Download Jimi Meets Miles #1 here as an MP3

Play: Jimi Meets Miles #1

The greatest ever musical collaboration that never happened was between Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis in 1970

I tried to reimagine, in a very respectful way, what that might have sounded like with a Jimi style guitar over a backing track pastiche of Miles' track 'Right off' from his album 'Jack Johnson',

I play all stringed instruments and keys but the drums I sequenced in MIDI. I'll tell you about the trumpet later.

It's funny how you remember your best work like you were still there (in my home office. a spare bedroom). I remember playing those Hendrix dive bombs (heavy tremolo arm work) on the opening with a smile on my face 😊

The Trumpet

I know some will think it sacrilege to even attempt a Miles horn. But I had no luck finding any trumpeter who dares to play in the style of Miles so I was forced to play it on a keyboard into a VST (virtual instrument) in real time (but comped to the best bits).

How did I do? You tell me — press contact on the menu or click here

To my ear I got the modes right, and Miles' fondness for polyrhythmic stabs. Of course it's not real, but it's NOT Ai. Don't forget Miles himself put audio effects, especially delay on his horn sounding very 'analog' digital.

BTW I saw Snarky Puppy recently and one of their horn guys leans right into the Miles vibe. Delay and all!

If you are an impertinent enough trumpeter to want to try a collab along these lines then get in touch

How my version happened

This wasn't my first attempt at the track.

The first time I jammed over the original. This was before copyright detection wasn't a thing!

The track went viral on YouTube (190K views in a couple of months). Then suddenly it was taken down and I got a strike with restrictions.

You can't imagine how this irked me.

So I said f*ck you and created my own backing track.

This second version seems just as popular as the first, well 80K views,not shabby for such a niche genre as jazz!

It also did really well on SoundCloud too, toppping the Jazz charts for 8 weeks on release.

I've gone on to produce 10 other tracks which had equal success on both YouTube and SoundCloud. checkout the album here

it's my version, so what?

I do hope I haven't offended the purists by daring to catch a vibe but actually... Hell no I'm not sorry - read the comments on YouTube, most are positive including from Jason Miles, the keyboard programmer who played on the Tutu and Amandla albums.

Miles, was less than modest. I've always loved the liner notes on that album, a passioned few hundred words of praise, calling Miles a genius. In true Miles style he comments to this...

That's right!

It's not an imitation, I'm not a tribute act. This takes it where all great music goes - to a new space.

I'll add with a Miles voice...

fuck yeah to that!

Trivia: How the original track happened

The track "Right Off" from Miles Davis' 1971 album A Tribute to Jack Johnson featured a who's who lineup of jazz/rock royalty, blending electric jazz with rock and funk.

The original happened as a sliding door moment. The band were jamming on their own. Miles walked by the studio, heard it, walked in and played his best ever solo - and his best ever is the best ever.

🎸 "Right Off" - Full Lineup of original Musicians

As I said earlier I used some sampled kits for the drums. The vibe is close I think. Although sequeced and nowhere near as good as the the real the drum track follows the Billy Cobham groove.

I played that Michael Henderson bassline on real bass. It's like one of the top 10 basslines ever IMHO so I didn't mess with it!