STEEPED IN INQUISITIVE INTERPLAY AND SUBCONSCIOUS IMPRESSIONISM
1/4" / 15 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe
Nefertit will always be known as the final all-acoustic record made by Miles Davis' classic second quintet. A thematic bookend to the preceding Sorcerer, the 1967 set shares much in common with its equally nuanced predecessor yet deviates by way of its focus on rhythm and exploratory soundscapes. The low-key music blooms with colorful bouquets of shadings, gradations, and overtones that on Mobile Fidelity's edition bring listeners to closer to the creative passions than ever before.
Tracklist:
A1 Nefertiti 7:52
A2 Fall 6:39
B Hand Jive 8:54
C Madness 7:31
D1 Riot 3:04
D2 Pinocchio 5:08
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Tony Williams
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet – Miles Davis
As he does on Sorcerer, Davis again cedes all compositional duties to his all-star band mates and focuses on his trumpet. Familiar albeit slightly dissonant, rooted in hard bop yet signaling the onset of fusion, the songs are grounded in inquisitive interplay and subconscious impressionism. Nefertiti reveals fresh devices and new directions every time you visit its cerebral worlds. And while each musician is given ample room to solo, the effort stands as an example of groupthink in that no individual stands out or shows off. The groundbreaking title track – during which the horn section recurrently repeats the melody as drummer Tony Williams and bassist Ron Carter improvise, thus inverting the conventional sense of a rhythm section – shines as a textbook example of such chemistry and unity.
Throughout, the players' confidence, and Davis' trust in them, stamps every piece with rare self-assurance and authoritativeness. In particular, Williams and Carter bring rhythms to the forefront as the horns hypnotize and Herbie Hancock's piano points in several different directions like a compass gone crazy. Responsible for "Madness" and "Riot," Hancock contributes brief bursts of speed and slight aggression, but on a record on which complexity and introspection take precedent over blowing hot, the aural steam ultimately becomes opportunity for burrowing into unpredictable turns and deep grooves.
Indeed, the thrilling sense of interplay and inclination of the ensemble to keep searching, moving forward in a concerted manner to uncover then-unheard jazz discoveries, marks Nefertiti as one of Davis' quintessential efforts. For historians, it's the signpost to the pioneering fusion the leader would begin to pursue with greater commitment on the record's follow-up, Miles in the Sky. For the rest of us, the album is music and music-making at its intriguing best.
Recording information:
Title: Nefertiti
Artist: Miles Davis
Genre: Jazz
Media: 2x 180g LP Vinyl Stereo 45rpm, Limited, Numbered, Remastered, . Mastered from 1/4", 15ips Original Analog Master Tapes to DSD256 to analog console to lathe. Mastered by Krieg Wunderlich @ Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on The Gain 2 Ultra Analog System. Specially Plated & Pressed on 180g High-Definition Vinyl in the USA.
Label: MoFi - Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Cat#: MFSL-2-436
Released: 2023 in US
Original release: 1968 by Columbia CS 9594
EAN: 0821797243612
Discogs rel.#: 28171075
