MILES DAVIS - Miles Davis At Newport 1955-1975 The Bootleg Series Vol 4
Columbia Legacy 88875081952 (Four CD set)
CD 1:
1. Spoken Introductions by Duke Ellington and Gerry Mulligan • 2. Hackensack • 3. ’Round Midnight (previously released) •
4. Now’s The Time •
(All-Star Jam Session: Miles Davis, trumpet; Zoot Sims, tenor saxophone; Gerry Mulligan, baritone saxophone; Thelonious Monk, piano; Percy Heath, bass; Connie Kay, drums.)
Recorded July 17, 1955: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
5. Spoken Introduction by Willis Conover (previously released) • 6. Ah-Leu-Cha (previously released) • 7. Straight, No Chaser (previously released) • 8. Fran-Dance (previously released) • 9. Two Bass Hit (previously released) • 10. Bye Bye Blackbird (previously released) • 11. The Theme (previously released) .
(Miles Davis, trumpet; Cannonball Adderley, alto saxophone; John Coltrane, tenor saxophone; Bill Evans, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums.)
Recorded July 3, 1958: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
CD 2:
1. Gingerbread Boy • 2. All Blues • 3. Stella By Starlight • 4. R.J. • 5. Seven Steps To Heaven • 6. The Theme / Closing Announcement by Leonard Feather.
Recorded July 4, 1966: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
7. Spoken Introduction by Del Shields • 8. Gingerbread Boy • 9. Footprints • 10. ’Round Midnight • 11. So What •
12. The Theme/Closing Announcement by Del Shields
(1966 & 1967: Miles Davis, trumpet; Wayne Shorter, tenor saxophone; Herbie Hancock, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Tony Williams, drums)
Recorded July 2, 1967: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
CD 3:
1. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (previously released) • 2. Sanctuary (previously released) • 3. It’s About That Time / The Theme (previously released)
(Miles Davis, trumpet; Chick Corea, electric piano; Dave Holland, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums.)
Recorded July 5, 1969: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
4. Spoken Introduction by Ronnie Scott/Band Warming Up • 5. Turnaroundphrase • 6. Tune In 5 • 7. Ife • 8. Untitled Original •
9. Closing Announcement by Ronnie Scott
(Miles Davis, trumpet, organ; Dave Liebman, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute; Pete Cosey, guitar, percussion; Reggie Lucas, guitar; Michael Henderson, electric bass; Al Foster, drums; James Mtume Forman, percussion.)
Recorded November 1, 1973: Newport Jazz Festival In Europe, Berlin)
10. Mtume.
(Miles Davis, trumpet, organ; Sam Morrison, tenor saxophone; Pete Cosey, guitar, percussion; Reggie Lucas, guitar; Michael Henderson, electric bass; Al Foster, drums; James Mtume Forman, percussion.) Recorded July 1, 1975: Newport Jazz Festival – NY, Avery Fisher Hall
CD 4:
1. Directions • 2. What I Say • 3. Sanctuary • 4. It’s About That Time • 5. Bitches Brew • 6. Funky Tonk • 7. Sanctuary.
(Miles Davis, trumpet; Gary Bartz, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone; Keith Jarrett, electric piano, organ; Michael Henderson, electric bass; Ndugu Leon Chancler, drums; Don Alias, percussion; James Mtume Forman, percussion.)
Recorded October 22, 1971 : Newport Jazz Festival In Europe, Neue Stadthalle, Dietikon, Switzerland
Has any jazz musician changed as much in a twenty year period? We move from a pick up All Star group in 1955 to a jazz funk group in 1975. The difference in the music is vast, like going from Bach to Birtwistle. If you want a single package that shows why Miles Davis is so important to jazz this is it.
The four-CD box set, lasting around four hours is comprised of live performances by Miles’ line-ups in 1955, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, and 1975, in Newport, Rhode Island, New York City, Berlin, and Switzerland,
It is a pity that there is so much here that has been issued before. A substantial part of the first disk is on ‘Miles & Monk at Newport’ (1964) and ‘Miles Davis at Newport’ (2001). The first three tracks on disc three, the July 5, 1969 performance, have been available since 2011 on ‘Bitches Brew Live’.
For many years Miles resisted ‘live recordings. I wonder what salty epithets he would have applied to Sony’s 4 disk set. Maybe, Miles was wrong; his live recordings tell us more than some of the studied studio recitals
Is it a myth that the Miles’ solo on ‘Round midnight accompanied by Thelonious Monk was the one that saved his career and led to him being signed for Columbia? Compared to his later work this has a very thoughtful almost tentative quality.
