Rediscovering Miles Davis, plus more Denver area jazz shows coming up

What do you think of in 2022 when you see the name Miles Davis? The innovator? The iconoclast? The accomplished trumpeter?

The folks at Sony have been relatively quiet in recent years when it comes to maintaining the late Davis’ legacy, but they’ve assembled a new collection of outtakes, vault discoveries and a live concert that make up “That’s What Happened 1982-1985: The Bootleg Series Vol. 7,” out on Sept. 16.

Davis’ 1980s’ comeback after several years of self-imposed isolation was somewhat controversial, as odd as that might seem decades later. After a long period of being known for his creative audacity in the realm of jazz, Davis appeared to be committed to following current trends instead of creating them. That might be why we discuss “Kind Of Blue,” “Bitches Brew” and the influential albums surrounding those benchmarks instead of, say, “You’re Under Arrest” from 1985, which features Davis sporting a gun on the cover and containing music that, while pleasant enough, wasn’t up to the trumpeter’s standards from the 1950s to the ’70s.

Over the course of three and a half hours, “That’s What Happened,” wants us to reevaluate Davis from that period, or maybe dig in for the first time. There’s plenty of material that’s nice to hear once or twice, like the multiple takes of “Celestial Blues” and “Hopscotch,” but there’s also a handful of keepers that a Davis devotee will relish.

Davis sounds particularly sharp on the live 1983 concert performance that makes up the third disc, and one can’t help but wonder why the excellent, 13-minute track “Santana” has been collecting dust for almost four decades. There are other compelling discoveries, like the extended “Katia” from 1985, featuring guitarist John McLaughlin. Speaking of guitarists, besides Davis’ trumpet, the standout performers here are future stars John Scofield and Mike Stern, who really help propel their leader to heights of inspiration that recall his former glories.

While it’s never incendiary — like music from previous volumes in the Davis “Bootleg” series — “That’s What Happened” is always enjoyable. And when it comes to unearthing more of Miles’ legacy, that’s more than good enough.