Living Space: John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Free Jazz, from Analog to Digital

by Michael E. Veal

Examines John Coltrane's "late period" and Miles Davis's "Lost Quintet" through the prisms of digital architecture and experimental photography

Living John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Free Jazz, from Analog to Digita l fuses biography and style history in order to illuminate the music of two jazz icons, while drawing on the discourses of photography and digital architecture to fashion musical insights that may not be available through the traditional language of jazz analysis. The book follows the controversial trajectories of two jazz legends, emerging from the 1959 album Kind of Blue. Coltrane's odyssey through what became known as "free jazz" brought stylistic (r)evolution and chaos in equal measure. Davis's spearheading of "jazz-rock fusion" opened a door through which jazz's ongoing dialogue with the popular tradition could be regenerated, engaging both high and low ideas of creativity, community, and commerce. Includes 42 illustrations.

384 pages, Paperback

Published April 9, 2024

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cherry-picked this one to death. An analytical deep dive into post A Love Supreme Coltrane avant-garde extreme noodling/squawking and Miles Davis's legendary, officially studio-unrecorded Lost Quintet with some all-time ballers - Chick Correa, Jack DeJohnette, and so on is perfect for me on paper. However, and with all due respect to the level Veal was writing at, this was way too collegiate for me. There were symbolic comparisons to sculpture, architecture, and photography included here - not to mention the musical breakdown of key song passages that had me very confused and feeling unqualified to read about 1/3 of this. I dug in, focused on the essays that I could latch on to - which were magnificently written, by the way - and came away with some pretty solid takeaways. Yes, Coltrane was out there at the end (ever try sitting through Ohm?), and, yes, some of that early, barely pre-fusion Miles was intense, but it wasn't just random. These were two men playing with the best and pushing the envelope without fear of failure. They were reaching for the, perhaps, unattainable, and Veal captures that vibe very well here.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

it felt a bit like a textbook in areas, not that learning is bad, but some stretches were a slog to get through. I did like the connection with Jazz and architecture. not for the newbie jazz fan, maybe not for the casual listener. you will learn a great deal and gain a deeper appreciation of Coltrane and Davis during the years that they started Free Jazz