…a hitherto unreleased collection of Betty Davis (Mrs Miles) recordings with McLaughlin and others of that Miles milieu.
I anticipate Johnny C will be very excited.
http://lightintheattic.net/releases/2429-the-columbia-years-1968-1969
New McLaughlin 1969 recordings in July!
This seems to be about music.
I think you are on the wrong site.
And they say satire is dead!
I love Betty, me. Quite a character. No wonder Miles married her, albeit for a short period. Who’s John McLaughlin?
He comes in Peace. So I’m not sure this site is the one for him…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b908YeAcEf8
Nah.
We don’t do that here.
Seriously, though (for a change), I spotted something about this earlier today, though I can’t now remember where. I was under the (presumably false) impression it was Miles sessions with various others including Betty. Mitch Mitchell & Noel Redding were mentioned but not Jimi. I’ve been told there are a few Miles + Jimi recordings on the loose but they are reportedly terrible wanky rubbish.
This looks very interesting anyway…
I might just pick this up.
I found an interesting item at the eel market – Mountain In The Clouds (also released as Infinite Search), by Miroslav Vitous. I’m sure you know about this, Colin. Also from ’69:
https://www.discogs.com/Miroslav-Vitous-Mountain-In-The-Clouds/release/1155451
Personnel: Miroslav Vitous [bass], Joe Henderson [tenor sax], John McLaughlin [guitar], Herbie Hancock [electric piano], Jack DeJohnette [drums – tracks 1, 2, 5-7], Joe Chambers [drums – tracks 3 & 4]. Produced by Herbie Mann and recorded at A&R Studios, New York, November 1969.
In spite of that line-up (and JMcL is all over the album), it’s strangely obscure. Here’s a representative Amazon review:
“Vitous then in his early 20’s, (and before being a founding member of Weather Report) gathered for his first solo album:
John McLauglin (pre-Mahavishnu)
Herbie Hancock (pre-Headhunters)
Jack DeJohnette (pre-almost-every-good-fusion-record)
and (slightly) elder stateman Joe Henderson.
All are under the influence of Miles. The result SMOKES, starting with Vitous’ playing unison on the (blisteringly fast) take on Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance”.! The instrumentation is electric, the music challenging without being completely free-form, and these players were at the top of their game.”
If this sounds like the sort of thing you might like, you’ll love it.
Yes, I do know it HP. I believe it was released in two different mixes: Infinite Search originally then as Mountain In The Clouds. I have the former. John McL also contributed guitar to one track ‘Water Lilie’ on another Miroslav album, ‘Purple’, in 1970 (also featuring Billy Cobham) released only in Japan (!?).
Miroslav and Cobham plus JMcL also feature on the 1970 Larry Coryell LP ‘Spaces’, which has a similar feel to the Miroslav albums (the distinctive bowed-bass thing), but adding EVEN MORE BLISTERING guitar – because there’s no two of them.
I don’t have ‘Purple’, but here’s the JM track – terrific it is too: