Miles Davis - Amandla (Rhino Reserve)

Amandla caps Miles Davis' late-1980s partnership with Marcus Miller in style, and this Rhino Reserve edition returns the 1989 album to the turntable.

Following Tutu and the Siesta soundtrack, Amandla leaned further into the sound of his working band of the period, blending programmed grooves with live players such as alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett. The title is a Zulu and Xhosa word for power, a rallying cry of the anti-apartheid movement, and the record carries a warm, outward-looking sense of rhythm to match.

Opener "Catembe" sets a bright, rhythm-first tone, and "Big Time" and "Hannibal" show how naturally Miles' muted trumpet sits over Miller's layered grooves, while "Mr. Pastorius" is a tender ballad tribute to the late bassist Jaco Pastorius that ranks among the loveliest things he recorded in his final years.

Miller wrote and produced much of the album, and his gift for melody keeps the electronics feeling human. Miles, meanwhile, plays with the economy of a man who no longer needs to prove anything, every phrase placed with care.

Long underrated next to his 1950s and 1960s landmarks, Amandla deserves a fresh hearing. It is the sound of an icon still chasing new ideas, and it sits beautifully alongside Tutu on any shelf.