Craft Recordings releases a dazzling 4-LP vinyl box set of classic Miles Davis.
Miles Davis – Miles ‘56 The Prestige Recordings – Prestige (1956)/Craft Recordings [6/19/2006] Deluxe 4-LP mono 180-gram box set, *****:
(Miles Davis – trumpet; John Coltrane – tenor saxophone; Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone; Red Garland – piano; Tommy Flanagan – piano; Paul Chambers – double bass; “Philly Joe” Jones – drums; Art Taylor – drums)
In celebration of Miles Davis’ 100th birthday, Craft Recordings has released Miles ’56 The Prestige Recordings, a 4-LP re-mastered 180-gram box set. These marathon sessions featured Davis at his hard bop/modal transition. The albums (Cookin’, Relaxin’, Steamin’ and Workin’) have become part of his daunting jazz legacy, including the “First Great Quintet” (with John Coltrane, Red Garland, “Philly Joe” Jones and Paul Chambers). There is also material with Sonny Rollins, Tommy Flanagan and Art Taylor (Collectors’ Items).
All of the tracks are presented in chronological recording order. Side A opens with 3 tracks recorded with Rollins. Dave Brubeck’s melodic “In Your Own Way” is rendered on muted trumpet in ballad mode. Davis’ no-vibrato lines are exquisite and Rollins is also expressive on his solo. “No Line” is up tempo hard bop with punctuation from Davis (still on mute) and Rollins, with a great Flanagan piano solo. The ensemble displays muscular articulation on “Vierd Blues”. Kicking off the first quintet number, a reprise of “In Your Own Sweet Way” is more lively and moves delicately. Things hit a nimble groove on “Diane”. Davis’ unique solo is concise and Garland shines in the spotlight. Coltrane’s composition, “Trane’s Blues” is magnetic with Davis gliding on unmuted trumpet. Coltrane is soulful on his runs. Garland and Chambers contribute steady rhythmic aesthetics before Davis and Coltrane end with a harmonic interlude.
This collection has both popular and jazz standards. Back on the muted horn, “It Could Happen To You” moves in a gentle swing arrangement. Davis’ tonality is tender and Coltrane counters with grittier shading. Miles is at his emotive best on ballads like “I Dreamed Last Night”, as the group embraces the whimsical nuances. The first shout out to bebop roots (Dizzy Gillespie’s “Woody ’N You”) is incendiary and Davis (propelled by Chambers and Jones) cuts loose before turning it over to Trane. Ahmad Jamal was a favorite of Davis. “Ahmad’s Blues” (with great framing from Garland) is measured with a syncopated tempo and Garland’s exacting accents. Also, Chambers bowed double bass and Jones’ funky drums Ladd texture and energy. In the tradition of great jazz artists, Davis reinvents popular music. He distills the loping essence of the Oklahoma pop hit “Surrey With A Fringe On Top”, but adds jazzier elements.
The ensemble percolates with bebop frenzy (launched by propulsive drumming) on Gillespie’s epic “Salt Peanuts”. They soar on the Davis-penned “Four”. There are “in the pocket” jams like “Well You Needn’t’ (with subtle chord changes) and the furious “Half Nelson”. Davis’ agility is front and center on ballads like “‘Round Midnight” Other highlights include two Sonny Rollins songs, “Oleo” and “Airegin” which bridge the gap between bebop and hard bop with scintillating play. The finale is the melancholic Rodgers-Hart eternal torch song, “My Funny Valentine”. Davis’ haunting elegant rendition is breathtaking and a mid-number tempo uptick is compelling.
Miles 56 – The Prestige Recordings (also available as a 3-CD set and hi-res digital) is a valuable addition to any jazz vinyl collection. The re-mastered sound mix (Paul Blakemore/Plangent Processes) is crisp and expansive. It enhances the clarity and studio intimacy of the original Rudy Van Gelder sessions with modern production technology. The vinyl pressings (Kevin Gray/Cohearant Audio) are pristine with little surface noise and no hisses or pops. The packaging is superior, featuring a heavyweight box with lid, and custom “56” cut-out (including a slot for the full-sized booklet with vintage photos and incisive liner notes by Ashley Kahn and Dan Morgenstern). The discs are housed in black poly-lined inner sleeves.
Highest Recommendation!
—Robbie Gerson
Miles ‘56 The Prestige Recordings
TrackList:
DISC ONE
Side A: In Your Own Sweet Way (March 16, 1956 version); No Line; Vierd Blues; In Your Own Sweet Way (May 11,1956 version)
Side B: Diane; Trane’s Blues; Something I Dreamed Last Night
DISC TWO
Side C: It Could Happen To You; Woody ’N’ You; Ahmad’s Blues
Side D: Surrey With The Fringe On Top; It Never Entered My Mind; When I Fall In Love; Salt Peanuts
DISC THREE
Side E: Four; The Theme (Take1); The Theme (Take 2); If I Were A Bell; Well You Needn’t
Side F: Round Midnight; Half Nelson; You’re My Everything; I Could Write A Book
DISC FOUR
Side G: Oleo; Airegin; Tune Up; When Lights Are Low
Side H: Blues By Five; My Funny Valentine.
