JAZZ, DANCE BANDS, VOCALISTS
Miles Davis -> Wild Bill Davison

MILES DAVIS
WILD BILL DAVIS
WILD BILL DAVISON
 
 
 

 

MILES DAVIS Blue Note 98287-2 The Best Of The Capitol/Blue Note Years ● CD $13.98
The phrase "Best Of" is somewhat superfluous when dealing with an artist the stature of Miles Davis. However, he only recorded several albums worth of material for Capitol/Blue Note between 1949 and 1954 so the idea of a single-disc distillation of these is not ridiculous. This disc gives us 3 tracks from the essential "Birth of the Cool" nonet sessions (available on Capitol 30117B - $11.98). From his Blue Note period ('52-54) we get 3 tracks from each of his 3 sessions. Two of the groups are sextets featuring J.J. Johnson, Jackie McLean and Art Blakey; the third is a quartet with Blakey and Horace Silver. These were grim years for Miles and a little of that shows in the music, but this is still great stuff. Finally we get 2 tracks comprising half of "Somethin' Else", cut for Blue Note in '58 under Cannonball Adderley's name (one of the few times Davis took a sideman role) with Blakey, Hank Jones and Sam Jones. (RS)

 
MILES DAVIS Capitol 30117B Birth Of The Cool ● CD $11.98
Essential octet and nonet recordings by one of Jazz's greatest figures. Three 1949-'50 sessions are contained, the fruits of Miles' first major collaboration with arranger Gil Evans. Besides Davis the constants in personnel are Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz - other participants include Max Roach, John Lewis, Kenny Clarke and J.J. Johnson. The instrumentation, which included tuba and French horn, was revolutionary for the time, pointing away from both blasting big band sounds and the frenetic sounds of bebop, hence the record exec-coined album title. Venus de Milo/ Moon Dreams/ Godchild, Deception/ Boplicity etc. (RS)

 
MILES DAVIS Capitol 94550 The Complete Birth Of The Cool ● CD $16.98
The "Birth Of The Cool Session" plus 13 tracks recorded live at the Royal Roost in 1948 by the same group doing some of the same tunes.

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 44151 Ballads ● CD $11.98
Nothing new or extraordinary on this set, just some beautiful Miles from the early 60s. Miles stretches out on 8 ballads from 3 different sessions - Bye Bye Blackbird from the "In Person" LP from '61, Once Upon A Summertime/Song #2/Wait Till You See Her/ Corcovado from "Quiet Nights" done in '62 with the Gil Evans Orch, & Baby Won't You Please Come Home/Basin Street Blues/I Fall In Love Too Easily from "7 Steps To Heaven" from '63 featuring pianist Victor Feldman.

