1971's Jack Johnson is Miles Davis making as close to a rock record as he's made.

First, compared to the serpentine complexity of Bitches Brew he stripped down the sound, with Herbie Hancock on Farfisa organ (!), John McLaughlin playing killer wah-wah drenched guitar, Billy Cobham on drums, Michael Henderson on Fender bass and Steve Grossman on saxophone. Plus of course, Miles.

Seeing the superb documentary “What Happened, Miss Simone” isn’t mandatory but you’ll so much more enjoy this astonishing debut album recorded in 1957 (but not released until 1959) that it’s highly recommended, especially if you have Netflix. You’ll sit transfixed by this exceptional woman’s remarkable and often tragic life story.

Simone was a classically trained concert pianist (Julliard) but because of the overt discrimination at the time, her career was stymied. She began playing jazz in Atlantic City and New York clubs and recorded this album at age twenty five.

If you go into this ambitious acoustic Led Zeppelin covers project hard wired for Robert Plant and Jimmy Page you’re probably bound for disappointment but if you just relax into it, you might be pleasantly surprised by what you see in your mind’s eye. You’ll surely like what the production brings to your ears.