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| Bitches Brew | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bitches Brew |
| Type | studio |
| Artist | Miles Davis |
| Released | March 30, 1970 |
| Recorded | August–February 1969–1970 |
| Studio | Columbia 30th Street Studio |
| Genre | Jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz, funk |
| Length | 94:44 (double LP) |
| Label | Columbia Records |
| Producer | Teo Macero |
| Chronology | Miles Davis |
Bitches Brew
Bitches Brew is a 1970 studio album by Miles Davis that marked a pivotal shift from Modal jazz and Post-bop toward electric Jazz fusion and experimental studio production. Featuring an expanded ensemble drawn from scenes around New York City and San Francisco, the album fused elements of Rock music, Funk, and avant-garde improvisation, and was produced by Teo Macero for Columbia Records. Its layered editing, extended grooves, and dense instrumentation influenced artists across Popular music, Progressive rock, and Electronic music.
Sessions took place at Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City during August 19–21, 1969, and later in early 1970, following Davis's European tours with his Second Great Quintet containing Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams. After collaborations with Jimi Hendrix and exposure to Carlos Santana, Davis pursued electric textures, recruiting musicians active in the New York loft jazz and Bay Area scenes such as Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, John McLaughlin, and Mike Garson. Producer Teo Macero applied tape splicing and studio montage techniques previously used on Miles Smiles sessions and later on On the Corner; engineers from Columbia Records captured multiple simultaneous tracks to allow extensive post-production editing. The recording drew on improvisational practices from ensembles including Art Ensemble of Chicago and musicians associated with Blue Note Records, while also reflecting influences from Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, and the emergent Psychedelic rock circuit.
Musically, the album departs from head-solo-head forms typical of Hard bop and Cool jazz in favor of static vamp-based structures and collective improvisation reminiscent of Free jazz experiments by artists such as Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler. Compositions credited to Davis, including long-form pieces, incorporate electric piano textures by Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea, wah-wah guitar by John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell-adjacent styles, and funk-inflected rhythms courtesy of bassists like Dave Holland and Harvey Brooks. The arrangements exploited studio editing to juxtapose thematic fragments, a technique paralleling production innovations by George Martin and editing aesthetics found in Philip Glass's later works. The album's timbral palette draws comparisons to electric sessions by The Beatles and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, while its improvisational density links to avant-garde projects by Sun Ra and Cecil Taylor.
Released by Columbia Records in 1970, the album was issued as a double LP with extensive liner credits and artwork invoking contemporary visual artists associated with the Pop art movement. Despite mixed reviews from some jazz purists represented by publications such as Down Beat and establishments like the Jazz Critics Poll, the record achieved strong sales, charting on the Billboard 200 and crossing over to audiences of Rock music and R&B; it earned a platinum certification in later years. The commercial success helped solidify Miles Davis's status as a boundary-defying figure alongside contemporaries like Frank Zappa and Brian Eno, and it expanded Columbia's market reach toward younger listeners who followed acts such as Santana and Sly Stone.
Initial critical reaction ranged from praise by progressive commentators aligned with magazines like Rolling Stone and critics associated with The Village Voice to derision from traditionalists centered in publications such as The New York Times cultural coverage. Over subsequent decades, the work has been reassessed in surveys by institutions like the Library of Congress and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's associated scholarship, often cited in lists curated by Time (magazine), NME, and The Guardian as among the most influential albums of the 20th century. Its legacy is visible in the trajectories of Weather Report, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, and in producers ranging from Brian Eno to Quincy Jones. Academics at universities including Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and The Juilliard School analyze the album in courses on Musicology and contemporary composition, while artists in Hip hop and Electronic dance music cite its studio manipulation techniques.
Notable performers include trumpeter Miles Davis with contributions from saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianists Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul, guitarist John McLaughlin, bassist Dave Holland, electric bassist Harvey Brooks, drummers Jack DeJohnette and Lenny White, percussionists associated with the New York scene, and others drawn from ensembles affiliated with Blue Note Records and the Flying Dutchman Records orbit. Production was overseen by Teo Macero with engineering staff from Columbia Records; the sleeve design engaged visual collaborators with ties to the New York art scene of the late 1960s. The collaborative roster reflects intersections among musicians who also recorded for labels such as Impulse! Records, Verve Records, and ECM Records.
Original 1970 double LP issued by Columbia Records comprised extended tracks presented across four sides, with subsequent reissues on Columbia Masterworks and remastered editions released on CD and digital formats. Later editions include expanded box sets, alternate takes, and documentary liner compilations curated by Columbia Records archivists and music historians associated with institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and British Library. Singles and promotional edits were circulated to FM radio programmers and college radio stations associated with campuses such as New York University and University of California, Los Angeles.
Category:Miles Davis albums Category:1970 albums Category:Columbia Records albums