Miles Davis may be the best selling jazz artist of all time, but throughout his long career the trumpeter and band leader was never content to stand still and reap the benefits. Hell no, here was a guy who had the desire to continually reinvent himself time and time again and push out the boundaries of this thing called jazz. He may have been a prime mover in his scene, but the man was always open to new ideas. So upon hearing the new directions in funk and psychedelic rock music in the mid to late sixties, it was time for a revolution. The result was fusion, and in ’69 he released the first truly important album of that genre, In a Silent Way. However, that release’s laid back motifs did nothing to prepare the world for what was coming next. 

In 1970 Bitches Brew was released, and pretty much blew the scene apart. A double album of electric jazz fusion totally improvised but sounding shockingly together at the same time. From then on he pushed the boat out further with every release from On the Corner to Big Fun and Get up With It, until burnt out in 1975, he hung up his horn and didn’t pick it up again for another fve years. Interspersed with his studio output in this period were a number of live recordings. It was Miles’ vision to take this new sound out of the jazz clubs and into larger halls to win over a new (interacial) audience — which is where this recording comes in.

Like all his live performances from this era, there was no written music, nor in this case as in many others, a set list. Instead Miles hired a group of young musicians who he thought could best interpret his vision. Several musicians came and went during this period, each bringing their own ideas and direction, but it was left to Miles to see the vision through and direct these players where necessary. Less reliance was placed on Miles’ trumpet than ever before, but instead he seemingly played the role of a shaman onstage and with it created a certain kind of madness. Recorded in March ’74 at Carnegie Hall, New York towards the end of his fusion experiments, Dark Magus really is something else. One of those rare live recordings which retains an amazing energy throughout its duration. 

Employing three guitarists, an electric bassist plus drums, percusssion, sax and the electronic organ and trumpet of Davis, this is one all encompassing groove, ebbing and flowing for 90 minutes (all track titles were apparently added later). Starting with Miles’ own ferocious horn fed through a wah-wah pedal, the way was paved for each musician to form their own ideas and seize upon each moment. Particularly impressive is the guitar of Pete Cosey, fed through an arsenal of fx, but to single out any particular musician would perhaps to be missing the point. Each of the nine musicians brought something to the party, be it James Mtume’s manic percussion and inventive use of drum machine or Michael Henderson’s unique rhythmic phrasing on the bass. To keep the energy level at boiling point during a 90 minute is nothing short of genius. Indeed upon hearing Dark Magus it is no wonder Davis was to shortly burn himself out and go into self-imposed retirement for five years. He simply felt there was nowhere left for the music to go. Dark Magus serves as an important reminder then of just how far Davis pushed the scene forward, with his influence able to be heard far and wide ever since. A forward thinking mofo if ever there was one.

Also worth checking out is his autobiography (written with Quincy Troupe), up there as one of the greatest rock and roll stories ever told.