Star People - Miles Davis (1983)
After a brief pause in the second half of the 1970s due some mental health struggles, Miles returned in the 80s with yet another new sound. This time, a lot of people found that sound befuddling. It was less heady and complex than a lot of things he’d done before, but I think that had to do with Miles re-discovering his form as a performer. If the tracks are simple, they also pull no punches.
This combined live and studio sessions from late 1982 and early 1983 with a slightly varying cast of musicians from track to track. All but one track feature bassist Marcus Miller, who would be a close collaborator as bassist, arranger, music director, and co-composer for the remaining decade of Miles’ career.
Two tracks feature the young and upcoming John Scofield blazing his way into wider prominence as a guitarist. His career doesn’t start with his brief stint in Miles’ orbit, but it definitely got him more widely noticed. Drummer Al Foster carried over from the 70s and settled into the chance to play this new, harder edged style.
Overall the record shows Miles’ new fascination with more accessible pop-oriented melodies, though he doesn’t skimp on the noisy electric funk, either. It’s an interesting document of what would end up being the last great transformation of Miles’ lengthy and transformation-rich career.
The Bootleg Series Vol 7 box set would feature an entire disc of outtakes from these sessions. I don’t know if I can recommend those outtakes that much, but I’m a big fan of the blistering live show from July 1983 Montreal included there.
