Aura (Miles Davis album)
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Aura is a concept album by Miles Davis, produced by Palle Mikkelborg, released in 1989. All compositions and arrangements are by Danish composer/trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg, who created the suite in tribute to Miles Davis when Davis received the Léonie Sonning Music Prize in December 1984, the year Decoy was released.[2][3][4]
Background
The main theme consists of 10 notes, yielded by the letters "M-I-L-E-S-D-A-V-I-S" (see BACH motif, and Schoenberg hexachord "EsCHBEG", and the chart at Musical notes#Accidentals). It is introduced at the beginning over a sustained chord of these same notes. The following 9 movements of the suite represent the colours Mikkelborg sees in Miles's aura.
The music is scored for an extended jazz big band, and the core of the band is formed by the Danish Radio's Big Band, featuring Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Thomas Clausen and Marilyn Mazur[5]. Notable international guests such as John McLaughlin and Davis' nephew Vince Wilburn are featured during the recordings.[6] They took place in Copenhagen in 1985 at Davis' own initiative, as he had been very honored and satisfied with the suite. It was the first time Miles Davis recorded with a big band for over 20 years. Aura, however, is not a conventional big band jazz album. The music is perhaps best categorized as fusion jazz with a strong flavor of modern classical music, as many of the orchestral passages reveal Mikkelborg's inspiration from composers like Olivier Messiaen and Charles Ives.[7]
Although the album was recorded at Easy Sound Studios in Copenhagen in 1985, contractual issues delayed its release until 1989. The album won a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance.
Track listing
All tracks composed and arranged by Palle Mikkelborg
- "Intro" – 4:48
- "White" – 6:07
- "Yellow" – 6:55
- "Orange" – 8:41
- "Red" – 6:05
- "Green" – 8:13
- "Blue" – 6:36
- "Electric Red" – 4:19
- "Indigo" – 6:06
- "Violet" – 9:04
Personnel
- Trumpet: Miles Davis
- Trumpets and flugelhorns: Benny Rosenfeld, Idrees Sulieman, Jens Winther, Palle Bolvig, Perry Knudsen
- Trombones: Jens Engel, Ture Larsen, Vincent Nilsson
- Bass trombones: Ole Kurt Jensen, Axel Windfel
- Tuba: Axel Windfel
- Reeds, flute: Jesper Thilo, Per Carsten, Uffe Karskov, Bent Jædig, Flemming Madsen
- Saxophones and woodwinds: Bent Jædig, Flemming Madsen, Jesper Thilo, Per Carsten, Uffe Karskov
- Keyboards: Kenneth Knudsen, Ole Kock Hansen, Thomas Clausen
- Guitars: Bjarne Roupé, John McLaughlin
- Bass: Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
- Fender bass and fretless bass: Bo Stief
- Drums: Vincent Wilburn jr., Lennart Gruvstedt
- Electronic drums: Vince Wilburn
- Percussion: Ethan Weisgaard, Marilyn Mazur
- Harp: Lillian Thornquist
- Oboe and English horn: Niels Eje
- Vocals: Eva Hess-Thaysen
- Additional trumpet and flugelhorn: Palle Mikkelborg
Production
- Producer: Palle Mikkelborg
- Engineers: Henrik Lund, Niels Erik Land
- Art Direction: Stacy Drummond
- Photography: Gilles Larrain
Notes
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ A prestigious award, mostly given to classical composers and musicians; see official website. Miles Davis was the first non-classical musician to receive the prize, and was particularly happy to receive the prize when he learned that Igor Stravinsky was one of the earlier recipients.
- ^ Prior to the concert, Miles Davis was announced to only play for the last ten minutes of the suite. He eventually played for over 40 minutes, also playing Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman's "Time after Time" and his own "Jean Pierre."
- ^ According to http://www.allmusic.com/album/r106102 Decoy was released in 1983.
- ^ It was during the Aura sessions that Davis became fascinated with Mazur's wide range of percussion talents, and he subsequently hired her for his touring band.
- ^ At the December 1984 concert, guitarist John Scofield — then member of Davis' touring band — was featured as guest.
- ^ The 10-note opening theme is played freely against a dissonant background chord in a manner reminiscent of Ives' "The Unanswered Question".
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