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 46862 Circle In the Round ● CD $19.98
2-CD reissue of otherwise unavailable material spanning the years 1955 to 1970. Every track here is killer - no two with the same personnel - but briefly, the roster includes John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans, Hank Mobley, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Dave Holland, Joe Zawinul and Jack DeJohnette. Tracks are arranged chronologically, documenting Miles' development from the '55 quintet with Trane to the ever more experimental '60s.Perhaps the two most unusual tracks are the 26-minute "Sketches of Spain"-flavored Circle In the Round from '67 featuring Joe Beck's gimbri-like guitar (totally unique in the Davis discography) and the 18-minute version of David Crosby's Guinnevere, dirge-like funk from '70 featuring 2 each of reed-players, keyboardists, bassists and drummers, plus percussion and sitar that pre-dates some of Miles' work on "Get Up With It". (RS)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 48821 The Complete Concert 1964 ● CD $19.98
This 2-disc set reissues the concert of Feb. 12, 1964, previously released as 2 separate albums, My Funny Valentine and Four & More. Miles' quintet of the time included tenorman George Coleman and the youthful rhythm section of Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, innovators all. Here Miles' music progressed away from bebop toward more impressionistic sounds, driven especially by the furious cymbal work of then 18-year-old Williams. The territory covered is Miles' standard repertoire of the time: All Blues/ Seven Steps to Heaven/ Walkin'/ There Is No Greater Love, but the group moves that material into the crazy '60s. Stream of consciousness improvisations at the speed of bop but always with an innate pop sense. Later on they took it even further when Wayne Shorter took over the tenor chair, but here's where you heard it first. Crucial jazz. (RS)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 48827 Seven Steps To Heaven ● CD $11.98
Recorded in the Spring of '63, this disc features 2 very different bands. The L.A. unit, with George Coleman (tenor sax), Victor Feldman (piano) and Ron Carter (bass), serves up 3 langourous ballads. Miles' muted, sparse trumpet gives the songs, notably St. Louis Blues, an almost dissipated quality. In NYC, drummer Tony Williams replaces Frank Butler and Herbie Hancock replaces Feldman. (Wayne Shorter would soon fill Coleman's chair.) With a more powerful and flexible rhythm section, Davis instills in the title tune, So Near So Far and Joshua far more energy, color and rhythmic freedom than in his L.A. efforts. The 2nd great quintet was almost complete and a new era had begun. (PL)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 64935 Kind Of Blue ● CD $11.98
Considered by many to be the best jazz LP of all time. I had to memorize the whole LP for a jazz class! Originally Columbia 8163 from 1959, this was Miles' 1st major experimentation with modal improvisation. The band is the powerful sextet with Cannonball Adderly (as), John Coltrane (ts), Bill Evans (p), Paul Chambers (b) & Jimmie Cobb (d) with Wynton Kelly sitting in for Evans on Freddie Freeloader. Also includes All Blues/ So What/ Flamenco Sketches/ Blue In Green. (GM)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 65121 Miles Ahead ● CD $11.98
Reissue of Columbia 8633 from 1957. Miles continues his "Birth Of The Cool" experiments with Gil Evans with a 19 piece orchestra arranged & conducted by Evans and featuring Miles on flugelhorn. Band members inc. Ernie Royal, Lee Konitz & Miles' rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers & Art Taylor. These May '57 sessions produced what liner notes writer Andre Hodier calls "10 little concertos" inc. Kurt Weill's My Ship, Ahmed Jamal's New Rhumba , Dave Brubeck's The Duke plus the Evans-Davis title tune. Newly remastered version has four bonus tracks. (GM)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 65141 Porgy And Bess ● CD $11.98
Digitally remastered reissue of Columbia 1274 from 1958. The 13 pieces from Gershwin's masterpiece was the first major collaboration between Miles & arranger Gil Evans since the '48 "Birth Of The Cool". Recorded during July & August, '58 with an 18 piece orch. directed by Evans, including half of Mile's sextet - Cannonball Adderly, Paul Chambers & Philly Joe Jones, along with such vets as Ernie Royal, John Coles, Jimmy Cleveland & Gunther Schuller - Summertime/ I Loves You Porgy/ It Ain't Necessarily So/ Here Come De Honeyman, etc. Newly remastered version includes two bonus alternate takes. (GM)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 65142 Sketches Of Spain ● CD $11.98
Reissue of the classic 1960 LP, originally Columbia 8271. Miles in front of a huge orchestra arranged & conducted by Gil Evans. This was their 3rd collaboration and my favorite. Side 1 has 2 pieces of Spanish classical music, Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto De Aranquez and Will O' The Wisp from Manuel De Falla's El Amor Brujo . Side 2 has Gil's interpretations of 3 Spanish folk melodies - Saeta/ The Pan Piper/ Solea . GM

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 65682 Miles Smiles ● CD $11.98
Reissue of 1966 album.

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 65683 E.S.P. ● CD $11.98
Reissue of 1965 album.

