Progressive funk meets Miles’ wah-wah trumpet

Bitches Brew was only the beginning of Miles Davis’ fusion-era adventurism. After indulging in some rock-out sessions for A Tribute to Jack Johnson, Davis looked to the era’s progressive funk, adding new ingredients to create an original stew: electric guitar, tribal drums, and even sitar, as well as post-production tape editing. Chaotic percussion threatens to obscure the groove of the 20-minute opening suite, but the center holds, as the ensemble adds polyrhythms, electric piano squeals, and, in Miles’ case, wah-wah trumpet.