Spanish Key (1970). Miles Davis

WORDSANDMUSIC blogs about electric guitar and jazz including the music of Sonny Sharrock, James Blood Ulmer, Larry Young, and also John McLaughlin on Miles Davis' Spanish Key from Bitches Brew:

Chopping guitar reminiscent of Steve Cropper over at Stax in Memphis as well as James Brown's rhythm section, driving drums, bass ostinatos, three electric pianos playing tag, Miles flying over it all beautifully...The recording sound is bursting at the seams with the inter-locking activities and clashing timbres of this band – it must have been hell to mike up, but the raw freshness slaps out at you.

While McLaughlin's playing excites and thrills amidst the hubbub, I can never get enough of Bennie Maupin's bass clarinet improvisations on this track and on this album. I don't know why I have not heard much else by Maupin (other than other Miles Davis albums and The Jewel in the Lotus from 1974). Amazon lists Driving While Black and a new CD Penumbra.

And the Guardian has a list of 50 albums that changed music. Davis' Kind of Blue is included with this quip:

Without this ... no ominous, brooding, atmospheric trumpet behind a million radio plays and TV documentaries.

wikipedia: bitches brew

Comments

[David Irwin]

Yes, Bennie Maupin is one of the finer jazz bass clarinetists. I only recently began to appreciate how much he added to Bitches Brew. Do you know his work on Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters?

[Robert Gable]

Hmm, didn't realize he played with Herbie Hancock. I have a Headhunters tape I'll need to dig up.

[Dean]

Bennie Maupin is very underrated. He's got a great sound on the instrument, and comes up with interesting ideas.

Maupin was also part of Hancock's pre-Headhunters group, referred to by some as the Mwandishi band, after the album of the same name. The group also included Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Julian Priester (trombone), Billy Hart (drums) and Buster Williams (bass). If you like "Bitches
Brew" era Miles Davis, you really should check them out.

There was a nice two-fer CD available of the stuff they recorded for Warners, but I don't know if it's still in print. Also, look for Sextant, Hancock's first for CBS that features the same band and was reissued on CD a couple of years ago.