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The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991
"Very moving, emotional material."
-Gordon Meltzer, Miles's last road manager and executive producer of the Doo-Bop album
"An important book."
-Brian Priestley, jazz pianist, critic, reviewer, and co-author of The Rough Guide to Jazz
"Bravo! Thank you for telling it like it was!"
-Randy Hall, singer/guitarist
"George Cole's writing, his choice of references, his descriptions of many incidents---it is all so clear and respectful, and shows a deep understanding."
-Palle Mikkelborg, composer, arranger, and producer of the Aura album
The Last Miles is the first book to center exclusively on the music Miles Davis made in the last decade of his life.
Author George Cole spotlights the final period of Davis's career, when Davis emerged from a five-year hiatus. The focus is on the music Davis recorded and played and how it evolved in the eyes of the musicians with whom he played.
Thousands of new facts are uncovered, including a lost Miles Davis album, how Miles got into hip-hop, and how he worked in the studio and on stage. Cole devotes at least one chapter to each album Davis recorded during this period, and the full track-by-track descriptions contain the stories behind the songs.
Sure to satisfy the most serious Miles Davis fans, The Last Miles offers nearly 100 interviews with some of Davis's closest associates and musical friends, including Paul Buckmaster, George Duke, Chaka Khan, Branford Marsalis, Easy Mo Bee, Steve Porcaro, Wallace Roney, David Sanborn, and many more, as well as interviews with thirty-one of the thirty-six band members Miles had in this period, including Bob Berg, Robben Ford, Darryl Jones, Marcus Miller, John Scofield, and Mike Stern, among others.
In addition, the book includes new photos of Miles, a discography, details of unreleased material, Davis's guest recordings, soundtrack recordings, tribute albums, artists who covered Davis's 1980s music, compilations, and more.
-Gordon Meltzer, Miles's last road manager and executive producer of the Doo-Bop album
"An important book."
-Brian Priestley, jazz pianist, critic, reviewer, and co-author of The Rough Guide to Jazz
"Bravo! Thank you for telling it like it was!"
-Randy Hall, singer/guitarist
"George Cole's writing, his choice of references, his descriptions of many incidents---it is all so clear and respectful, and shows a deep understanding."
-Palle Mikkelborg, composer, arranger, and producer of the Aura album
The Last Miles is the first book to center exclusively on the music Miles Davis made in the last decade of his life.
Author George Cole spotlights the final period of Davis's career, when Davis emerged from a five-year hiatus. The focus is on the music Davis recorded and played and how it evolved in the eyes of the musicians with whom he played.
Thousands of new facts are uncovered, including a lost Miles Davis album, how Miles got into hip-hop, and how he worked in the studio and on stage. Cole devotes at least one chapter to each album Davis recorded during this period, and the full track-by-track descriptions contain the stories behind the songs.
Sure to satisfy the most serious Miles Davis fans, The Last Miles offers nearly 100 interviews with some of Davis's closest associates and musical friends, including Paul Buckmaster, George Duke, Chaka Khan, Branford Marsalis, Easy Mo Bee, Steve Porcaro, Wallace Roney, David Sanborn, and many more, as well as interviews with thirty-one of the thirty-six band members Miles had in this period, including Bob Berg, Robben Ford, Darryl Jones, Marcus Miller, John Scofield, and Mike Stern, among others.
In addition, the book includes new photos of Miles, a discography, details of unreleased material, Davis's guest recordings, soundtrack recordings, tribute albums, artists who covered Davis's 1980s music, compilations, and more.
534 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 13, 2012
This is interesting because it is, or was when I read it, the only book to focus on the last decade of Miles. Not even the 70s experiments, but the stuff Miles did after his 5 year hibernation. It's a labour of love from someone who had never heard earlier Miles, so it is unique and a fresh perspective. A book for the initiated, but anyone who is deeply into Miles should read this.
May 1, 2014
I think it's fair to say that I've read quite a bit on the music of Miles Davis. I've been listening to his music for almost 30 years. My introduction to his music was the albums he made in the 80s. Also all the concerts I saw him play were in that time as well. As I grew more familiar with all of the music he recorded, I listened to the 80s stuff less and less. This was a good book for me, because it made me listen to that eras albums again. If you are interested in the music of Miles Davis, this book is essential .
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews