1984 · Album
Decoy
Recorded 1983 · Columbia Records · Produced by Miles Davis, Robert Irving III
Miles in the Synthesizer Age, Staying Sharp
Decoy catches Miles pivoting toward the electric 1980s without losing his edge or his ear.
By 1984, Miles Davis had spent a decade chasing electricity and rhythm, moving further from the acoustic jazz that made him legendary. Decoy arrived as proof he hadn't lost the thread. Recorded in 1983, the album places him alongside Robert Irving III on keyboards and John Scofield on guitar—both men who understood how to fold contemporary production into something that still swung. Irving and Scofield wrote or co-wrote most of the tracks, giving the record a unified sound that doesn't feel scattered or desperate to prove anything. Branford Marsalis adds soprano saxophone to "Decoy," "Code M.D.," and "That's Right," bringing a bright, pressing energy to the sessions.
This is not a masterpiece, and the Penguin Guide's 2.5 out of 4 rating reflects a real restraint—the album can feel thin in places, more sketch than statement. But it works precisely because no one on it is pretending the 1960s are still happening. The grooves are lean. The synthesizers are direct. Miles sounds engaged, not coasting. If you want to understand how he lived in the 1980s rather than visit it as a tourist, this record shows you how.
Who's playing
Darryl Joneselectric bass guitar
John Scofieldguitar
Branford Marsalissoprano saxophone
Bill Evanssoprano saxophone
Miles Davistrumpet
Robert Irving IIIsynthesizer
Al Fosterdrums
Mino Cinelupercussion
Where next?
More by Miles Davis
All 59 albums →
The musicians on this record
You Must Believe in Spring 1981
Bill Evans
plays soprano saxophone here
plays soprano saxophone here
Solar 1984
John Scofield
plays guitar here
plays guitar here
Royal Garden Blues 1986
Branford Marsalis
plays soprano saxophone here
plays soprano saxophone here
