jazz for punks

So I blew 28 bucks on a 5-cd Miles collection, this time of his earlier work - 'Round about Midnight, Milestones, Porgy and Bess et cetera.

For me that first Columbia record, 'Round about Midnight', has quickly become one of my favourite albums to listen to. This is jazz that a punk rocker can get behind - it's never afraid to usurp a couple of pop tunes, never afraid to play a simple progression, and it's driven by the sheer rhythmic energy of the chambers-philly jo rhythm section, who are the hardest swinging cats I've ever heard. The bare-bones aesthetic that Miles had here is the sort of thing I wish I heard more often. For an interesting comparison, put on Patti Smith's 'Horses' after this one.

adam