Filles de Kilimanjaro is that rare later period Miles Davis album where all the music has been composed solely by Miles Davis. Usually his albums graciously share compositional credit (with Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, etc.) or are improvised live.Since they perfected acoustic jazz with Miles Smiles and Nefertiti, the great quintet is moving in the direction of fusion. This music feels transitional, since there is electric piano and bass, and the drumming often sounds like a mix of rock, funk and jazz drumming, but the trumpet is still acoustic, and there are no electric guitars. In the future Miles adds more electric keyboardists, electric guitarists, and starts playing the electric trumpet with a wah wah pedal.
Filles de Kilimanjaro is like the twin to In a Silent Way, but with only one electric keyboardist, and where In a Silent Way is mellow, FDK is moody and fiery. Sonically, the music is very vivid. There’s the electric glow of the electric piano (twinkly in high registers, growly in low), the brassy acoustic trumpet and sax, the warm drum tones. Tony Williams is incredible and can play hypnotically or be very melodic; lots of snare/hi-hat with the bass used judiciously for emphasis. Also, since this is a smaller ensemble, each soloist gets lots of time in the spotlight, and Hancock/Williams/Davis/Shorter are constantly incredible.
Its moody; not just as in mysterious or calm, but moody as in tempestuous: the soloists play moodily, swinging between musical extremes of soft/loud, high/low, sharp/smooth, few notes/many notes, creating lots of drama. There are so many great musical passages, too many to name, each piece is full of them, from everybody. The extended length, suite-like, gives extra time for development and drama.
The composition parts themselves are awesome and varied; "Felon Brun" is funky and vampy, "Tout de Suite" is mysterious, "Little Stuff" also mysterious but not as dark, "FDK" is hypnotic, "Mabry" is funky but also romantic and even a little angry. There is at times interesting yet simple counterpoint between the soloists, and sometimes it sounds like all the instruments are countering each other, as opposed to the traditional experience where the rhythm section drives the melody instruments.
review by Heather Mackenzie — 4-8-03 —
