Miles Davis’ landmark double album Bitches Brew celebrates its 50th anniversary today (March 30). Another classic record of his, Kind of Blue, turned 60 last year, and now Bitches Brew is celebrating its own historic birthday. Bitches Brew, released on this day in 1970 for Columbia Records, has become a touchstone for so many artists, particularly in the funk, jazz, rock and hip-hop worlds. It’s a busy, psychedelic album that terrifically embodied the chaos of the cultural paradigm shifts in the late ’60s. It proudly wrapped itself in avant-garde traditions with its lack of care for conventions, and as a result, became one of the most essential albums in the jazz fusion canon.
The Paste vault contains some incredibly historic live performances, including the last ever Sex Pistols show and some incredible Newport Folk Festival highlights. Another significant recording is the live audio from Miles Davis’ first recorded performance since 1965. Just a few weeks after he released Bitches Brew, Davis performed selections from the album at San Francisco’s Fillmore West, including the title track, “Spanish Key” and “Miles Runs the Voodoo Down.” Hear Davis play the trumpet alongside Steve Grossman (soprano sax), Chick Corea (electric piano), Dave Holland (electric bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums) and Airto Moreira (percussion).
In other Miles Davis news, a new clip was unveiled today from Stanley Nelson’s Grammy-nominated documentary Miles Davis: The Birth of Cool, which you can check out here. The film will be available on Blu-ray on April 10, and is currently streaming in the U.K. on Netflix and BBC iPlayer and in the U.S. on PBS Passport.
Listen to Bitches Brew cuts, recorded live in 1970 and available via the Paste vault below.
