Get Up with It is a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis. Released by Columbia Records on November 22, 1974, it collected previously unreleased material that Davis had recorded between 1970 and 1974, some of which dated from the sessions for his studio albums Jack Johnson (1971) and On the Corner (1972).

Recordings

"He Loved Him Madly" was Davis' tribute to Duke Ellington, who used to tell his audiences, "I love you madly."

"Honky Tonk" was recorded in 1970 with musicians such as John McLaughlin and Herbie Hancock who had played on In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. "Red China Blues" had been recorded in 1972, prior to On the Corner, while "Rated X" and "Billy Preston" were recorded later that year with the band heard on In Concert. The remaining tracks dated from 1973 and 1974 sessions with his then-current band, including guitarist Pete Cosey.

In the 2004 edition of the Rolling Stone Album Guide, J. D. Considine described the album's musical style as "worldbeat fusion".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Alternative Press5/5
Christgau's Record GuideA−
DownBeat
MusicHound Jazz
The Penguin Guide to Jazz
Pitchfork9.6/10
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide
The Village VoiceA−

Reviewing Get Up With It for Rolling Stone in 1975, Stephen Davis applauded Davis' adventurousness and the direction of his band, a "who's who of Seventies jazz-rock". Robert Christgau gave the album muted praise in The Village Voice, calling it "over two hours of what sometimes sounds like bullshit: it's not exactly music to fill the mind. Just the room." In the 1981 edition of Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies, he praised the side-long pieces "He Loved Him Madly" ("a tribute to Duke Ellington as elegant African internationalist") and "Calypso Frelimo" ("a Caribbean dance broken into sections that seem to follow with preordained emotional logic") while offering a mixed assessment of the other material.

For the album's 2000 reissue, Alternative Press published a review calling it "essential ... the overlooked classic of psychedelic soul and outlandish improv ... representing the high water mark of [Davis'] experiments in the fusion of rock, funk, electronica and jazz". Stylus Magazine's Chris Smith called it "more of an anything-goes hodgepodge than it is a sprawling masterwork."

In a highly positive retrospective review, Andy Beta of Pitchfork described Get Up with It as a "black funk dreamscape", observing that it "careens between extremes, as Miles presages everything still to come: ambient, no wave, world beat, jungle, new jack swing, post-rock, even hinting at the future sound of R&B and chart-topping pop". He particularly praised Davis' adoption of the electric organ: "Rather than run the voodoo down, now Miles could conjure it all by himself".

British composer Brian Eno cited "He Loved Him Madly" as an influence on his work in the liner notes to his 1982 album Ambient 4: On Land.

Track listing

All compositions by Miles Davis.

Side one
No.TitleRecording dateLength
1."He Loved Him Madly"June 19, 197432:13
Side two
No.TitleRecording dateLength
1."Maiysha"October 7, 197414:52
2."Honky Tonk"May 19, 19705:54
3."Rated X"September 6, 19726:50
Side three
No.TitleRecording dateLength
1."Calypso Frelimo"September 17, 197332:07
Side four
No.TitleRecording dateLength
1."Red China Blues"March 9, 19724:10
2."Mtume"October 7, 197415:08
3."Billy Preston"December 8, 197212:35
Total length:122:05

Personnel

"He Loved Him Madly" Recorded Columbia Studio E, New York City June 19 or 20, 1974 Miles Davis — electric trumpet with wah-wah pedal, organ Dave Liebman — alto flute Reggie Lucas — electric guitar Dominique Gaumont — electric guitar Michael Henderson — bass guitar Al Foster — drums James Mtume — percussion "Maiysha" Recorded Columbia Studio E, New York City October 7, 1974 Miles Davis — electric trumpet with wah-wah pedal, organ Sonny Fortune — flute Pete Cosey — electric guitar Reggie Lucas — electric guitar Dominique Gaumont — electric guitar Michael Henderson — bass guitar Al Foster — drums James Mtume — percussion "Honky Tonk" Recorded Columbia Studio E, New York City May 19, 1970 Miles Davis — trumpet Steve Grossman — soprano saxophone John McLaughlin — electric guitar Keith Jarrett — electric piano Herbie Hancock — clavinet Michael Henderson — bass guitar Billy Cobham — drums Airto Moreira — percussion "Rated X" Recorded Columbia Studio E, New York City September 6, 1972 Miles Davis — organ Cedric Lawson — electric piano Reggie Lucas — electric guitar Khalil Balakrishna — electric sitar Michael Henderson — bass guitar Al Foster — drums James Mtume — percussion Badal Roy — tabla"Calypso Frelimo" Recorded Columbia Studio E, New York City September 17, 1973 Miles Davis — electric trumpet with wah-wah pedal, electric piano, organ Dave Liebman — flute John Stubblefield — soprano saxophone Pete Cosey — electric guitar Reggie Lucas — electric guitar Michael Henderson — bass guitar Al Foster — drums James Mtume — percussion "Red China Blues" Recorded Columbia Studio E, New York City March 9, 1972 Miles Davis — electric trumpet with wah-wah pedal Lester Chambers — harmonica Cornell Dupree — electric guitar Michael Henderson — bass guitar Al Foster — drums Bernard Purdie — drums James Mtume — percussion Wade Marcus — brass arrangement Billy Jackson — rhythm arrangement "Mtume" Recorded Columbia Studio E, New York City October 7, 1974 Miles Davis — electric trumpet with wah-wah pedal, organ Pete Cosey — electric guitar Reggie Lucas — electric guitar Dominique Gaumont — electric guitar Michael Henderson — bass guitar Al Foster — drums James Mtume — percussion Sonny Fortune — flute "Billy Preston" Recorded Columbia Studio E, New York City December 8, 1972 Miles Davis — electric trumpet with wah-wah pedal Carlos Garnett — soprano saxophone Cedric Lawson — Fender Rhodes electric piano Reggie Lucas — electric guitar Khalil Balakrishna — electric sitar Michael Henderson — bass guitar Al Foster — drums James Mtume — percussion Badal Roy — tabla

External links