This morning, I turned on my box to find the first listen of Miles, Live In Europe 1967: Bootleg Series Volume 1 streaming at NPR. First and foremost, I love the first listen. Really gets me excited about a release as I’m sure it does for most music-obsessives like myself scouring the internet for new listening.

It seems like every year, they (those with access to the Miles vaults) pull another recording out of nowhere. When it’s a reissue of Kind Of Blue, I kind of turn off. But when it’s a new recording I haven’t heard, I end up falling deep into Miles’ catalog (again). So much great and disparate music in his catalog. Looking forward to immersing myself again.

While I’m on my Miles kick, I remembered Dave’s post from way back, Illuminations On The Cellar Door. Here’s a little excerpt.

Illuminations on the Cellar Door

POSTED BY: DAVE DOUGLAS ON APRIL 25, 2006 @ 1:50 PM

I was listening to Miles Davis’ 1970 recordings from the Cellar Door, a space in Washington, DC. These recordings went into making the album Live Evil in 1970. It is an absolute classic of an album, and yet it falls in that controversial zone that separates lovers of early Miles from those entranced by the second half of his recorded tenure, the electric years.

Much has been said about Miles Davis and his music. Sometimes too much, and for that reason I have hesitated to jump in. But in the words of trombonist George Lewis, music doesn’t speak for itself. We have to talk about it because it doesn’t talk. I imagine Miles having the last laugh because like it or not everyone is still talking about his music. I’ll at least try to be concise.

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After reading that again, I’ll be starting my Miles listening session with those Cellar Door recordings.

Back to work. Happy listening.