Miles Davis - Live in Munich
With over two hours of music, much of it brilliant, plus a lengthy conversation with one of music's more elusive characters,Miles Davis in Munichis a treasure. The music Miles Davis was making in 1988, three years before his death, was loose and funky, informed by James Brown as much or more than Charlie Parker, with covers of tunes by the likes of Cyndi Lauper ("Time After Time") and Michael Jackson ("Human Nature"). And if it wasn't the high point of Davis's glorious career, or if the musicians weren't giants on the level of Coltrane, Shorter, and Hancock (the best known player here is saxophonist Kenny Garrett), there is still some brilliant music being played, all under the guidance of a man who had arguably the richest recorded legacy of any jazz musician but who resolutely refused to look anywhere but forward. The 30-minute interview is interesting, but the music really does speak for itself.--Sam Graham