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 65774 Bitches Brew ● CD $24.98
This is the set that is generally acknowledged as being the first "jazz fusion" session, back before fusion became a derogatory term for excessive volume and torrents of sixteenth notes. It is to Miles' credit that this work still sounds fresh today, when most of the groups he inspired have not exactly aged gracefully. Building on the spacy textures and themes of his "In A Silent Way", Davis went a step farther here with rock and funk-inflected double drummers, two basses, two electric pianists, the acidic guitar of John McLaughlin and a full complement of talented horn players. Sometimes gentle, sometimes savage, but always engaging, this 1969 recording (double CD set) pretty much set the standard for a generation of players to come. (MB)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 65919 Someday My Prince Will Come ● CD $11.98
Davis knocked off this beauty of an album in 3 sessions during March of 1961. Wynton Kelly played piano, Paul Chambers played bass and a quartet of legends helped with the balance - Jimmy Cobb or Philly Joe Jones on drums and Hank Mobley and John Coltrane on tenor sax. Moody, emotional playing throughout on the title tune plus Old Folks/ Teo/ I Thought About You, etc. Newly remastered version has two bonus cuts. (AE)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 85201 'Round About Midnight ● CD $11.98
Digitally remastered reissue of Columbia 939 from 1956. This was Miles's 1st Columbia and was recorded in '55 & '56 while he was still with Prestige with what was billed as his New Quintet - Miles (t), John Coltrane (ts), Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b) & Philly Joe Jones (d). The 6 tunes are divided into 2 standards - All Of You & Bye Bye Blackbird and 4 jazz standards - Charlie Parker's Ah-Leu-Cha, Tadd Dameron's Tadd's Delight, Stan Getz's Dear Old Stolkholm & Monk's 'Round Midnight. The newly remastered version includes four great bonus tracks. (GM)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 85203 Milestones ● CD $11.98
Great swingin' stuff from 1958 with Coltrane. Straight, No Chaser/ Sid's Ahead and 4 more. Newly remastered version has three bonus alternate takes.

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 86556 In A Silent Way ● CD $11.98
Digitally remastered reissue of Columbia 9875 from 1969. A taste of what was to come in "Bitches Brew." This was the beginnings of electronics flirtation, and it's my favorite Miles LP. The Davis Quintet of Miles (t), Wayne Shorter (ts), Herbie Hancock (el.p), Dave Holland (b) & Tony Williams (d) are augmented by future stars John McLaughlin on electric guitar & Joe Zawinul & Chick Corea on electronic keyboards on 2 quiet, side long pieces - the title song & Shhh/ Peaceful (GM)

 
MILES DAVIS Columbia 86569 The Columbia Years 1955 - 1985 ● CD $48.98
Best-of set from Miles' lengthy Columbia career, arranged in a rambling chronology of styles. 5 mini-sets under the headings of Blues, Standards, Originals, Moods and Electric help to give Davis' massive discography some shape, with 35 songs filling 4 CDs.

 
MILES DAVIS Fantasy 60015 And The Jazz Giants ● CD $15.98
CD sampler from various Prestige mid-50's LP's (most of which are still in print, thanks to their laudable reissue program). 9 cool classics, with Miles as leader and sideman with the bop cream of the crop. Dig/ Four/ Walkin'/ Bag's Groove to name a few. (MB)

 
MILES DAVIS Fontana 836 305-2 L'Ascenseur Pour L'Echafoud ● CD $16.98
This CD reissues the soundtrack from the 1957 Louis Malle film Lift To The Scaffold, with the addition of 20 minutes of previously unreleased material. Backed by Barry Wilen (tenor), Rene Urtreger (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass) and Kenny Clarke (drums), Miles improvises some very moody, atmospheric music, which strikes my ears as among his best work from that period. Most of the pieces are under three minutes in length and multiple takes, false starts and studio chatter are included. A wonderful lp of cool jazz interspersed with some astonishingly rapid trumpet work by a master of the instrument. (WSG)

