Filles de Kilimanjaro

Filles de Kilimanjaro
Studio album by Miles Davis
Released	January 29, 1969
Recorded	June 19-21 & September 24, 1968 at Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York
Genre	Fusion, Post-Bop
Length	71:26
Label	Columbia/Legacy
Producer	Teo Macero
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Penguin Guide to Jazz
Miles Davis chronology
Miles in the Sky (1968) Filles de Kilimanjaro (1969) In a Silent Way (1969)

Filles de Kilimanjaro (French: "Girls of Kilimanjaro") is a jazz album by Miles Davis. It was recorded in June and September 1968, and Columbia Records released the album in 1969. The June sessions featured Wayne Shorter on saxophone, Herbie Hancock on the electric Rhodes piano, Ron Carter on electric bass, and Tony Williams on drums. The September sessions replaced Hancock with Chick Corea, and Carter with Dave Holland. During the September sessions, Holland played acoustic bass and Corea played an RMI Electra-piano in addition to acoustic piano.^[1] These are Holland and Corea's first known recordings with Davis. The album was produced by Teo Macero and engineered by Frank Laico and Arthur Kendy..

The album can be seen as a transitional work between Davis's mainly acoustic recordings with the Second Quintet and his later electric period (for example, Bitches Brew). Davis apparently saw it this way, as the album was the first in what would become a series of his releases to bear the subtitle "Directions in music by Miles Davis." However, author Paul Tingen points out that while Carter and Hancock played electric instruments at the first recording session, the later session was a bit of a throwback, in which Holland played only acoustic bass and Corea played both acoustic and electric piano.^[1] Stanley Crouch, a staunch critic of Davis' use of electric instruments, has described the album as "the trumpeter's last important jazz record."^[2][3]

Gil Evans, with whom Davis had previously collaborated, helped compose, arrange, and produce the album, though he is not mentioned in the credits.^[4] Evans co-composed "Petits Machins", which he later recorded as "Eleven" with himself and Davis listed as co-composers.^[4] The song "Mademoiselle Mabry (Miss Mabry)," while credited to Davis, is actually Gil Evans' reworking of "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix (Davis and Evans had met with Hendrix several times to exchange ideas).^[5] At the same time, some portions of the song resemble Lieber and Stoller's "On Broadway".^[1]

Davis married Betty O. Mabry Davis in September 1968, and named "Mademoiselle Mabry (Miss Mabry)" for her.^[1] The song itself was recorded during the same month as Davis' wedding.^[1] Betty Davis appears on the album cover.^[6]

The album title refers in part to Kilimanjaro African Coffee, a company in which Davis had made a financial investment.^[7] Davis decided to list all the song titles in French to give the album an exotic touch.^[7]

Track listing

All songs credited to Miles Davis (see previous text). Original LP configuration:

Side one

1. "Frelon Brun (Brown Hornet)" – 5:39
2. "Tout de Suite (Right Away)" – 14:07
3. "Petits Machins (Little Stuff)" – 8:07

Side two

1. "Filles de Kilimanjaro (Girls of Kilimanjaro)" – 12:03
2. "Mademoiselle Mabry (Miss Mabry)" – 16:32

The first and last tracks were recorded in September 1968, the others in June. The CD reissue includes a sixth track, an alternate take of "Tout de Suite".

Performers

• Miles Davis - Trumpet
• Wayne Shorter - Tenor saxophone
• Herbie Hancock - Fender Rhodes electric piano on tracks 2-4 & 6
• Chick Corea - Electric piano on tracks 1 & 5
• Ron Carter - Electric bass on tracks 2-4 & 6
• Dave Holland - Double bass on tracks 1 & 5
• Tony Williams - Drums

Credits

• Teo Macero - Production (original recording)
• Frank Laico, Arthur Kendy - Engineering
• Hiro - Cover art

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Tingen, Paul (2001). Miles Beyond: The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis, 1967-1991 (first printing ed.). New York: Billboard Books. p. 52. ISBN 0-8230-8346-2. 
2. ^ Tingen, p. 40
3. ^ Tingen, p. 46
4. ^ ^{a b} Szwed, John (2002). So What: The Life of Miles Davis (first ed. ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 273. ISBN 0-684-85982-3. 
5. ^ Szwed, p. 271
6. ^ Szwed, p. 269
7. ^ ^{a b} Szwed, p. 272