Evolution of the Groove

Product Description:

Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); Doyle Bramhall II, Pat Thrall (guitar); David Creamer, John McLaughlin (electric guitar); Charley Drayton (6-string guitar); Khalil Balakrishna (electric sitar); Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet); Wayne Shorter, Carlos Garnett (soprano saxophone); Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (alto saxophone); John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Olu Dara (trumpet); Wynton Kelly (piano); Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett (electric piano); Geri Allen (Fender Rhodes piano); Herbie Hancock (Clavinet); Harold 'Ivory' Williams (organ); Michael Henderson (electric bass); Dave Holland, Habib Faye, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Victor Bailey (bass guitar); Azize Faye, Vince Wilburn, Jr., Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Cobb, Al Foster, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Billy Hart (drums); Ndongo Mbaye (talking drum); Badal Roy (tabla); Airto Moreira (percussion); Diego Carlin (keyboard programming); Erik Kussio, Todd Lea (drum programming); Patt Thrall (palmas).

Additional personnel: Nas (vocals); Carlos Santana (guitar).

Given the progressive trajectory of Miles Davis's career, and his genre-smashing tendencies, it's likely that if Miles Davis were alive today he'd be incorporating electronica and hip-hop into his jazz palette. The remix project EVOLUTION OF THE GROOVE imagines Miles in a contemporary context, taking classic Miles tracks and treating them with new production, beats, and overdubs from guest musicians including Nas, Carlos Santana, and others.

Nas's guest rap on "Freedom Jazz Dance" works surprisingly well, proving once again that Miles's music is so fluid and forward-thinking that it's adaptable to nearly any context. Elsewhere, Santana brings his soulful guitar work to "It's About That Time," and KIND OF BLUE's "Freddie Freeloader" gets a mid-tempo groove remix, but it's the dense, electronica re-visioning of "Honky Tonk" and "Black Satin," from Miles's electric period, that shine the brightest.