JAZZ REVIEW : Miles Davis on the Club Scene: The Giant Is Still Growing

Miles Davis has been the most conspicuous figure in jazz since the death of Charlie Parker in 1955. Never one to rest on his laurels, Davis has moved from his be-bop roots to lead the music in a number of new directions.

His historic quintet of the ‘60s is the present-day model for the contemporary stylings of musicians such as Wynton Marsalis. He introduced legions of rock ‘n’ rollers to the world of jazz with the recording of “Bitches Brew” in 1969. And his collaborations with Gil Evans still rank as the most beautiful jazz orchestra sessions ever recorded.

The chance to see this giant in an intimate setting such as the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday is a rare and welcome treat.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Though Miles Davis now plays his trumpet against hip-hop backbeats and pop ballads, he still displays the inventiveness and lyrical sensibilities that have been part of his playing for more than 40 years.

Davis demonstrated these skills before two sold-out shows, blowing strong on up-tempo numbers and stretching out on the blues. The trumpeter, who looks more like Michael Jackson every day, appeared fit and healthy and readily acknowledged the crowd’s acclaim. His latest group layers bass, percussion and electronic keyboard effects to create a rich background for soloists and opportunities for complex interplay.

The first show began with dual keyboard racks manned by Kei Akagi and Adam Holzman sounding the theme to Joe Zawinul’s “In a Silent Way” before drummer Ricky Wellman began to pound out that 4/4 beat that the trumpeter seems to favor lately. Davis, dressed in baggy black pants and wearing a red embroidered jacket, stalked the stage, giving directions with nods and hand signals, punctuating rhythms with trumpet blasts, occasionally drawing out alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett or guitarist Foley to center stage for a solo.

As he’s done for the last several years, Davis, with the mute wedged firmly in the bell of his horn, played a nameless blues as his second number. His smears and spare style were matched by Foley, who pulled brief, expressive runs from his four-string guitar.

Davis’ strongest playing came during the Scritti Politti number “Perfect Way.” Laying the mute aside, he matched melodic mid-range statements with dramatic pauses and high-end squirts while bassist Benny Rietveld pushed the piece along with tight, snappy low-end. Garrett took advantage of the song’s dramatics, closing it out with a series of shrieks that sent the audience into a wild ovation.

Marcus Miller’s “Hannibal” was the only number the group performed from Davis’ new release “Amandla” (Warner Bros.). A rhythmic rocker that travels through a number of moods and dynamic changes, the tune allowed percussionist Munyungo Jackson, who’s been heard locally with the Billy Mitchell band, to work out on congas, timbales and a variety of bells, gongs and other gizmos.

Davis closed the show with “Time After Time,” a tune he has been doing for almost as long as Cindy Lauper. The number is a perfect vehicle for Miles’ melodic variations and provided the evening’s most moving moments.