Thursday, May 8, 2025

Miles Davis - 'Stockholm Live 1967 & 1969 Revisited'



'Stockholm Live 1967 & 1969 Revisited' is a CD that features two shows recorded a mere two years apart, yet spanning almost a lifetime in terms of the musical presentation.  It nicely juxtaposes two Miles Davis Quintets recorded live at Konserthuset in  Stockholm, Sweden on October 31, 1967 and November 5, 1969.

Tracks 1 through 4 are from 1967.

Miles in '67

The 1967 show has Miles and his classic mid 60s quintet: Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums. This is my favorite band of all time! 

Just listen to how they make the special kind of creative magic that really graced Davis in a live setting at the time, as they soar over versions of "Gingerbread Boy", "Footprints", "Agitation", and "Round Midnight"

Tracks 5 through 9 are from 1969

Miles in '69

The 1969 show showcased Miles' more electric side, partly due to the use of an electric piano in the group.  Also, the longer form of some tracks marked a shift towards a more open and expansive sound, which would later define Miles' music in the 1970s.

The only players that remain in 1969 are Miles (natch) and Wayne Shorter.   Chick Corea plays both acoustic and electric piano, Dave Holland plays double bass, and Jack DeJohnette plays drums.  This is the so-called "Lost Quintet" on tour after the groundbreaking 'Bitches Brew' recordings sessions in August.  The 'Bitches Brew' album would not be released until April 1970.

Chick Corea plays electric piano on the opening "Bitches Brew" and on his tune "This" to close the set, while playing acoustic piano on the three Wayne Shorter pieces "Paraphernalia", "Nefertiti" and "Masqualero" in between.  Speaking of Wayne Shorter, he mainly plays tenor, but when he turns to the soprano saxophone, his sound is much like the distinctive Weather Report which would soon be assembled.

When I bought this CD, being unfamiliar with the "ezz-thetics" label (a division of the Swiss label, Hat Hut Records), I was somewhat leery of how it might sound.  However, to my surprise, the sound quality is superb.

For the freeload, tell us about some of your favorite bands, who made a major stylistic change, in a short period of time.

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31 comments:

  1. Bombshelter SlimMay 8, 2025 at 11:13 AM

    Off the top of my head I'd suggest the "classic" John Coltrane Quartet!

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    Replies
    1. BabsMay 8, 2025 at 1:51 PM

      For Trane, if you go by recording sessions as opposed to record company releases, he was in a constant state of change.

      Delete
    2. Bombshelter SlimMay 8, 2025 at 9:02 PM

      Golly (if I'm permitted an expletive) his work(s) and live performances in 1964/5 alone would be half a dozen careers in other hands.

      Delete
  2. erricoMay 8, 2025 at 11:59 AM

    Pat Metheny Group, Oregon,

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMay 8, 2025 at 12:27 PM

    Stones: Between The Buttons > Her Satanic Majesty's > Beggar's Banquet...

    BTW ever noticed how many Stones albums have BB in them? Between Buttons, Beggars Banquet, Black And Blue, Bridges To Babylon, Bigger Bang... Okay, so 5 of them. Still....

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 8, 2025 at 3:08 PM

      Below-par Beatles.....

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMay 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM

      Actually, let me add Aftermath > Between The Buttons. And Beggar's Banquet > Let It Bleed. All these are really noticeable jumps forward. After that, though... (faintly querying: not so much....??)

      Delete
  4. pmacMay 8, 2025 at 12:39 PM

    To me, the most obvious is the Beatles. 6 years between With The Beatles to Abbey Road.

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  5. BabsMay 8, 2025 at 1:54 PM

    Marvin Gaye went from R&B/Soul/Pop singer, to socially aware Hippie philosopher, to cocaine fueled dance floor (dare I say it?) "pussy hound". There, I said it…lol.

    ReplyDelete
  6. BabsMay 8, 2025 at 1:56 PM

    David Bowie went through a few changes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. notBobMay 8, 2025 at 2:15 PM

    Zappa's gotta be on the list!

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  8. ericMay 8, 2025 at 4:34 PM

    Lou Reed and, in his own weird way, Johnny Cash

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    Replies
    1. notBobMay 8, 2025 at 5:34 PM

      Johnny had quite a career & ended on an amazing journey into the darkness...I Hurt Myself Today....

