Miles Davis
Amandla

"Amandla" is the name of this work, which represents the culmination at its inevitable conclusion of the musical and artistic journey of one of the greatest innovators on the global jazz scene. Miles Davis, trumpeter and composer, considered a genius musician and a prominent figure of the second half of the 1900s, reaches the end of his career, cut short by alcohol, drugs, and psychologically beaten down by depressive crises that had weighed on him for many years. The period of the "last Davis" begins in 1981 with the release of "The Man with the Horn"; it is the most controversial and perhaps the least happy period of the musician's entire career, a period during which the public and critics inevitably divided between those who supported the work of Davis's new group and those who claimed that by then, the trumpeter had been reduced to a shadow of himself. Despite the criticisms leveled at the musician and admitting that masterpieces such as "Kind of Blue" and "Bitches Brew" were a distant memory, one must objectively look at these years to realize that the star of Miles Davis had not yet ceased to shine, and his talent had still some surprises to offer, also thanks to the support and help of the talented collaborators with whom he surrounded himself. "We Want Miles," "Star People," "Decoy," "Tutu," and "Amandla" are five beautiful musical episodes in which jazz wonderfully marries funk and blues, full of touches of class and splendid melodic ideas with particular attention in the more recent works also to the use of electronics.

As with the release of "Star People," the collaboration of Davis with guitarist John Scofield was important, which earned his engagement in the group only for composing the splendid "Title Track"; even more important was the presence of the bassist and multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller for the realization of "Amandla," who, in addition to being its producer and arranger, played a fundamental role in its compositional aspect, hence being the author of most of the compositions present on the album.

Right from the opening track "Catèmbe," an Oriental-sounding funk, you immediately realize how the arrangements have embraced the indiscriminate use of samples and electronic effects; the master's trumpet played with a mute is the protagonist in this exquisite and precious theater of sounds and colors. Supported by Kenny Garrett's saxophone, the master interprets refined compositions of undeniable emotional depth like "Hannibal" and "Amandla" and then moves on to more "acidic" funk like "Big Time," which greatly recalls the atmosphere that permeated "Decoy." As always, a cast of excellent musicians participates in the recording of "Amandla": besides Garrett, Davis, and Miller, there is George Duke on keyboards, Joe Sample on piano, Paulinho De Costa-Mino Cinelu-Don Alias on percussion, Omar Hakim on drums, and Steve Khan on guitar. In each composition, simplicity and good taste prevail, the slightest risk of engaging in futile virtuosity is averted both by the Master and by the invisible yet essential hand of Marcus Miller. The beautiful "Mr. Pastorius" is a very traditional jazz piece composed by Miller in memory of Jaco Pastorius, who died in 1986, a few years before the release of "Amandla," the only track in which Davis removes the mute from his trumpet, performs the theme, and launches into the solo, reminding us and probably reminding himself of the most beautiful and now past years of his splendid and unparalleled career.