The sextet that is featured on the first disk is the one that went on to record ‘Kind of Blue’. Featuring Coltrane who dominates the music, Davis’ playing here, you could argue, is the most classical, incisive, lyrical playing of his career. There are suggestions in the accompanying notes by Ashley Kahn that Miles’ trumpet playing deteriorated later on due to health reasons. Certainly the flow and the trajectory of musical thought changed. The elegant flow became staccato bursts.
The highlight of the four disks, and, for many, the main reason for buying, will be the 1966 and 1967 appearances of the great quintet with Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Tony Williams. Long circulated as genuine bootlegs, the versions here are cleaned up and given a vibrancy and depth that they deserve. Interesting to note that the speed of some pieces becomes much faster between 66 and 67. The new recording clarity gives more chance to hear the subtlety of the rhythm behind the solos of Hancock, Shorter and Davis. The music with its invention is thrilling. This is jazz of the highest quality. Rarely again would Davis be surrounded and driven by such challenging players.
Wayne Shorter got snarled up in traffic for the 5th of July 1969 appearance so Miles performed with a quartet. The disc then jumps to 1973 and Newport in Berlin. The London tones of Ronnie Scott introduce Dave Liebman on soprano & tenor saxes (plus flute), Reggie Lucas and Pete Cosey on guitar, Michael Henderson on electric bass, Al Foster on drums, and James Mtume Forman on percussion as well as Miles, now electrified. In its way, and in a completely different way, this is an astounding set. ‘Turnaroundphrase,’ ‘Ife,’ and ‘Untitled Original’ can help you to understand the shock that audiences felt at that time.
The final disc has the 1971 band—including Keith Jarrett on electric piano and Gary Bartz on alto. ‘Funky Tonk’ is the highlight at over twenty five minutes the longest track in the whole box. It is a startling track changing from moody to aggressive; it shows that the music then could explore a wider range than any of the music that went before.
This is not the best of the Bootleg volumes. Playing with the chronology is irritating as is the amount of pre-released material included. I would forgive all that for the superb presentation of Disk 2 with the great quintet.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Columbia Legacy 88875081952 (Four CD set)
CD 1:
1. Spoken Introductions by Duke Ellington and Gerry Mulligan • 2. Hackensack • 3. ’Round Midnight (previously released) •
4. Now’s The Time •
(All-Star Jam Session: Miles Davis, trumpet; Zoot Sims, tenor saxophone; Gerry Mulligan, baritone saxophone; Thelonious Monk, piano; Percy Heath, bass; Connie Kay, drums.)
Recorded July 17, 1955: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
5. Spoken Introduction by Willis Conover (previously released) • 6. Ah-Leu-Cha (previously released) • 7. Straight, No Chaser (previously released) • 8. Fran-Dance (previously released) • 9. Two Bass Hit (previously released) • 10. Bye Bye Blackbird (previously released) • 11. The Theme (previously released) .
(Miles Davis, trumpet; Cannonball Adderley, alto saxophone; John Coltrane, tenor saxophone; Bill Evans, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums.)
Recorded July 3, 1958: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
CD 2:
1. Gingerbread Boy • 2. All Blues • 3. Stella By Starlight • 4. R.J. • 5. Seven Steps To Heaven • 6. The Theme / Closing Announcement by Leonard Feather.
Recorded July 4, 1966: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
7. Spoken Introduction by Del Shields • 8. Gingerbread Boy • 9. Footprints • 10. ’Round Midnight • 11. So What •
12. The Theme/Closing Announcement by Del Shields
(1966 & 1967: Miles Davis, trumpet; Wayne Shorter, tenor saxophone; Herbie Hancock, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Tony Williams, drums)
Recorded July 2, 1967: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
CD 3:
1. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (previously released) • 2. Sanctuary (previously released) • 3. It’s About That Time / The Theme (previously released)
(Miles Davis, trumpet; Chick Corea, electric piano; Dave Holland, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums.)
Recorded July 5, 1969: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI
4. Spoken Introduction by Ronnie Scott/Band Warming Up • 5. Turnaroundphrase • 6. Tune In 5 • 7. Ife • 8. Untitled Original •
9. Closing Announcement by Ronnie Scott
(Miles Davis, trumpet, organ; Dave Liebman, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute; Pete Cosey, guitar, percussion; Reggie Lucas, guitar; Michael Henderson, electric bass; Al Foster, drums; James Mtume Forman, percussion.)
