Miles Davis: Miles Runs the Voodoo Down Contents by Slide: 1. Contents/Cover 2. Bitches Brew 3. The Musicians and their Instruments 4. Mile’s Style 5. The Percussion and String Thing 6. The Genre 7. Miles Runs the Voodoo Down 8. Jazz Rock (Fusion) 9. Success to Tragedy 10. Interesting Facts 11. The Song as a Whole 12. References (Works Cited)
Miles runs the voodoo down
Aug 15, 2015
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- 1. Contents by Slide: 1. Contents/Cover 2. Bitches Brew 3. The Musicians and their Instruments 4. Miles Style 5. The Percussion and String Thing 6. The Genre 7. Miles Runs the Voodoo Down 8. Jazz Rock (Fusion) 9. Success to Tragedy 10. Interesting Facts 11. The Song as a Whole 12. References (Works Cited)
- 2. Bitches Brew Miles Runs the Voodoo Down is a song off of Miles Daviss Album, Bitches Brew, which debuted in 1969. The song features an ensemble of twelve musicians. These musicians perform by using only three brass and woodwind instruments. (Kamien, 2011) Picture courtesy of: http://www.afropunk.com/profiles/blogs/bitches-brew-miles-davis
- 3. The Musicians and their Instruments 1. Miles Davis Trumpet 2. Wayne Shorter Soprano saxophone 3. Bennie Maupin Bass clarinet 4. Lenny White Drums 5. Jack de Johnette Drums 6. Charles Alias Drums 7. Jim Riley Percussion 8. Chick Corea Electric piano 9. Larry Young Electric piano 10. Harvey Brooks Electric bass 11. Dave Holland String Bass 12. John McLaughlin Electric Guitar (Kamien, 2011)
- 4. Miless Style Miles Runs the Voodoo Down opens with a soft percussion beat, then easily transitions to an easy-listening sound of the trumpet. The sound of the trumpet is Miles Daviss solo. You can hear him sliding from one pitch to another. There is not a solid pattern or form that the music takes; it is a free flowing sound that varies from low register, to a rapid bebop, to high held tones. His improvised rhythm is beautifully integrated. (Kamien, 2011) Listen here:
- 5. The Percussion and String Thing Listen here: Most of the percussion and string section can account for the rhythm in Miles Runs the Voodoo Down. In the opening of the song you can here a smooth beat. You can also hear the jazz style. The percussion and string are a big part of the jazz genre.
- 6. The Genre Miles Davis is well known for being a jazz musician, but proves he is much more than that . You can hear in his song Miles Runs the Voodoo Down that he transforms into a jam king and just lets the music play through him, no matter when genre it sounds like. Picture courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Miles_Davis_24.jpg
- 7. Miles Runs the Voodoo Down Miles Runs the Voodoo Down was also released as a single due to its popularity. This song, along with Bitches Brew won Miles his loyal audience of both jazz and non-jazz fans. (Trutor, 2011) Picture courtesy of: http://www.northernvolume.com/miles-davis-miles-runs-the-voodoo-down-in-a-silent-way-7-vinyl-45rpm-single-xl-size-t- shirt/
- 8. Jazz Rock (Fusion) Miles Davis recorded and performed Bitches Brew and helped open up the jazz genre to a new form of jazz, called jazz rock, or fusion. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines Fusion as popular musical form in which modern jazz improvisation is accompanied by the bass lines, drumming styles, and instrumentation of rock music, with a strong emphasis on electronic instruments and dance rhythms. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013)
- 9. Success to Tragedy The success that Miles Davis obtained from his music led to a life full of addiction. Davis became addicted to cocaine and alcohol, which did not help his already existing health issues. Eventually he did quit doing drugs but the damage was already done. In 1982 he suffered a stroke and had to live with the after effects for the remainder of his life. In 1991 Miles Davis lost his life to a second stroke and a battle with pneumonia. Even over twenty years after his death, fans still praise Miles for his music. (Trutor, 2011) (1926 - 1991)
- 10. Interesting Facts Miles Runs the Voodoo Down is one of the least edited songs on the album Bitches Brew. Bitches Brew sold over 70,000 copies within the first month it was released During the recording of Bitches Brew, Miles and his producers did not get along and at one point Miles was told to leave the studio. (Freeman, 2005)
- 11. The Song as a Whole Anybody who has an appreciation for jazz or Miles Davis will agree that Miles Runs the Voodoo Down is a classic Miles song. It blends his improvisation style with a fresh blend of jazz. Listen for yourself here to Miles Runs the Voodoo Down (the entire song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a1Ph-ioxoA
- 12. References (Works Cited) Encyclopedia Britannica. (2013). Encyclopedia Britannica. Freeman, P. (2005). Running the Voodoo Down. San Francisco : Backseat Books. Kamien, R. (2011). Music An Appreciation. New York: McGraw- Hill. Trutor, C. (2011). Miles Davis (1926-1991). In M. C. Whitaker, Icons of Black America: Breaking Barriers and Crossing Boundaries, Volume 1 (pp. 220,226,227). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
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