Stimulated by the sounds from the street and radio and guitarist mastership of Jimmy Hendrix, musician Miles Davies included electric guitars and pianos in his jam sessions in the 1960s. After that, his improvisation was enriched with elements of rock and funk (‘In a Silent Way’ and ‘Bitches Brew’). Critics and hard-line jazz musicians attacked the famous musician, accusing him of betraying jazz. Davies’s appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival, before 600,000 people, was his climax. Lerner recorded the scenes from this transition period of American music, plus reminiscences of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland and those influenced by Davies (Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell).
Murray Lerner
Murray Lerner started his career in the 1940s, as a producer of short films and low-budget westerns. In 1967, he produced and directed ‘Festival’, a documentary on the musical scene of those days (Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash). After that, he specializes in musical themes, which resulted in his two-hour long ‘Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival’ during his English phase. In his ‘From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China’ (1980), he escorts the famous violinist on his Chinese tour.
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Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue
USA
2004, 83', color
Directed by:
Murray Lerner
Cinematography:
Kramer Morgenthau
Edited by:
Edward Goldberg, Einar Westerlund
Music:
Godem Choudhary, Ray Day, Judy Karp
Producers:
Terry Shand, Geoff Kempin, Murray Lerner
Produced by:
Eagle Rock Entertainment
