FILLES DE KILIMANJARO
FILLES DE KILIMANJARO Miles Davis, Columbia (CS 9750) Richard Walls
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Cuts: Frelan Brun (Brown Hornet); Tout De Suite; Petits Machins (Little Stuff); Fillas De Kilimanjaro (Girls of' Kilimanjaro); Mademoiselle Mabry (Miss Mabry).
Personnel: Davis, trumpet; Wayne Shorter, tenor sax; Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, piano, electric piano ; Ron Carter or Dave Holland, bass; Tony Williams, drums.
Some people haven’t been able to get to Mile’s music recently, myself included. There’s been a coldness in his music from Miles Smiles (CS 9401) to Miles in the Sky (CS 9625)—the songs were beginning to sound all the same. A brief enigmatic melody, a flurry of notes by Miles, subdued lyricism by Shorter and a usually too brief solo by Hancock. Occasionally, there were ballads which glowed a little, but not enough. Nothing like the fire and interplay of Miles Davis in Europe (CS 8983). The music was getting more and more abstract. Boring in its singularity. This record changes all that.
Side two of this record is incredible beauty from beginning to end. The group has definitely changed. By adding electric, and piano and electric bass, Miles has added a pulsating heartbeat to his music, a more elastic meter, —soft, warm, a beat which spreads gently through the room. The melodies and solos are all woven around this benevolent beat. The result js a rich tapestry, multi-colored and
profoundly human. Nothing cold about this record. ‘‘Mabry” is based on an elusive rhythmic pattern, lively stops and starts, which continue throughout the whole. song (about 20 minutes): It’s nice to see Tony Williams have so many spaces to fill. Miles seems more subdued than recently, no cracked notes or lightning runs. He sounds like he’s enjoying himself, exploring all the possibilities inherent in these songs (all of which he composed himself). Both Hancock and Corea are excellent, seemingly more interested in chordal constructions than linear ones (under orders from Miles?) Play this side when you get up in the morning or after sex or when you’re drugged, or whenever you’re at peace with your body (always? -- fine). Soft sound structures will permeate your mind.
Side 1 isn’t quite as fantastic. “Harnet” has an almost conventional funky melody, except that it possesses a characteristic of many Davis compositions of starting in one direction and then suddenly heading toward another. “Tout de Suite” is a semi-ballad, an exercise in refined anguish while “Petits Machins” is a throwback to Miles Smiles —a bit chilly compared to the rest of the album.
