The 'Greatest Rock and Roll Band You Have Ever Heard': Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and Co. Merge Electric Fusion and Defiant Rock on the Funky, Freeing A Tribute to Jack Johnson
Sourced from the Original Analog Master Tapes: Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Edition 180g SuperVinyl LP Presents 1971 Landmark in Exuberant, Full-Range Sound Miles Davis' A Tribute to Jack Johnson is the best jazz-rock record ever made. Equally inspired by the leader's desire to assemble the 'greatest rock and roll band you have ever heard,' his adoration of Johnson, and Black Power politics, Davis created a hard-hitting set that surges with excitement, intensity, majesty, and power. Bridging the electric fusion he'd pursued on earlier efforts with a funkier, dirtier rhythmic approach, Davis zeroes in on concepts of spontaneity, freedom, and identity seldom achieved in the studio - and just as infrequently accepted by the mainstream. Sourced from the original analog master tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl, and housed in a Stoughton jacket, Mobile Fidelity's 180g LP reissue brings it all to fore with startling realism. Benefitting from SuperVinyl's nearly inaudible noise floor, superb groove definition, and clean, ultra-quiet surfaces, this 180g LP showcases everything - from the bold tonality of the headliner's white-hot trumpet solos to the decay of crashing cymbals, carry of wiry guitar notes, and echoes of the studio - in reference fashion. Bristling with exuberance, Davis' high-register passages explode with authority and commanding presence. Around him, a barrage of urgent backbeats, knifing riffs, and supple bass lines emerge amidst black backgrounds. One of the most prominent differences longtime fans will notice is how much more aggressive, immediate, and vibrant the music sounds, with those aspects central to the composer's original desires. Utilizing wah-wah and distortion, the go-to instrumentalist of the performances- guitarist John McLaughlin - attacks with a nasty edge, slashing style, and vicious streak that allows A Tribute to Jack Johnson cross the until-then-impenetrable divide between rock and jazz. Davis puts both feet in the former camp and erases any gap. The stories of the record's creation are nearly as legendary as the sounds within: Two sessions, multiple jams, different sets of musicians (several uncredited), and near-miraculous production perfectionism that made it all appear cohesive.