Miles Davis, Fillmore West, 1971

In March 1970, Miles Davis began to perform as the opener for various rock acts, allowing Columbia Records to market Bitches Brew to a wider audience. Although he was so offended by Clive Davis's suggestion to perform at the Fillmore East that he threatened to switch record labels, Davis eventually shared a bill with the Steve Miller Band and Neil Young on March 6 and 7, 1970. The next month saw him out at the Fillmore West opening for the Grateful Dead for four nights where he appreciated their improvisational style.  Here he is a year later playing a bill with Elvin Bishop, former member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, except this time Miles Davis is the headliner.

This poster featuring an inscrutable Japanese wizard  (or something), was made by David Singer who produced 66 posters for Bill Graham between 1969 and 1971. Singer was a collage artist, but this poster represented his experimentation with freehand drawing. The experiment was clearly a success, and this swooping, linear sketch, Oriental in flavor, is striking.