The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions

The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions
Compilation album by Miles Davis
Released	September 30, 2003
Recorded	November 19, 1969-June 4, 1970
Studio	30th Street Studio in New York City
Genre	Jazz-rock,[1] funk[2]
Length	352:26
Label	Columbia
Miles Davis chronology
Live-Evil (1970) The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (1970) The Cellar Door Sessions (1970)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
Mojo	[5]
The Observer	[1]
Pitchfork Media	8.6/10[6]
Q	[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[8]
Uncut	[2]
The Village Voice	B+[9]

The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions were recorded in April 1970 by Miles Davis, and released in September 2003. These sessions formed the basis for the 1971 album Jack Johnson, as well as some of the studio portions of Live-Evil.

They were recorded as the soundtrack for a documentary by the same name about the heavyweight world champion boxer Jack Johnson. One of the tracks closes with brief soliloquy by actor Brock Peters portraying Johnson.

Track listing

All compositions by Miles Davis except Disc Four, tracks 4 through 12 by Hermeto Pascoal.

Disc One (75:10)

1. "Willie Nelson (Take 2)"** – 6:41
2. "Willie Nelson (Take 3)"* – 10:21
3. "Willie Nelson (Insert 1)"** – 6:33
4. "Willie Nelson (Insert 2)"** – 5:22
5. "Willie Nelson (Remake Take 1)"* – 10:45
6. "Willie Nelson (Remake Take 2)" – 10:17
7. "Johnny Bratton (Take 4)"* – 8:18
8. "Johnny Bratton (Insert 1)"* – 6:39
9. "Johnny Bratton (Insert 2)"* – 5:20
10. "Archie Moore"* – 4:45

• Tracks 1-4 recorded February 18, 1970 Columbia 30th Street Studio B, New York City, NY
• Tracks 5-9 recorded February 27, 1970 Columbia Studio B
• Track 10 recorded March 3, 1970 Columbia Studio B

Disc Two (68:19)

1. "Go Ahead John (Part One)"** – 13:07
2. "Go Ahead John (Part Two A)"** – 7:00
3. "Go Ahead John (Part Two B)"** – 10:06
4. "Go Ahead John (Part Two C)"** – 3:38
5. "Go Ahead John (Part One Remake)"** – 11:04
6. "Duran (Take 4)"* – 5:37
7. "Duran (Take 6)" – 11:20
8. "Sugar Ray"* – 6:16

• Tracks 1-5 recorded March 3, 1970 Columbia Studio B
• Tracks 6-7 recorded March 17, 1970 Columbia Studio C
• Track 8 recorded March 20, 1970 Columbia Studio B

Disc Three (77:48)

1. "Right Off (Take 10)" – 11:09
2. "Right Off (Take 10A)"** – 4:33
3. "Right Off (Take 11)"** – 5:58
4. "Right Off (Take 12)"** – 8:49
5. "Yesternow (Take 16)"* – 9:49
6. "Yesternow (New Take 4)"** – 16:02
7. "Honky Tonk (Take 2)"** – 10:04
8. "Honky Tonk (Take 5)"* – 11:29

• Tracks 1-6 recorded April 7, 1970 Columbia Studio B
• Tracks 7-8 recorded May 19, 1970 Columbia Studio C

Disc Four (71:14)

1. "Ali (Take 3)"* – 6:50
2. "Ali (Take 4)"* – 10:16
3. "Konda"** – 16:29
4. "Nem Um Talvez (Take 17)"* – 2:50
5. "Nem Um Talvez (Take 19)"* – 2:54
6. "Little High People (Take 7)"* – 6:52
7. "Little High People (Take 8)"* – 9:28
8. "Nem Um Talvez (Take 3)"* – 4:36
9. "Nem Um Talvez (Take 4A)" – 2:04
10. "Selim (Take 4B)" – 2:15
11. "Little Church (Take 7)"* – 3:18
12. "Little Church (Take 10)" – 3:15

• Tracks 1-2 recorded May 19, 1970 Columbia Studio C
• Track 3 recorded May 21, 1970 Columbia Studio C
• Tracks 6-10 recorded June 3, 1970 Columbia Studio C
• Tracks 11-12 recorded June 4, 1970 Columbia Studio C

Disc Five (76:04)

1. "The Mask (Part One)"* – 7:47
2. "The Mask (Part Two)"* – 15:45
3. "Right Off" – 26:54
4. "Yesternow" – 25:36

• Tracks 1-2 recorded June 4, 1970 Columbia Studio C
• Track 3 recorded April 7, 1970 Columbia Studio B
  • Includes an excerpt from an unaccompanied trumpet solo from November 19 or 18, 1969
• Track 4 recorded April 7, 1970 Columbia Studio B ("Yesternow") + February 18, 1970 Columbia Studio B ("Willie Nelson" uncredited)
  • Includes an excerpt from the unaccompanied November 1969 trumpet solo with arco bass overdubbed
  • Includes an excerpt of "Shhh/Peaceful" recorded February 18, 1969
  • Includes an excerpt from the unaccompanied November 1969 trumpet solo with the following overdubs: orchestra arranged by Teo Macero and narration by Brock Peters

(*) Previously Unissued
(**) Previously Unissued in Full

Personnel

• Miles Davis - Trumpet
• Bennie Maupin - Bass Clarinet
• Steve Grossman - Soprano Saxophone
• Wayne Shorter - Soprano Saxophone
• Chick Corea - Electric Piano, Organ, Electric Piano with Ring Modulator
• Herbie Hancock - Organ, Electric Piano
• Keith Jarrett - Electric Piano, Electric Piano with Wah Wah
• Sonny Sharrock - Electric Guitar, Echoplex
• John McLaughlin - Electric Guitar
• Dave Holland - Electric Bass, Double Bass
• Michael Henderson - Electric Bass
• Gene Perla - Electric Bass
• Ron Carter - Double Bass
• Jack DeJohnette - Drums
• Billy Cobham - Drums
• Lenny White - Drums
• Airto Moreira - Percussion, Berimbau, Cuica
• Hermeto Pascoal - Voice, Drums

References

1. Nicholson, Stuart (October 19, 2003). "Miles Davis, The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions". The Observer. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
2. Uncut: 132. November 2003. Much of it's the equivalent of sparring, especially the skinny funk workouts on the second disc...
3. Jurek, Thom (2011). "The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions - Miles Davis | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
4. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Miles Davis". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0857125958.
5. Mojo: 136. November 2003.
6. Leone, Dominique (2011). "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Miles Davis: The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
7. Q: 130. November 2003.
8. Considine, J. D. (2004). "Miles Davis". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 216. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
9. Christgau, Robert (November 18, 2003). "Consumer Guide: Greatest Whatevers". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 26, 2016.

External links

• Article about the making of Jack Johnson and The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions boxed set at the Miles Beyond site, dedicated to the electric music of Miles Davis