In a Silent Way is one of the most celebrated albums in jazz history and it still sounds fresh decades after it was originally recorded. During the '90s, its evocative sonic textures and blends of acoustic and electric instruments could be heard throughout contemporary music, particularly in electronica artists who seized the more cerebral aspects of the album. Conversely,
Mark Isham hears the space and atmosphere within the album, along with the rest of
Miles Davis' electric fusion period. That's why his
Davis tribute,
Miles Remembered: The Silent Way Project, is so interesting. Even on edgier numbers, such as "Right Off" (the closest
Davis ever got to metallic hard rock),
Isham finds spacious sonic textures. It may be smoother than
Davis fusion and have a different sense of purpose, but it's never boring, and it's often quite rewarding, standing as a testament to
Davis' original vision and
Isham's skills as an arranger and interpreter.