MILES DAVIS

When On The Corner appeared in 1972 critics panned it. The brazenly thick music, tied up in revolving arrays of cyclic electronic and acoustic instrumental colors, is certainly Miles’ most difficult music to approach.

For those who dare to wade in, the genius of Miles’ blending of his own personal jazz lineage with James Brown’s emphasis on bassline, Sly Stones’ funkiness, the classical avant-garde of Paul Buckmaster and free jazz of the era is made fully clear on these six discs.

The original tapes, finally presented unedited, were eventually cut up and appeared on albums like On The Corner and Big Fun. Old friends like Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock are incorporated with young artists like Dave Liebman and Mtume, but the transcendent joy of the set is in listening to Miles push his musicians to be creative within new contexts. The end result is as in-your-face as non-linear jazz-rock-funk can be.