 
MILES DAVIS Giants Of Jazz 53009 Evolution Of A Genius 1945-54 ● CD $10.98
16 tracks, 71 min., essential Davis devotees likely have much of the material already. But it is the first time the late jazz trumpeter's early recordings for several labels have been collected on one CD (an Italian import) that lives up to its title. Beginning with his 1945 Now's the Time debut as a tentative teenager in Charlie Parker's band, it spins through the Capitol Birth of the Cool recordings, into his first Prestige dates as a leader and, after kicking heroin, his return in 1954 with his hard bop classic recording of Walkin', included here in its 13-minute fullness, right before he put together his first classic quintet. The best players of the period are found on these tracks: Bud Powell, John Lewis, Gerry Mulligan, Max Roach, Gil Evans, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins and Horace Silver among them. The sound is actually as good as or better than most previous CD reissues of this material. (LK)

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 005 Dig - Featuring Sonny Rollins ● CD $12.98
CD issue of Prestige 7012. Exciting session from Oct. 5, 1951 with the stellar lineup of Miles (t), Rollins (ts), Jackie McLean (as), Walter Bishop (p), Tommy Potter (b), Art Blakey (d). During the period, Prestige was encouraging their artists to start playing long tunes for the newly developed LP, so the 5 tunes here are all between 5 & 10 minutes. (GM)

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 012 Miles Davis & Milt Jackson Quintet/Sextet ● CD $12.98
Reissue of Prestige 7034 from 1956. 4 extended tunes, 3 blues & 1 uptempo, recorded on Aug. 5, 1955. The group starts as a sextet with Miles, Jackie McLean (as), Jackson (vb), Ray Bryant (p), Percy Heath (b) & Art Taylor (d) perform Dr. Jackle and Minor March , each nearly 9 minutes, and both written by McLean. Jackie drops out & the quintet finishes the session with Bryant's Changes & Thad Jones' Bitty Ditty .

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 043 Blue Moods ● CD $12.98
Reissue of the only LP done for Charles Mingus' Debut label, Debut 120 from 1955. This time Miles plays apart from the usual Prestige crew - Britt Woodman (tb), Teddy Charles (vb), Mingus (b) & one of his earliest recordings, Elvin Jones (d). Recorded on July 9, 1955, the set consisted of 4 quiet standards - Nature Boy/ Alone Together/ There Is No You & Easy Living.

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 053 Miles Davis & Horns ● CD $12.98
Reissue of Prestige 7025 from 1956, which was a reissue of 2 10" lps - Miles Davis Sextet (Prestige 113 from 1951) & The Compositions Of Al Cohn (Prestige 154 from 1953). The 1st date is Miles' 1st Prestige session, Jan. 17, 1951 with Benny Green (tb), Sonny Rollins (ts), John Lewis (p), Percy Heath (b) & Roy Haynes (d) - Morpheus/ Down/ Blue Room/ Whispering - the 2nd session from Feb. 19, 1953 featured the twin tenors of Cohn & Zoot Sims along with Sonny Truitt (tb), Lewis, Leonard Gaskin (b) & Kenny Clarke (d) on 4 Cohn tunes - Tasty Pudding/ Willie The Waiter/ Floppy/ For Adults Only

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 071 Collector's Items ● CD $12.98

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 093 Blue Haze ● CD $12.98
Reissue of Prestige 7054 from 1956, which was a reissue of the 10" Miles Davis Quartet (Prestige 161 from 1953) with an extra cut. 2 complete quartet sessions - the 1st, from May 19, 1953 had John Lewis (p) & Percy Heath (b) from the MJQ plus Max Roach on Miles Ahead (not the later Columbia tune), When Lights Are Low , Tune Up , and guest star Charles Mingus takes over on piano for the Davis-Mingus composition Smooch . Miles didn't record for 10 months when, on May 15, 1954, he performed again with Heath & this time Horace Silver (p) & Art Blakey (d) on 2 Miles originals, Four & Blue Haze , and Old Devil Moon . The alto saxist Dave Schildkraut joining Miles, Silver, Heath & Kenny Clarke.

