Filles
De Kilimanjaro and
In a Silent Way are two records that clearly lead away from
“traditional” jazz and into the “electric” jazz era for Miles Davis. The album
was released in 1969 and the title was a reference to a coffee company Miles
had invested in. Filles featured his quintet from the recordings
directly prior with two additional musicians. The musicians were Wayne Shorter
on saxophone, Tony Williams on drums, Ron Carter on electric rather than his
usual acoustic bass, and Herbie Hancock on Rhodes piano. The additional
musicians were Chick Corea, playing electric and acoustic pianos, and Dave
Holland, playing acoustic bass. Miles Davis was experimenting with taking away
the swing element in the music, at least from the rhythm section, and replacing
it with a more rock-based feel. Along with a transition in feel came a
transition in instrument choice. The horn section was using traditional horns,
but the rhythm section was altering their sound by using contemporary
instruments. Electric keyboards and basses start to appear where only acoustic
instruments had been before. Filles De Kilimanjaro is a snapshot of a
metamorphosis. It is a band in the midst of a change from one state to another,
and the record is a vital picture of the process.
“Frelon Brun (Brown
Hornet)” is the first track and it starts with the alternate rhythm section of
Corea and Holland. The melody is played followed by a blistering solo by Miles,
in which Williams not only holds down the time, but takes interjection and
counter statement to a high level. Wayne Shorter does not ease up on the second
solo, nor does Williams. It is only on Corea’s solo that we get a little
respite and that may be only because the tone of his electric instrument would
not fully cut a combative Williams. After a bit of a back and forth from Corea and
Williams the melody is stated again and the song ends. Speculation that Davis
was inspired by James Brown and Hendrix certainly makes sense when examining
tracks such as these. A solid groove is laid down by Williams and Holland, but
then Corea and Williams have an ability to comment and interject in an
energetic fashion an additional layer on top of that first groove. This gives
the music a rhythm and a pulse of rock, a straight meter, but the added layers
and complexity of jazz.
“Tout De Suite” starts
on a cool slinky and downtempo groove, but quickly moves to Hancock prodding in
an increased tempo which sets up a new energetic space. Rather than set up a
steady groove, Carter uses his bass more as an accompanist with random prods
and Miles once again moves in with an aggressive first solo. Shorter takes the
second solo with Williams pulsating time on the high hat. Hancock and Williams
seem to have a real connection, while Carter seems tentative in his electric
duties, or maybe his nontraditional bass role. Hancock’s solo blends pulsation
with flurries and eventually melts slowly allowing for the head to melt back
in. Williams shifts the tempo back up after the head for a finale that fades
out. The liquidity of the transitions and the ease in which the ensemble flows
from one state of being to the next are remarkable. It is a level of
communication which only comes with playing music for an extended amount of
time and a willingness to explore. “Petits Machins (Little Stuff)” has a
playful head and continues in the theme of having a unison head. Ron Carter
fills more space by holding down pedal points and Tony Williams sets up space
filling it with a chattering snare. Miles once again takes the first solo and
the main theme is never too far away. Wayne Shorter’s solo is a little more
exploratory, allowing for more space in reply from Williams and Hancock. Tony
Williams is the glue on this track. You can hear the trust in space and the
patience. A less experienced band might have fallen apart. Herbie Hancock’s
solo is next and consists of right hand runs with occasional flurries of chord
clusters. It leaves Williams plenty of space to frolic. After Hancock’s solo
Miles comes back in with a short statement of the head out.
“Filles De Kilimanjaro”
has a unison head with an ostinato (or repeating line) that both the bass and
keyboard double. The melodic statement is played a couple of times and then Miles
takes a solo. The use of one key lets Miles use more extended tones to get
tense tonalities at the end of his solo. Shorter starts his solo with short
bursts of notes and balances it out with longer tones referencing the main
melody. The main melody is then broken up with only bits played and Hancock
soloing in between those statements. Miles solos a bit more still referencing
the main melody strongly, and then the track fades out. This track has the
sense of anticipation and mystery which is only resolved by Miles playing in a major
(happy) key. That major key (or happy resolution) gives the song a strong
resting place and a good ending. Chick Corea and Dave Holland are back for “Mademoiselle
Mabry (Miss Mabry).” This song is rumored to be a reworking of Jimi Hendrix’s “The
Wind Cries Mary.” The extended bass and keyboard blues statement with Williams
playing sparsely over the top is like nothing else on the record. Miles gently
plays the head with subtle inflections and half valve expressions. Williams
avoids any steady beat and just comments on the toms with an occasional high
hat snap or cymbal roll. Shorter opens up his tone a little for his solo,
allowing Williams to increase his interaction, while Corea and Holland state
the framework. Corea’s solo is largely a duet with Holland, with Williams just
hitting the form landmarks and a few cymbal flourishes. Miles then comes back
in to play briefly over the cycle that will signal the end of the song, and the
record. Compared to the rest of record “Mademoiselle Mabry (Miss Mabry)” is
slowed down, simple, and starkly beautiful.
Filles
is a
suite of music. As with many records the cumulative force of the whole is greater
than the individual force of its parts. The groundwork for In
A Silent Way was
being laid on this record, which is one of the fascinating things about Filles. The drums are more pattern-based, although Williams has the
ability to still hold a groove and interject. The bass is working with ostinato
patterns as opposed to walking lines. It repeats a rhythmic motif to add a
texture and a mood. All the songs are in one key lending to a subconscious
cohesiveness that might only be noticeable to a certain segment of listeners,
but gives a certain feel and sameness to the entire album, despite the
individuality of the compositions. We can see detail and individuality in each
piece, but only within the whole is the deeper meaning and contents revealed.
While a traditional head-solo-head format is being utilized, within that roles
are being exchanged and Miles’s new catchphrase “New Directions In Music” was
being put to the test. This is a catchphrase that his albums would bear from
now on. As we near the 49th anniversary of the record we have the
benefit of hindsight to show us what a masterpiece Filles
De Kilimanjaro is.
Miles always had remarkable taste in sideman. The personnel of this album is a
virtual who’s who of jazz legends today. Each of them lead their own ensembles
and expose great new talent to the jazz world. All are still with us with the exception
of Miles Davis and Tony Williams. Just following any one of these band members’
careers after this album will provide a trove of great listening. This was
always one of the greatest gifts of Miles Davis, starting from his days of bandleading
on the Prestige Label - choosing bandmates with interesting voices such as John
Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock, and so many more that made his
music so rich. So when people ask me which is my favorite, Filles
De Kilimanjaro or
In A Silent Way? I say why choose? Love them all, don’t leave any
out. I guess it depends which one you love that day, but I’d love to turn you
on to Filles.
-
Doug Anderson
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