44. Miles Davis, ‘The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965’

Miles Davis – The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 (released 1995)

The 1965 residency at the Plugged Nickel in Chicago is one of the most celebrated and historically significant live performances in the jazz world, and the release of The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 in 1995 allowed fans to experience the full breadth of these iconic performances. This six-CD box set compiles recordings from the five-night engagement (December 22–23, 1965) that Miles Davis and his quintet played at the Plugged Nickel, a small club located in Chicago’s jazz scene at the time.

This performance is often regarded as a critical moment in Davis’s career, a time when he was undergoing a radical transformation, and the music being created was both revolutionary and adventurous.

The recordings capture a period when Miles Davis was exploring new sonic territories and was on the cusp of his transition from his earlier, more modal jazz period to the electric fusion experiments that would define his later work.

Context and Lineup

By 1965, Davis had already made his mark as one of the leading figures in jazz, but his Second Great Quintet, which he assembled in the early '60s, was pushing the boundaries of what jazz could be. This ensemble, often referred to as his "modern" quintet, was one of the most innovative and influential groups in the history of jazz. The quintet’s lineup during the Plugged Nickel performances was as follows:

• Miles Davis – Trumpet

• Wayne Shorter – Tenor Saxophone

• Herbie Hancock – Piano

• Ron Carter – Bass

• Tony Williams – Drums

Each of these musicians was at the peak of their powers and had already established themselves as legends in their own right. The interplay between the band members is one of the defining features of the performances. The music on this box set is full of telepathic communication, a sense of spontaneity, and an overall adventurous approach to jazz improvisation.

Musical Evolution and the Plugged Nickel Performances

During these performances, Davis’s band was already moving away from traditional jazz structures and improvisational norms. While the group still played familiar standards, they did so in ways that were fresh, exploratory, and more abstract than traditional bebop or hard bop performances of the era. These sessions are a masterclass in jazz innovation, with the ensemble engaging in long improvisations that often drifted far from the original song forms.

The performances are a fascinating snapshot of Miles Davis at a time when he was expanding the boundaries of jazz and introducing elements that would later become part of his groundbreaking fusion period. The recordings from the Plugged Nickel reveal a deep sense of musical exploration, as Davis pushed both his band and the jazz idiom forward into a new era.

Key Tracks and Highlights

The box set includes multiple performances of songs like "Autumn Leaves," "I Fall in Love Too Easily," "All Blues," "So What," and others**. These well-known standards are reinterpreted in thrilling and unpredictable ways, with the musicians stretching the compositions to their limits and beyond.

Some key highlights include:

• "Autumn Leaves": The group's interpretation of this classic is particularly striking, with a slow, meditative opening that gradually builds in intensity, exploring new rhythmic and harmonic territory. The track evolves into an open-ended, modal exploration that is miles away from the original version, with Davis leading the band into uncharted musical waters.

• "So What": A song that had become a staple of Davis's repertoire, "So What" is given a fresh treatment in this setting. The tune's famous two-chord structure is explored in greater depth, and the improvisational sections of the piece expand beyond the familiar melody, allowing for much more room for individual expression from the band members.

• "I Fall in Love Too Easily": On this standard, Davis's trumpet takes on an almost mournful, soulful quality, while Wayne Shorter’s saxophone plays with a level of introspection that complements the mood of the tune. This version showcases the quintet’s ability to take well-known songs and transform them into complex, emotional expressions.

• "All Blues": This classic from Kind of Blue takes on a more experimental, freer approach in this setting. The band stretches out, with Tony Williams’s drumming pushing the rhythm into exciting, uncharted territory, while Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter provide a more harmonically open foundation for the soloists.

• "Freedom Jazz Dance": A notable track that showcases the transition in Davis's music from modal jazz to the more rhythmic, electric influences that would dominate his later work. The tune has a more urgent, driving feel, and Davis’s trumpet work is fiery and exploratory.

The Sound of Innovation

The Plugged Nickel performances were recorded at a time when Miles Davis was deconstructing traditional jazz and setting the stage for his future work in the electric and fusion genres. The recordings show the quintet’s ability to take conventional jazz forms and radically transform them, often moving away from melody-driven improvisation to more textural and rhythm-based approaches. The music is full of tension, excitement, and freedom, and it captures the spirit of a time when jazz was in the midst of a revolutionary shift.

The intimacy of the Plugged Nickel, a relatively small club, adds a layer of rawness to these performances. The audio captures the directness of the band’s playing, with each instrument clearly audible, allowing the listener to hear every subtle nuance of the music. The sound quality is excellent for a live recording from this era, and the full set gives the listener a sense of how these performances evolved over the course of the engagement, with the band constantly changing direction and exploring new ideas.

Legacy and Impact

The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 serves as a crucial historical document, shedding light on one of the most innovative and experimental periods in Miles Davis's career. It offers a unique opportunity to hear the quintet in its most exploratory phase, capturing the excitement and freedom that Davis sought to harness in his music during the mid-‘60s.

The recordings reveal the subtle genius of each member of the quintet, and their interplay is a testament to their shared vision and the greatness of the ensemble as a whole. For jazz aficionados, this set is an indispensable collection of Miles Davis's work, offering an intimate and exciting glimpse into the evolution of his sound during a pivotal moment in music history.