring electric music. Running the Voodoo Down: The Electric Music of Miles Davis examines this quarter-century of musical innovation in detail and reveals its importance to Davis's career and to music and culture in America and around the world. According to Milo Miles, music reviewer, “Fresh Air with Terry Gross” and contributing writer, Rolling Stone, “Miles Davis, finally made more artist than attitude in his most controversial period, gets his poly-fusion sorcery set straight here.”
Upon their initial release, albums such as Bitches Brew and On the Corner were met with utter confusion--if not downright revulsion--by jazz purists. But this book goes beyond the outrage to take a closer look at Davis's bold efforts to broaden his range and break the bounds of nostalgia. From an appreciative look at the widely reviled On the Corner and an exploration of Davis's “pop life” in the '80s, to his combative relationship with producer Teo Macero and the contributions of Michael Henderson, Running the Voodoo Down covers a fascinating breadth of territory.
Author Philip Freeman places Davis's controversial 1960s and 1970s albums in a new and different light, encouraging us to hear Miles's music alongside the work of Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and the trumpeter's own sidemen. Running the Voodoo Down offers longtime jazz fans and new listeners alike unexpected insights into Davis's unique genius.
Philip Freeman's writing on jazz, metal, and other music has been published in numerous magazines and newspapers, including Jazziz, The Village Voice, The Wire, The Cleveland Scene, Down Beat, Alternative Press, Revolver, and Metal Hammer. He lives in New Jersey.
Technorati tag: Jazz
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