The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: That’s What Happened 1982-1985
Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” might have gone down as an enchanting pop trifle, but Miles Davis transformed it into a jazz standard, focusing his cool, lonesome soloing on the gently insinuating melody. The latest batch of recordings from Davis’ extensive archives includes two previously unreleased versions of “Time After Time” recorded in 1984, not to mention a take on Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” Davis’ ears were always wide open, and in the ‘80s, he was listening to the best of AM radio—and watching MTV—for inspiration.
Two of That’s What Happened’s three discs consist of mostly Davis’ originals recorded during and around Star People, Decoy and You’re Under Arrest. Disc three was recorded live at the 1983 Montreal Jazz Festival. The rhythms were often funk; the arrangements and approach in keeping with Davis’ evolutionary journey through jazz. The trumpeter occasionally turned up at New York clubs in the ‘80s, scouting young talent. He also followed up on tips from people whose opinions he trusted. The sidemen on these sessions, including guitarist John Scofield, were edgy and entirely contemporary, even as Davis returned to playing trumpet in a style closely related to the cool jazz era in iridescent tones.
