"ALL BLUES": THE UNRELEASED TRACK IN "THE MATRIX" ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES

The recent release of the Doors' live performances from March 7-11, 1967, at "The Matrix" in San Francisco, enhanced using the original sound sources, also includes eight previously unreleased tracks. Two of these are instrumental tracks never heard in the band's repertoire before.

"All Blues" is the first of these in chronological order, taken from the first concert on March 7th (out of a total of three performances that night). It is a cover: a Jazz piece written by Miles Davis and recorded in April 1959. Three months later it was released on the historic album "A Kind Of Blue".

Let's take a look at the main features of the original and then at the Doors’ version on "The Matrix" and which we heard for the first time a few days ago.

THE ORIGINAL BY MILES DAVIS

"A Kind Of Blue" is a jazz milestone whose notes underscore two very important moments in that kind of music.

The first is the crowning of the hard bop genre through a refinement of execution that is unparalleled, also thanks to the musicians Davis chose as partners. The second major moment marked by this LP is the transition to a new genre of jazz: Modal Jazz.

In addition to Davis (trumpet), we find Cannonball Adderley (alto sax), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Paul Chambers (double bass), Bill Evans (piano) and Billy Cobb (drums). They are certainly among the best performers on their respective instruments, with Coltrane and Chambers standing out slightly above the rest.

"All Blues" is track number 4 on the LP and lasts 11 minutes. It already sees Modal Jazz as predominant over Hard Bop. However, the track can be placed at the fruitful intersection of the two styles, setting a very favorable ground for what would be played in the Jazz of the following decade. 

The opening and closing themes are played by the muted trumpet and the two saxophones, while in the background the piano builds tension by laying down a carpet of fast, repeated notes. The improvised solos are played by (chronologically) Davis, Adderley, Coltrane and finally Evans (a shorter one than the others).

We won't go into detail not to steal space from the Doors’ version, but let us say that it's really worth listening to this beautiful track with its thoughtful and vaguely melancholy atmosphere.

THE DOORS' VERSION AT "THE MATRIX

Unreleased until a few days ago, this recording shows us the Doors during their first night at the venue. The group did not choose "All Blues" by chance. In fact, they were admirers and fans of many jazz musicians of the time and when the opportunity arose, they used to go to their concerts as well. The Doors' passion for Jazz is also evident in their musical arrangements, both live and in the studio.

So, it is not surprising that they chose a Miles Davis cover. The opening and closing themes are played by Manzarek's electric organ (which plays the role of the two saxophones) and Krieger's electric guitar (which takes over trumpet duties).

The improvisations feature the organ first, then the guitar, while the conclusion repeats what has already been described for the opening theme.

In his solo, Manzarek modifies the original atmosphere with a more dynamic and flowing attack, avoiding the intriguing involutions and nuanced hints of the three horn soloists in the 1959 performance.

Krieger, on the other hand, sticks more closely to the Davis arrangement, but loses some of the incisiveness along the experimental path his notes reveal.

Six and a half minutes that are anything but predictable for a group that just three months before released a rock record and here presents one of its most musically sophisticated and refined faces. The technical skills of the three instrumentalists and the artistic flexibility of the Doors as a band made possible what we hardly find in other rock or pop-rock bands.