      Delete
  9. Phantom Of The Rock OperaMay 8, 2025 at 9:19 PM

    Yardbirds, David Bowie, The Sweet, Pretty Things, Beatles, The Who, Elvis Costello, XTC (Dukes Of Stratosfear), Manfred Mann, Spencer Davis and a host of other that went from beat / R&B bands via Psychedelia to various flavours of rock music

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dr RobertMay 8, 2025 at 9:48 PM

    Dylan went from folk to full electric then back to country/folk in about 4 years. Also Fleetwood Mac were essentially three different groups in a ten year period.

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  11. Jim P.May 8, 2025 at 10:40 PM

    Fleetwood Mac seems like an obvious choice. The Who evolving from their "My Generation" album to "Tommy" could be on the list also.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jim P.May 8, 2025 at 10:42 PM

    Jimmy Buffett made a fairly noticeable change from his "Down To Earth" album to "White Sport Coat & A Pink Crustacean".

    ReplyDelete
  13. Al Jackson, Jr.May 9, 2025 at 3:00 AM

    Not a band but Al Green's Belle Album was jarring after all the Willie Mitchell Hi classics. Almost 50 years on I'm still not sure whether it's the best thing he did or the beginning of the end. Porque no los dos?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BabsMay 9, 2025 at 7:18 AM

      When 'Belle' was released, I was disappointed, but it grew on me.
      ¿Por qué no?

      Delete
    2. apaulingMay 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM

      "Belle" in relation to all soul music is fine, Al Greene can impart deep soulfulness, even to lesser material. But for my money, his classic sides, fronting the incredibly greasy Hi Rhythm Section, take groove to another level.
      Thanks for the Miles, Babs. We agree on this lineup being among his very best.

      Delete
    3. Howard GrimesMay 10, 2025 at 3:31 AM


      Belle live on TV
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCZkF3SEEY

      Delete
  14. BabsMay 9, 2025 at 7:12 AM

    Link
    https://workupload.com/file/hAtKDqWs5Tx

    ReplyDelete
  15. RichardMay 10, 2025 at 3:04 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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    Replies
    1. RichardMay 10, 2025 at 3:14 AM

      A number of bands, Underworld, The Shamen, Happy Mondays, quite a few that made the mid eighties conversion from Pop-Rock to Techno. Björk the Icelandic Chameleon Superstar.
      Beastie Boys, though they kept returning to their Punk roots, but the stylistic change/growth from Licensed to Ill to Paul's Boutique is one worth mentioning.
      One of those wave bands went from Southern Death Cult to The Death Cult to The Cult before it all went Cut (Dutch joke)

      Delete
  16. BucephalusMay 11, 2025 at 2:30 AM

    Ministry.

    ReplyDelete
  17. MrDaveMay 11, 2025 at 3:14 PM

    There was a big shift between '81 and '84 as a lot of my favorite bands who started as amateur (but creative) punk rockers matured and started making accomplished, landmark "Indie Rock" albums:

    Meat Puppets: "In a Car" ('81) > "Meat Puppets II" ('84)
    Husker Du: "Land Speed Record" ('81) > "Zen Arcade" ('84)
    Replacements: "Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash" ('81) > "Let it Be" ('84)
    Minutemen: "The Punch Line" ('81) > "Double Nickels on the Dime" ('84)

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousMay 12, 2025 at 1:33 AM

    I'm a little surprised that, to all the good instances already cited, I can add two. You've heard of The Byrds (wink, wink) and the shift from "Younger Than Yesterday" to "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" is legendary. They continued to focus on songs and a style of production that was not-just-live-in-the-studio. But otherwise, they went from a hip, pop sound to country (from rockers).
    Another group that evolved pretty fast at around the same time was The Grateful Dead. Comparing "Live Dead" to "Workingman's Dead" ... ... ... they are very different albums, with very different sounds! Admittedly, a live album versus a studio album is likely to show contrasts, but this went beyond that. "Feedback" to "Uncle John's Band" is a contrast of approach, sound, and attitude - yet, it was the same band and 1970 shows embodied something from both sides of the bridge.
    D in California

    ReplyDelete
  19. NicoMay 14, 2025 at 11:58 AM

    Genesis! And, to certain extent, King Crimson (although all encarnations were really different bands...)

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2025 at 3:56 PM

    tony williams
    herbie hancock
    my favorite steve marcus

    ReplyDelete

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