Star People (studio album) by Miles Davis

From Fischman 05/10/2020 01:14

Okay, people.... this is hot! The opening track kicks off with distortion guitar power chords and Caribbean percussion to great effect. In contrast to Miles' typical fusion work where the careful employment of silence and space are key, this is downright hyperactive; a sort of On the Corner made to rock harder and hyped up on speed. And it kicks ass. Miles employs two different electric guitarists on the album, Mike stern and John Scofield, both of whom totally nail it. Stern's work on the opening "Come Get It" is nothing short of phenomenal. I have a number of Stern albums, but rarely does he play with the intensity he demonstrates here. Sounds like another example of Miles getting his players to overachieve. Marcus Miller's electric bass is so solid as it rocks and funks out at the same time, again sounding like some of his best work.

But traditional MIles fans fear not. His trademark use of space reappears on the second cut and influences the rest of the album. The rock also gives some way to stronger funk (especially on "Speak")later on, and the result is stirring! The title cut is a deeply groovy 18+ minute hardcore blues which miles keeps fresh throughout with an muted but ironically piercing trumpet. This electric Miles remains electric in its intensity. I could recommend this album equally to fans of hard rock or pure funk as well as fusion and modern jazz buffs. This album fully exceeded my expectations and drives me to look for more post-Agharta Miles.