NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Legacy Recordings) On August 1, 2011, Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony
Music Entertainment, launched "The Miles Davis Fan Project," an innovative online initiative designed to introduce the music of the American jazz composer-trumpeter-bandleader to a digital audience via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MilesDavis) and Davis' official website (milesdavis.com).
Throughout the month of August, 40 classic Miles Davis tracks - representing multiple aspects and phases of the iconic Davis canon from the post-bop cool of Kind of Blue through the ferocious fusion of Bitches Brew to the meditative Mobius cosmos of In a Silent Way - are being featured on Facebook via social sound sharing platform SoundCloud, powered by RootMusic's BandPage application. The tracks feature an active "Like" button which prompts fans to 'vote.' The ten recordings accruing the most "Likes" from fans online will be assembled for Blue Flame, a fan-christened digital-only album to be released on September 26.
By mid-August, more than twenty thousand "Likes" had been cast on Facebook with some songs grabbing more than twenty-five hundred "Likes." More than thirty-five thousand plays have been racked up between the various contenders for final inclusion on the album.
An online Facebook poll for "The Miles Davis Fan Project" album title resulted in a landslide victory for Blue Flame, suggested by Jennifer Sammons of Los Angeles, California:
"I was introduced to Miles Davis' music by my Dad (D. J.) who was a huge fan," said Sammons. "I became further intrigued with Miles after seeing the actor Michael Wright portraying him! Upon reading Miles' bio, I realized that listening to his music is like taking an amazing journey through this musical genius' incredible life that began with that mystical magical 'blue flame'!"
"'The Miles Davis Fan Project' is yet another example of how Miles transcends genres and continues to speak to new generations," said Adam Block, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Legacy Recordings. "This is the first time we've put the music of an artist of this stature in the hands of fans via social media and asked them to create a collection of songs as a new release. That so many fans have chosen to engage, and to utilize the new technologies available to them, testifies to Miles' enduring appeal and eternal 'nowness.'"
In addition to A&R-ing the tracklist for "The Miles Davis Fan Project" album, online fans are being invited to name the album, create the official artwork for the release, and describe what Miles and his music means to them in personal testimonials to be featured in a digital booklet coming with the online release.
The first online fan-assembled collection of its kind, the release of Blue Flame coincides with the 20th anniversary of Davis' passing on September 28, 1991.
Fully endorsed by Miles Davis Properties, LLC, "The Miles Davis Fan Project" is engaging younger fans native to a digital environment and providing an introduction to the music of Miles.
The final tracklisting, sequencing and artwork for Blue Flame will be revealed on September 26.
On September 20, Legacy Recordings will release Miles Davis Quintet - Live In Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol.1, the first offering in a series of rare and previously unreleased live recordings from around the world from the legendary artist.
