Mademoiselle Mabry

Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Miles Davis (trumpet), Chick Corea (RMI Electra-piano), Dave Holland (bass) and Tony Williams (drums). From the album Filles de Kilimanjaro (1969).

Filles de Kilimanjaro is the last intervention of Davis’ second classical quintet, possibly the best team of musicians he worked with. It’s possible to hear how they break even with the post-bop that they themselves had advocated to turn it into something new. Davis wanted to play something earthy and bluesy again, and look for a new musical field. In the album we can find a music without great pretensions, with impulse, slightly funky rhythms and adorned with unusual and colorful flourishes, although it’s more focused than Miles in the Sky.

It’s in transition between Nefertiti, the highest exponent of the exquisite and refined post-bop, and In a Silent Way, the first consistent achievement of jazz fusion, although still in the gestation phase. But this is not an inconvenience, this middle ground between post-bop and jazz fusion of the late 1960s is gratifying in itself, since it’s possible to listen to great musicians find the foundations of a new style within jazz.

The rhythm section begins to play without any defined rhythm until Davis joins in to make his solo, as there is no theme. His phrases are calm and reflexive, since that is the atmosphere of the piece of music determined by Williams’ absolute freedom. Davis is in no hurry and glides along a sweet and relaxed melodic line enjoying the jorney. Next comes Shorter with a more lively and dynamic speech, including fast and meandering phrases. Then Corea follows playing in a lyrical and insinuating manner until Davis returns to perform some phrases and the rhythm section finishes the composition.