Part of the genius of Miles Davis (aside from the incredible compositions, insanely great trumpet work, and spooky ability to play just the right notes) was his amazing talent for selecting band members. The list is seemingly endless and the branches extend over an impressive subsection of modern jazz: John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Tony Williams, and on it goes. When Miles headed toward the electric side of modern, he might have lost a few fans along the way, but his musical intuition never wavered. The results included In A Silent Way, Bitches Brew, On The Corner, and Big Fun.
Multi-instrumentalist Bennie Maupin is on the alumnus list that grew out of the funk and dark groove-oriented side of Davis (to which Maupin added his stellar bass clarinet). The Jewel in the Lotus, recorded in 1974, has finally been shown the light of day. It's a natural extension of the dark funk of Miles, the more playful sounds of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, and the space of Hancock's Mwandishi.
The big difference between this album and its ancestors is that Maupin made no attempt to amp up the sound, choosing instead to focus on more localized interactions with much less density. The result is a collection of vignettes that first present and then "live with" an atmosphere. It's an interesting angle, viewing the landscape of the improvisations from the inside out.
What made this approach so successful was that the careful listener could enhance the experience by taking note of the areas of overlap between the two broad styles: slowly unfolding vs. slowly devolving. Along with former members of both the Headhunters and the Mwandishi projects, Maupin's The Jewel in the Lotus perfectly illustrates the idea of live musical storytelling. The only question that remains is "How the heck was this out of print for so long?"
The opening track "Ensenada" provides a good example of music slowly unfolding. Over a two-note bass ostinato, marimbas and the occasional glockenspiel note ring out. Herbie Hancock teases out a few more notes on the piano and the percussion locks in before the simple main theme is presented. The entire ensemble seems the breathe in this idea and then exhale variations on it. It almost reminds me of Ornette's Harmolodic thing, though taking a more linear path. In any event, it's not difficult to imagine this music describing the blossoming colors of dawn. Yes, it's that evocative.
Article comments
1 - Pico
100% agree. Maupin fold in his stints with Sanders, Miles and Mwandishi into something entirely his own. Sadly, he didn't follow up on this uniquely oblique style, The Jewel In The Lotus remains a one-of-a-kind release. I was reminded of that missed opportunity just the other day listening to "Palm Grease." He was destined for so much better than that (although he might argue he had bills to pay).
2 - Mark Saleski
i remember liking some of his more recent stuff...Penumbra being one of them.
3 - Pico
Oh yes, he has other good records, they just don't quite reach the artistic heights of Lotus, IMO. Although Driving While Black sounds like the closest thing to a latter-day Mwandishi album out there.