Bags Groove

Artist: Miles Davis & Modern Jazz Giants
Label: Ojc
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 025218624527
EAN: 0025218624527
ASIN: B000000YDT

Release Date: 1991-07-01

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Listmania:

Miles Davis Box Sets -- get his entire career in box sets
Focus: Trumpet (by Twos, Ones, and....Miles!)
Great Jazz Albums Turning 50 in 2004
Miles Davis 101
The Best of Miles Davis
I Can't Stop Listening To Miles Davis!
My Favorite Jazz Trumpeters
The World of Miles Davis;For Beginners and the Converted
Best Miles Davis Recordings
Trumpet JAZZ Alcuni CD per Giovani Trombettisti

Tracks:

Bags' Groove (Take 1)
Bags' Groove (Take 2)
Airegin
Oleo
But Not For Me (Take 2)
Doxy
But Not For Me (Take 1)

Similar Items:

Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants
Blue Haze
Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet
Miles Davis & the Modern Jazz Giants (20 Bit Mastering)
Milestones

Customer Reviews:

bags groove.......2006-12-20

miles' trumpet on the title cut(s) is smooth as velvet and well worth the price of the cd.

in his memoir, miles and me, quincy troupe devoted three pages to the title cut and concluded '...before miles recorded bags groove he had secretly gone to his father's farm in millstadt, illinois, to kick his habit. that's why he played so great, because he was drug-free, really clean.'

Davis Bags and Monk.......2006-07-16

Basically, the entire CD is excellent, but since two inital numbers (two takes of "Bags' Groove") are so much superior to the rest of the CD, I simply loose interest in the follow-up songs...
The reasons for this are simple - not only do the rest of the songs lack Milt Jackson ("BAGS" who wrote the first tune), on the rest of this fine CD Thelonious Monk is replaced by Horace Silver who (although a great player) is simply not that kind of genius.

The most bizarre thing is that Miles didn't like Monk's playing! He insisted that Monk kept his hands of the piano during the leader's solos! However, this is not so strange - great minds often disagree and, in addition to that, Miles' approach to the trumpet sound throuoght the greatest portion of his carreer (prior to his fusion-rock-electronics phase) is quite lyrical in nature. Monk's wry and cynical analysis of tunes he played is anything but lyrical.

Nevertheless, Monk sounds equally brilliant while soloing and while accompanying Milt Jackson (and he did a fine job as Clark Terry's sideman on another great album) so I guess he might have worked well with Miles as well, making this somewhat incoherent album quite historical...

hot swingin' jazz.......2005-08-06

This record is pretty hot. I've read all the preceding reviews, I do not understand how some people say that this record isnt in some way or another top-notch. Sure, this isn't like the Miles Davis recording "Kind of Blue", but I believe it wasn't supposed to be. "Kind of Blue" seemed to have a somewhat different mood and certainly backing players with much different styles than ones appearing here. I wouldn't recommend this record as an introduction to real jazz or to Miles Davis ("Kind of Blue" is probably best for that), but people who already like hot, swinging jazz and need not be introduced to Miles Davis really should have this record. I did not get the feeling that the quality of playing was any less than stellar. One reviewer seems to imply that because this material came from the Prestige Label which is known to pay the artists the day of the recording, the musicians were just trying to throw something together in order to make a quick buck to spend on drugs or whatever. This does not sound like a recording of this sort. It just might take a couple of listens to really start getting into it and interpreting it. Also, I bought a non-remastered version, and the sound is just alright, but I definitely suggest buying a remastered version of this CD.

The first two tracks (two different takes of Bags Groove) are just joy to listen to, and I could listen to those over and over. Even though he is not listed in the credits for some reason, Thelonious Monk is playing the piano on both takes of Bags Groove. His piano sound and style is immediately recognizable, and it is essential Monk, in my opinion. These two first tracks came from the Chrimas Eve jam session, the rest of which is on another CD called "Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants". I can't wait to hear that disc also because I love Monk's piano, and I want to hear more of the unique and rare Monk/Davis collaboration. Other tracks on the "Bags Groove" CD are enhanced with Sonny's sax and sound great. Track 3 is burnin'! The rhythm section (bass and drums) is amazing - it gives rock-solid backing to the great improvisations of other players.

Decent Early Miles with Sonny Rollins.......2005-05-08

This is a nice little album featuring Milt Jackson (Bags), on two takes of the title track. He is masterful on vibes, and it's a shame he didn't do much more on this release. The other tracks are pretty much fillers. One of my favorite songs from the time is "Airegin" written by Sonny Rollins (which is really just Nigeria spelled backwards). However, this version is nowhere near as good as the take on the album, "Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet." The latter version is hard bop and this one is a lot more tame. Honorable Mention goes out to "Oleo" but I would look elsewhere for early Miles.

If you read up on jazz history, you'll find out that PRESTIGE was a label for heroin addicts who needed fast cash to score a fix and it shows in the majority of the recordings I own on the label. Apparently, the musicians got paid in cash on the day of the recording, but were only allowed two takes at the most. There are some highpoints on the label, though, and "Bags Groove" is one of them.

All-star lineup produces classic.......2004-09-10

Unlike other reviewers on here, I consider this album to be a must-have for anybody's jazz collection. I have always given out Miles' "Kind of Blue" as a jazz primer to any jazz virgins wanting to get into the genre. Bags is another way to ease into jazz discovery. However, "Bags Groove" is an essential album for both the experienced and novice jazz fan alike. Milt Jackson's bopping, almost loungy vibes take us on a relaxing ride back and forth through the spaces while Miles' airy crooning is a perfect compliment. Monk almost feels out of place because when his piano speaks, it almost demands that you listen. This is why Miles asked Monk to lay out, to be sure. As an aside, the story of Monk and Miles almost coming to blows has been pretty much debunked by both sides. Monk wouldn't have been aggressive in a million years, while Miles said it best in his autobiography (paraphrasing): Miles was a scrawny thing while Monk was well over 6' and was an imposing specimen. Miles would have lost the fight before it began.

And for the earlier dolt reviewer who claims "Monk was never that good at his instrument (nor was Miles)," maybe you better tell that to the people at Julliard, where both of them studied. One doesn't just get into Julliard because their daddy's a senator. Another example is of Monk having another musician over to his house one day in the mid-50's. Monk opened his piano and began doing a dead-on Bud Powell impression, whose style obviously would NEVER be confused with Monk's. After a brief example of Bud's style, Monk closed the piano, turned to his houseguest and put his finger to his lips as if to say "don't tell anybody".

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