Miles Davis- On the Corner

Jamin out on some psychedelic jazz son!

I have to say I absolutely love this album. It’s unlike any jazz album I have ever heard before. I love the repetition of the percussion, the distorted guitar sounds, and the simple bass line. It makes for an incredibly hypnotic sound. I imagine that at the time this album came out, no one knew what to think. Had Miles finally lost his mind? I think not, this came out in the 70s and Miles had his ear to what was gong on at the time- that being funk- and took his own elaborate spin on the genre.

It is very modal, taking the time to stretch and play with a key before evolving into the next, all the while keeping it’s double time tempo flowing. I read that John McLaughlin is the guitarist featured on the first couple of tracks and now it makes a lot of sense. I hear a lot of traces of Mahavishnu in there. “Black Satin” moves away from the harsher, urban sound of the first track and enters into a Middle Eastern groove. It kicks of with a tabla and sitar introduction and evolves into a cool groove featuring a repetitive high hat part, sleigh bells, handclaps, and a strange whistling melody that continue through out, while distorted sounds interject. The bass line on “One and One” reminds me of something Isaac Hayes would have been doing at the time, sort of like the typical black exploitation movie groove, it’s fat, distorted, and in your face. As the rhythm plugs along Miles gives tastes of wailing trumpet over top. “Helen Butte/ Mr. Freedom X” is the final and longest track on the whole album, and in a way encompasses the rest of the album. Keeping some of the rhythmic and percussive motifs, while blending it with a spacey keyboard part and Miles’ trumpet.

The highly experimental nature of the album is what attracts me to it. I love all of Miles Davis’ works, from “Birth of the Cool” to “Bitches Brew”, but what is awesome about him is his vitality. He continued to evolve and push boundaries, pushing expectations and musical forms, which to me is the mark of a truly driven musician. This isn’t something that I think anyone can get into, it’s all over the place and chaotic. But it moves seamlessly between different modes, grooves, and textures. It has quickly become one of my favorite Miles Davis albums.