Thank you Crispi. Good luck and don't be discouraged by a few "quiet" periods in terms of feedback. It will be a long ride if you're aiming at going the whole way but what a great ride!
Looking forward to this. Great time to justify purchasing that 71-disc behemoth of a box set with Miles' entire discography, too.
I don't own a physical copy of Birth Of The Cool but I have listened to it once or twice and I seem to remember liking it and getting a vintage New York vibe from it (from old movies etc). I'm more familiar with the early Columbia Years and Cookin' and this is very different. I will see if I get time for an updated impression soon. Interesting story with the original 78's and all.
The Miles Davis/Tadd Dameron Quintet In Paris Festival International de Jazz May, 1949 This album is worthy of special mention. Recorded in Paris a few months after the first Birth Of The Cool sessions, during Miles' first European tour. Here is a young exuberant man playing forcefully, fast and reaching high notes on the trumpet. You even get to hear him introduce the tunes, in a youthful voice. If you are into Miles, you have to listen to this. These performances defy the notion that he was lacking technical abilities and will make you more thoroughly understand who he was. Or it may deepen the mystery. Miles recalls this as one of the happiest times of his life. The French public greeted them in Paris with enthusiasm and they were treated as stars, something they had never experienced in the U.S. It was as this time that Miles met and fell in love with French actress/singer Juliette Gréco, of which she would later say "a great love affair, the kind you'd want everybody to experience" (read her whole article here). Back in the U.S., a big depression befell Miles and he started taking heroin. Dark times ahead.
I'm now watching this thread, although I'm not sure how much I'll be able to contribute. I don't know how practical this request is but if you could drop to a crawl until the mono set comes out, it would enable those of us filling gaps with that set to enter in November. (Of course, we could simply catch up at that point, so it's not a big deal.) Otherwise, I think the earliest I have is Miles Ahead so ... see you in 1957.
I started this thread but somehow didn't get notified that it had been revived, although crispi, the thread's reviver, did contact me beforehand. Glad to see there's a renewed interest and sorry it happened at a time when I'm particularly busy at work, but I will definitely help out when I can.
The Miles Davis/Tadd Dameron Quintet In Paris Festival International de Jazz May, 1949 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unfortunately, I've never been able to get into this album much... I'll give it another shot. I think I even have the LP...
It's also one that's never grabbed me. Or more accurately, it didn't grab me last time I gave it a chance which must have been in the 80s. Definitely worth dusting off.
Is that the album starting with Rifftide and ending All The Things You Are? Found it on Spotify but with another cover. I will be listening to it but right now it's Birth Of The Cool. I know nothing about bep bop but this gives me a positive smiling vibe and for some reason I'm imagining snow outside. Something to really consider on vinyl.
That should be it. Forgot to post the track list. Here it is: Original issue: Columbia LP JC 34804 in November 1977 Producers: Bruce Lundvall, Henri Renaud Engineer: Unknown May 8, 1949 (a) Miles Davis (tpt); James Moody (ts); Tadd Dameron (p); Barney Spieler (b); Kenny Clarke (d) May 9, 1949 (b) Same personnel as May 8, 1949 May 8, 9, 12, 14 or 15 (c) Same personnel as above. Recorded live at the Paris Festival International de Jazz, Paris, France 1 Rifftide [a] 2 Good Bait [a] 3 Don't Blame Me [a] 4 Lady Bird [a] 5 Wahoo (b) 6 Allen's Alley (b) 7 Embraceable You (b) 8 Ornithology (b) 9 All The Things You Are (b) 10 Lover Man* [c] 11 The Squirrel* [c] Issued by CBS in 1977. It's actually a radio broadcast and you will hear the French announcer from time to time.
This is a very important record to listen to for those who are prone to pointlessly argue that Miles was an average player technically. He's just slamming the notes out, fast and high, like on some of the later Parker recordings. Then he eventually choose to go another way apparently as a matter of preference and arrived at his signature sound.
There are plenty of Prestige releases before that, some of which are classics. Even if when the mono set comes out in November we will be at the beginning of the Columbia era or at Someday My Prince Will Come already, it will still be good timing. Thanks for the tip.
I'm listening to the Paris Festival album and to me it is a bit stressful compared to Birth Of The Cool as well as poorer sound. Mabye the format of the singles was a good limitation to achieve more effective but laidback vibes and the live performances more "free"? I still like it though but it won't be amomng my next 10 Miles purchases unless I find a cheap one right in front of me. But I can understand it's historic value. Such a special time in his career!