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 128 Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet ● CD $12.98
This is one of Miles' best efforts, recorded 1956 with Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones just before Miles went to Columbia Records. Four extended numbers - My Funny Valentine, Blues By Five, Airegin, Tune Up/When Lights Are Low - which have all become Davis classics. (MB)

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 190 Relaxin' With Miles ● CD $12.98
Great mid-50's session with John Coltrane - 6 tunes.

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Class 296 Workin ● CD $12.98

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 347 And The Modern Jazz Giants ● CD $12.98
Reissue of Prestige 7150, a 5 tune set that saw the young Miles teamed with an incredible line-up of musicians that included Monk, Coltrane, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, etc. They don't disappoint either. There are 4 tunes from the now legendary Dec. 24, 1954 session - The Man I Love (takes 1 & 2), Bemsha Swing & Swing Spring - essential and rewarding listening. There's also a tune from a 1956 session, Round About Midnight, that features, besides the customerily great Miles trumpet work, a wonderous Coltrane solo. (AE)

 
MILES DAVIS Original Jazz Classics 391 Steamin' With The Miles Davis Quintet ● CD $12.98
Prestige 7200 reissue of the great quintet with Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones. 6 tunes, as LP.

 
MILES DAVIS Philips 838 254-2 Compact Jazz ● CD $11.98
54 minute disc includes selections from the "Ascenseur Pour L'Echafoud" soundtrack. With Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Bill Evans et. al.

 
MILES DAVIS Proper BOX 17 Young Miles ● CD $25.98
82 sides tracing the first five years of Miles' recording career including sessions with Charlie Parker, the immortal "Birth Of The Cool" sessions, live dates, a session with Sarah Vaughan and more.

 
MILES DAVIS & LIGHTHOUSE ALL-STARS Original Jazz Classics 480 At Last! ● CD $12.98

 
MILES DAVIS & MODERN JAZZ GIANTS Original Jazz Classics 245 Bags' Groove ● CD $12.98

 
MILES DAVIS ALL STARS Original Jazz Classics 213 Walkin' ● CD $12.98

 
WILD BILL DAVIS Pacific 624 At Birdland ● CD $18.98
13 tracks, 48 min, recommended. Reissue of Epic 3118 from 1955, never before on CD. Recorded live at the famed New York jazz club with a trio including Floyd Smith on guitar & Chris Columbus on drums. In a soulful jazz vein, the wild man of the organ does jazz, blues, standards & even a few originals (Ooh-Ah-De-De-De/ I Ain't Feeling So Good). Highlight is his version of April In Paris, which predates the Count Basie hit by a couple of years; in fact he was supposed to cut it with The Count. Starting out, of course, with Lullabye Of Birdland, there's fine versions of Basie's Jumpin' At The Woodside, Duke's Thing's Ain't What They Used To Be and a smokin' version of Night Train. (GM)

 
WILD BILL DAVISON Jazzology J 103 Wild Bill Davison & His Jazz Band 1943 ● CD $14.98
Wild Bill & His Commodores - Pee Wee Russell, George Brunis, Eddie Condon, Gene Schroeder, Bill Casey & George Wetting regrouped to record transcriptions for World Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The entire session of Dec. 3, 1943 is on this lp for the 1st time - 5 warhorses inc. all alternate & imcomplete takes & false starts, all but Squeeze Me (2 takes) recorded at the Commodore sessions - Muskrat Ramble (2 takes), Royal Garden Blues (5 takes), That Da-Da Strain (2 takes) & That's A-Plenty .

 
WILD BILL DAVISON ALL STARS Timeless 545 Wild Bill Davison All Stars ● CD $15.98

 

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