Recorded November 1, 1973: Newport Jazz Festival In Europe, Berlin)
10. Mtume.
(Miles Davis, trumpet, organ; Sam Morrison, tenor saxophone; Pete Cosey, guitar, percussion; Reggie Lucas, guitar; Michael Henderson, electric bass; Al Foster, drums; James Mtume Forman, percussion.) Recorded July 1, 1975: Newport Jazz Festival – NY, Avery Fisher Hall
CD 4:
1. Directions • 2. What I Say • 3. Sanctuary • 4. It’s About That Time • 5. Bitches Brew • 6. Funky Tonk • 7. Sanctuary.
(Miles Davis, trumpet; Gary Bartz, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone; Keith Jarrett, electric piano, organ; Michael Henderson, electric bass; Ndugu Leon Chancler, drums; Don Alias, percussion; James Mtume Forman, percussion.)
Recorded October 22, 1971 : Newport Jazz Festival In Europe, Neue Stadthalle, Dietikon, Switzerland
Has any jazz musician changed as much in a twenty year period? We move from a pick up All Star group in 1955 to a jazz funk group in 1975. The difference in the music is vast, like going from Bach to Birtwistle. If you want a single package that shows why Miles Davis is so important to jazz this is it.
The four-CD box set, lasting around four hours is comprised of live performances by Miles’ line-ups in 1955, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, and 1975, in Newport, Rhode Island, New York City, Berlin, and Switzerland,
It is a pity that there is so much here that has been issued before. A substantial part of the first disk is on ‘Miles & Monk at Newport’ (1964) and ‘Miles Davis at Newport’ (2001). The first three tracks on disc three, the July 5, 1969 performance, have been available since 2011 on ‘Bitches Brew Live’.
For many years Miles resisted ‘live recordings. I wonder what salty epithets he would have applied to Sony’s 4 disk set. Maybe, Miles was wrong; his live recordings tell us more than some of the studied studio recitals
Is it a myth that the Miles’ solo on ‘Round midnight accompanied by Thelonious Monk was the one that saved his career and led to him being signed for Columbia? Compared to his later work this has a very thoughtful almost tentative quality.
The sextet that is featured on the first disk is the one that went on to record ‘Kind of Blue’. Featuring Coltrane who dominates the music, Davis’ playing here, you could argue, is the most classical, incisive, lyrical playing of his career. There are suggestions in the accompanying notes by Ashley Kahn that Miles’ trumpet playing deteriorated later on due to health reasons. Certainly the flow and the trajectory of musical thought changed. The elegant flow became staccato bursts.
The highlight of the four disks, and, for many, the main reason for buying, will be the 1966 and 1967 appearances of the great quintet with Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Tony Williams. Long circulated as genuine bootlegs, the versions here are cleaned up and given a vibrancy and depth that they deserve. Interesting to note that the speed of some pieces becomes much faster between 66 and 67. The new recording clarity gives more chance to hear the subtlety of the rhythm behind the solos of Hancock, Shorter and Davis. The music with its invention is thrilling. This is jazz of the highest quality. Rarely again would Davis be surrounded and driven by such challenging players.
Wayne Shorter got snarled up in traffic for the 5th of July 1969 appearance so Miles performed with a quartet. The disc then jumps to 1973 and Newport in Berlin. The London tones of Ronnie Scott introduce Dave Liebman on soprano & tenor saxes (plus flute), Reggie Lucas and Pete Cosey on guitar, Michael Henderson on electric bass, Al Foster on drums, and James Mtume Forman on percussion as well as Miles, now electrified. In its way, and in a completely different way, this is an astounding set. ‘Turnaroundphrase,’ ‘Ife,’ and ‘Untitled Original’ can help you to understand the shock that audiences felt at that time.
The final disc has the 1971 band—including Keith Jarrett on electric piano and Gary Bartz on alto. ‘Funky Tonk’ is the highlight at over twenty five minutes the longest track in the whole box. It is a startling track changing from moody to aggressive; it shows that the music then could explore a wider range than any of the music that went before.
This is not the best of the Bootleg volumes. Playing with the chronology is irritating as is the amount of pre-released material included. I would forgive all that for the superb presentation of Disk 2 with the great quintet.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
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