If you listen to Bitches Brew for the first time, be warned: it is a heady mass of new sounds and weird time signatures it’s disorientating and yet, it is an intelligent album that is momentous and is unforgettable. Despite the avant garde clothing, the more you listen, the more it makes sense.
Now I know practically nothing when it comes to jazz and I’m glad that Grella does as well. This volume in the series focuses on Miles’ role in the jazz scene, his evolution and love for pop music and his attempt to combine both jazz and rock in order to create Bitches Brew, the end result being a totally unique style of fusion.
Grella then dedicates a part of the book on the actual recording, which is fascinating and then the influence of Bitches Brew on non jazz musicians, namely Radiohead’s Thom Yorke.
This volume is another worthy addition to the superb 33 1/3 canon ( this last batch have been nothing short of excellent) and, at least, it helped me understand the importance of Davis outside of Bitches Brew.
This review originally was on Goodreads.
The Bobsphere 