Multi-album post. Miles Davis And Horns January, 1951 & February, 1953 Conception (with Lee Konitz) March, 1951 Miles Davis (trumpet) Bennie Green (trombone) Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone -1,2,4) John Lewis (piano) Percy Heath (bass) Roy Haynes (drums) Apex Studios, NYC, January 17, 1951 1. 128A Morpheus 2. 129B Down 3. 130BB Blue Room 4. 131A Whispering Miles Davis (trumpet) Sonny Truitt (trombone -3) Al Cohn, Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone) John Lewis (piano) Leonard Gaskin (bass) Kenny Clarke (drums) Beltone Studios, NYC, February 19, 1953 1. 423 Tasty Pudding 2. 424 Willie The Wailer 3. 425 Floppy 4. 426 For Adults Only ** also issued on Prestige PRLP 7168 entitled "Early Miles 1951 & 1953". Prestige PR 7674 entitled "Early Miles". Original Jazz Classics OJC 053, OJCCD 053-2. Miles Davis (trumpet) Lee Konitz (alto saxophone) Sal Mosca (piano) Billy Bauer (guitar) Arnold Fishkin (bass) Max Roach (drums -1/3) NYC, March 8, 1951 1. 140B Odjenar 2. 141B Ezz-Thetic 3. 142B Hi-Beck 4. 143B Yesterdays Miles Davis (trumpet) Jackie McLean (alto saxophone -1) Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone) Walter Bishop Jr. (piano) Tommy Potter (bass) Art Blakey (drums) Apex Studios, NYC, October 5, 1951 1. 228 Conception 2. 233 My Old Flame Dig October, 1951 Miles Davis (trumpet) Jackie McLean (alto saxophone -1/4) Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone) Walter Bishop Jr. (piano) Tommy Potter (bass) Art Blakey (drums) Apex Studios, NYC, October 5, 1951 1. 229 Out Of The Blue 2. 230 Denial 3. 231 Bluing 4. 232 Dig 5. 234 It's Only A Paper Moon ** also issued on Prestige PRLP 7281 entitled "Diggin' With The Miles Davis Sextet". Original Jazz Classics OJC 005, OJCCD 005-2. It would be some while before Miles repaid Prestige's confidence in him with a completely authoritative and satisfying record. Had one done an end-of-year audit in December 1951, would he have seemed a likely contender? The earlier set is almost dreary and ill-defined and, though Miles solos with great confidence on 'My Old Flame' and 'Blueing', there isn't much else to write home about. "Dig" is most obviously questionable on technical grounds. Whatever has happened to players as forceful as Potter and Blakey, lost in a disagreeable mix? 'Conception' appears in a loess than challenging form, and there is a positively banal approach to 'It's Only A Paper Moon'. If the story hadn't gone a great deal further than this, Miles might a been a footnote. "Birth Of The Cool" notwithstanding, he had still to produce a work of real individuality. (Penguin Guide to Jazz)
I have heard all of the above at least once, but I only have "Miles Davis And Horns". Quite similar in tonality with Birth of the Cool, but not as magical. I like "Tasty Pudding", though, that's a good track. Anyway, these are mere footnotes from a difficult time in Miles' career. Next up are the Blue Note releases, which are much more interesting.
I have not heard any of these three but I have seen "Miles Davis and Horns" several times. I kind of like that cover. I will give it a listen. No need to bother about the other two?
I'll be following this thread, which potentially might go on for the better part of a year! I got the 71-disc box last year, and am still working my way through it. This should be fun.
Yes, you should hear the other two. Worth hearing, even if they won't become your favorites... Dig is also good in that it allows you to hear a very young Jackie McLean too. But, perhaps you've not gotten to him...yet. IMHO...
Oops, don't have that LP anymore...; must've passed it on. Hopeful I still have that SRCS 91xx series disc...
I love the rather bizarre cover of Miles Davis And Horns. The music isn't too shabby either, especially the two-tenor 1953 date; "Tasty Pudding" is a personal fave. The 1951 material is a bit uneven; Miles was in "poor health"; and the January 17 session was cut after a session with Charlie Parker the same day. On the Lee Konitz session he plays mostly obbligatos.
