Amandla (album)

Amandla (a word in several Nguni languages, including Zulu and Xhosa, meaning "power") is an album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1989. It is the third collaboration between Miles Davis and producer/bassist Marcus Miller, after Tutu (1986) and Music from Siesta (1987), and their final album together. The album mixes elements of the genres go-go, zouk, funk and jazz, combining electronic instruments with live musicians. The composition "Mr. Pastorius", featuring drummer Al Foster, is a tribute to late jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius.[8] "Catémbe" is a Mozambican and Angolan cocktail of red wine and cola.

Amandla
Studio album by
Miles Davis
ReleasedMay 18, 1989
RecordedDecember 1988 – early 1989
GenreJazz fusion
Length43:28
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerTommy LiPuma, Marcus Miller, George Duke
Miles Davis chronology
Music from Siesta
(1987)		 Amandla
(1989)		 Aura
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
DownBeat[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]
MusicHound Jazz2/5[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+[7]

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, DownBeat said Amandla possessed "a precise and consistent sound that flows through the shifting instrumental combinations and lingers after the music has stopped".[2] In The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), J. D. Considine felt the record sounded "vaguely African" and somewhat conservative because of its reliance on session musicians.[6]

Track listing

All tracks were composed by Marcus Miller, except where indicated.

  1. "Catémbe" – 5:35
  2. "Cobra" (George Duke) – 5:15
  3. "Big Time" – 5:40
  4. "Hannibal" – 5:49
  5. "Jo-Jo" – 4:51
  6. "Amandla" – 5:20
  7. "Jilli" (John Bigham) – 5:05
  8. "Mr. Pastorius" – 5:41

Personnel
Production
  • Producers – Tommy LiPuma, Marcus Miller and George Duke (# 2), John Bigham (# 7)
  • Executive producer – Miles Davis
  • Recording engineers – Eric Calvi (at Clinton Recording, New York), Bruce Miller (at Right Track Recording, New York), Eric Zobler (# 2 at George Duke's Le Gonks West, Hollywood), plus additional recording by ad
  • Mixing engineer – Bill Schnee (at Bill Schnee Studios)
  • Mastering – Doug Sax (at The Mastering Lab)
  • Cover art – Miles Davis and Jo Gelbard

References
  1. Yanow, Scott. "Review: Amandla". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
  2. Down Beat: 29. October 1989.CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  3. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Miles Davis". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
  4. Feather, Leonard (June 18, 1989). "Mixed Doubles in New Jazz Releases". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  5. Holtje, Steve; Lee, Nancy Ann, eds. (1998). "Miles Davis". MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Music Sales Group. ISBN 0825672538.
  6. Considine, J. D. (2004). "Miles Davis". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 215, 219. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  7. Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Grade List: Miles Davis". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  8. "Robot Check".
Bibliography



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