Since we had very few submissions this month, I thought I'd shift gears just slightly. (By the way, please send tape reviews. Next month the column will focus on the Disco Biscuits in honor of the trio's mini tour.) As for this month, however, I want to look at a pair of official live releases. More specifically, live recordings from two of the big guns in the jazz world, Miles and Trane. Both men were accomplished and talented musicians and powerful innovators, both in terms of jazz and music in general. They are the true forefathers of jambands and the jam philosophy, and many of their tunes pop up here and there in sets by Mule, Phil and Friends, and Stevie Kimock, among others. But if you go into your local independent music merchant (I know you all support independent record stores) you might be a little overwhelmed at either artist's catalogue. The best way to learn is to just jump in, but here are a couple of good targets to aim for.

John Coltrane, Coltrane Live at Birdland, Impulse
IMPD-198

This release is slightly mislabeled since only three of the six tunes are actually from the October 6, 1963 show. A version of Mr. PC and an untitled song apparently don't exist on tape, and the final trio of songs is studio recordings. (Since this is about live music, I'll only comment on the first three. Plus that'll allow you to discover the last three on your own.)

While Afro-Blue is a near standard in DTB and Mul sets, to hear the true masters run through it is to hear it again for the first time. This is one of the all time greatest versions. It is quite simply overpowering from the first note of the intoxicating theme. Every member of the bands reflects and enhances the others, like the ingredients of a dish skillfully rendered by an Iron Chef. It is a jam in the truest sense of the word- not really solos as much as interplay. Incendiary. 'Nuff said.

I Want to Talk About You chills, moving into more placid waters. Even so, the quartet reads itself well, the rhythm taking its lead from Coltrane's line. Elvin Jones expressive drumming shines here, as does the extended solo (truly solo- no back up) by Trane. Finally, The Promise has a slinky, unspecific Asian quality. Nothing but smooth piano from McCoy Tyner, and a bouncin' beat from Jimmy Garrison. And sparks fly during Trane's solo. The three tunes are a comfortable eight minutes or so a piece, satisfying, but leaving a real lingering desire for more, like a first taste of chocolate. The feeling that this quartet creates is automatically appealing: fun, sophisticated, potent and transcendent.

Miles Davis, Highlights from the Plugged Nickel,
Columbia RecordsCK67377

This disc is culled from an eight CD set that features every note from December 22 and 23, 1965 at Chicago's Plugged Nickel club. The set is a big investment for a fan, much less for a beginner. But it also has a selection of amazing performances from an incredible line-up, including Tony Williams (drums), Ron Carter (bass), Herbie Hancock (piano), Wayne Shorter (alto sax), and Miles.

The Milestones that opens the disc is played at a racing pace and features a potent series of statements from Miles, interspersed with very brief replies from Herbie. Wayne Shorter's solo is more pensive, with slight swells of adrenaline. Herbie's solo is likewise quietish and thoughtful before it draws Miles back into the theme to close. The following ballad, Yesterdays, which stretches to fifteen minutes, has great bass work from Ron and wonderful support from Herbie- Miles lashing out cool blasts that never quite snap, ending instead with fat roundness. Shorter also flushes out the blues, playing on the rhythm's groove a bit more than Miles.

The So What is absolutely wild, spreading at breakneck speed. The intro is particularly nice as the group plays around an open center that is eventually filled with a hot bead from Tony Williams. This is a vastly open version of the song- the Quintet at its best.

Calming things down again just a bit is Stella by Starlight. Miles plays a successive line of phrases that come very close to being a paragraph- thematically in synch and with only the shortest breaks in between. Williams and Carter set up a nice walk for Shorter to ponder before he shares the segue into Walkin' with the trumpet guru. This fast number relies heavily on Williams' constancy, but when he decides to throw out some feverish fills, Herbie and Miles maintain the rhythm. Shorter's solo is much more vocal than any other on the disc- a near constant wave of sound. While everything on this sampler is exceptional but this 24 minute jam is truly the centerpiece, exhibiting the cohesive versatility of the assembled musicians. Rounding (pun not intended, but accepted) out the collection is Round About Midnight, bopping through crowded bars and thinning streets, eventually easing its way to the docks in the early morning hours.

While variety is the name of the game where Miles Davis is concerned, this album may be the very best to start your listening- a place you'll return to over and over. In my mind it stands as a pillar of all that jazz can and should be.