Pete Cosey (October 9, 1943 – May 30, 2012)

June 3, 2012 7:52 AM

Pete Cosey dead at 68. Though he had a career as a session guitarist prior to and had some important appearances after, Cosey is most well known for his brief time playing with Miles Davis (1973 - 1975) during an era of Miles' that has at times confounded critics*. Cosey appeared on Get Up with It, Dark Magus, Agharta and Pangaea with Miles.

The Last Miles interview with Cosey.

The two Chicago Reader pieces on Cosey mentioned in the obit: [ 1 ] and [ 2 ].

On YouTube:
With Davis [ live footage 1: Ife, Vienna 1973 ], [ live footage 2: Live Montreux 1973 ], [ live footage 3: Right Off, Japan 1973 ] and some excerpts from Agharta [ 1 ], [ 2 ] and Pangea [ 1 ]. And, some more recent Cosey [ 1 ] and [ 2 ].

* Though some folks like Julian Cope and eventually Robert Christgau get it (as we've recently talked about here). In fact it was thinking about this thread that had me look Cosey up only to find out he had just passed away

Much more could be said, of course, this second obit from Premier Guitar fills in more detail.

posted by safetyfork (14 comments total)

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posted by Trurl at 7:58 AM on June 3, 2012

Given the heavy post-production work done on Davis's 70s records, the truest version of what the face-melting Agharta band sounded like is the bootleg of their January 22, 1975 show in Tokyo.
posted by Trurl at 8:05 AM on June 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

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posted by box at 8:13 AM on June 3, 2012

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posted by kenko at 8:26 AM on June 3, 2012

Thanks for the obit post. I was going to put one together, a couple of days ago, but just didn't quite have the time or energy. Cosey was a fine musician.

RIP Pete Cosey.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:46 AM on June 3, 2012

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posted by Smart Dalek at 9:10 AM on June 3, 2012

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posted by univac at 9:19 AM on June 3, 2012

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posted by jeffehobbs at 9:50 AM on June 3, 2012

My first electric Miles was Bitches Brew and it took me ages to get to the mid-70s stuff. The first time I heard Cosey solo I thought my brain was turning inside out. Felt like Miles's spaceship had finally arrived on its home planet. Ridiculous.

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posted by waxbanks at 10:41 AM on June 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Damn. I've been really getting into, and finally grokking, the 70's electric period Miles stuff, and Get Up With It is a standout fave. Those albums were like 30 years ahead of their time.
posted by Devils Rancher at 11:21 AM on June 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

What I read online lately is random at best, most of it MetaFilter, so I hadn't heard the news until today when, thanks to the Cope thread, I searched to see what he had been up to since I last lost track. That's how I found out he passed away, then I came here and no obit. So yeah, I'm not much on posting these days due to time constraints, but I thought I'd share the news.

There are a number of reasons I fell for this era of Miles Davis and Cosey's playing is right up there. I haven't heard the January 22, 1975 bootleg yet (I assume its what's captured here). I'm sure it's absolutely face-melting. I have the Japanese vinyl / og mix of Agharta which is pretty melt-a-licious.

Also poking around the plosin site, there is plenty more Cosey with Davis to look for.

So far ahead, indeed.

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posted by safetyfork at 12:46 PM on June 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

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posted by lukievan at 1:03 PM on June 3, 2012

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If you want to listen to the sound of a guitarist heavily influenced by Cosey before he's dead, check Jean-paul Bourelly's opera.
posted by nicolin at 1:25 PM on June 3, 2012

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posted by quazichimp at 6:49 PM on June 3, 2012