Boomtown is guitarist/composer Miles Okazaki's latest work for large ensemble. It follows on his Miniature America from 2024, which was described by Ethan Iverson as "meticulously assembled, absolutely a blast to listen to, and informed by a generous - even carefree - spirit." The idea for the new album came to Okazaki on a drive across Wyoming. Unlike much of his recent work with his band Trickster, which are often precise mechanical devices driven by intricate rhythms, Boomtown is filled with grand gestures - a journey that swings from desolate, pastoral beauty and tumultuous ruin that befit a western landscape. The music tells the story of an imaginary boomtown: the exhilaration of hopes and dreams, and it's collapse into destructive lawlessness and abandonment. To help conjure that duality of sublime and ominous, Okazaki assembled a collection of ten musicians: saxophonists Caroline Davis, Jon Irabagon, and Anna Webber, trombonists Jacob Garchik and Kalia Vandever, bassists Chris Tordini and Hannah Marks, pianist Matt Mitchell, drummer Dan Weiss and Okazaki on guitars. Together, they make music that is by turns filled with profound beauty and menacing dread.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Miles Davis's birth in 2026, the Centennial Miles Davis SACD Selection presents 3 titles as hybrid SACD editions, each featuring newly remastered audio prepared by renowned mastering engineer Kevin Gray for Blue Note's acclaimed Tone Poet and Classic Vinyl reissue series, and marking the first time these remastered sources have been made available on SACD.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Miles Davis's birth in 2026, the Centennial Miles Davis SACD Selection brings together 3 titles as hybrid SACD editions, each featuring newly remastered audio prepared by renowned mastering engineer Kevin Gray for Blue Note's acclaimed Tone Poet and Classic Vinyl reissue series, and marking the first time these remastered sources have been released on SACD.
Miles Davis' first masterpiece, Birth of the Cool, gets the royal treatment in celebration of the legendary trumpeter's centennial. Davis' seminal nonet recordings were captured in 1949-50 with a cast of notable collaborators including Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz and Gil Evans. This mono Blue Note Tone Poet Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog phono reel master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket featuring session photos.
Vinyl LP pressing. Doo-Bop was a 1992 studio album by American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. It was recorded with hip hop producer Easy Mo Bee and released posthumously. The album won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance the following year.
In 1955 Miles Davis played an all-star jam session at the Newport Jazz Festival with Thelonious Monk on piano, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax and Zoot Sims on tenor sax. This performance immediately drew the attention of Columbia Records' George Avakian, who was so impressed that he immediately offered Davis a contract if he could form a regular band. The group he then assembled would go down in history as Davis' so-called "First Great Quintet", consisting of John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Philly Joe Jones on drums, Paul Chambers on bass and of course Miles himself on trumpet. 'Round Midnight is Miles Davis' first record for Columbia and also the first studio recording of the First Great Quintet. The recording sessions began on October 26 1955 but the album wasn't released until 1957 as Davis was still under contract at Prestige at the time. These respective sessions yielded Steamin', Workin', Cookin' and Relaxin'; albums that would go down in history as quintessential blueprints of late 1950s hard bop. The record is made up of a collection of standards and one traditional song ("Dear Old Stockholm", from the 19th century). Notably, it features what may be considered the most well-known versions of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" and "Bye Bye Blackbird". That Avakian made a golden signing was sufficiently clear from the start, but no one could foresee that it would be this quintet on Columbia that would go on to change the course of modern jazz forever with Kind of Blue. 'Round Midnight is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl.
Vinyl LP pressing. The Best Of Miles Davis is a new compilation released to celebrate the legendary jazz trumpeter's centennial in 2026. Designed as an introduction to this influential artist, it covers his prime years between 1956 and 1961, during which time he recorded albums including Workin', Cookin', Steamin' and Relaxin'. The 8 cuts included feature "'Round Midnight," "My Funny Valentine," "Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)" and more.
Miles Davis' first classic quintet (with the leader on trumpet, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums) was formed in 1955 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest combos in jazz history. Relaxin' was the second in a series of four albums featuring the group recorded between May and October of 1956. It contains Miles' first version of "If I Were a Bell" from the play Guys and Dolls, a tune he would include in his concert repertoire until 1965. 180-GRAM COLORED BLUE VINYL - THE COMPLETE ALBUM + 2 BONUS TRACKS - Contains new specially prepared liner notes by Penguin Guide to Jazz's writer BRIAN MORTON and by Paris' prestigious JAZZ MAGAZINE. LIMITED EDITION
The most requested Miles Davis reissue arrives for his centennial in spectacular style. What began as a holiday residency at Chicago's Plugged Nickel Cafe became the crucible where the Second Great Quintet forged it's identity. Miles, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams delivered a masterclass in risk and invention, dismantling familiar tunes and rebuilding them on the fly. Producer Teo Macero captured every note across seven sets on December 22 and 23, 1965. Portions trickled out in the '70s and '80s, but only in the early '90s did Legacy (CD) and Mosaic (LP) reveal the full scope of seven and half hours of revelatory music-instantly hailed as one of the greatest live jazz recordings ever, earning the Penguin Jazz Guide's coveted "Crown, " and becoming pricey, secondary-market rarities. Now, 30 years later and six decades after the shows themselves, veteran fans finally get the repress they've demanded, and new fans get a chance to own one of the most mythologized live engagements in jazz history. This new 10LP edition mirrors the original sequence, cut from the high-res Mosaic masters and pressed on 140-gram black vinyl. Each LP comes in it's own newly designed jacket, housed in a gold foil-embossed slipcase box. The 44 page 12"x12" Smyth Sewn book includes rare Plugged Nickel photos and extensive new liner notes and track-by-track commentary by Syd Schwartz alongside Bob Blumenthal's original essay.
The most requested Miles Davis reissue arrives for his centennial in spectacular style. What began as a holiday residency at Chicago's Plugged Nickel Cafe became the crucible where the Second Great Quintet forged it's identity. Miles, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams delivered a masterclass in risk and invention, dismantling familiar tunes and rebuilding them on the fly. Producer Teo Macero captured every note across seven sets on December 22 and 23, 1965. Portions trickled out in the '70s and '80s, but only in the early '90s did Legacy reveal the full scope across seven and half hours of revelatory music-instantly hailed as one of the greatest live jazz recordings ever and earning the Penguin Jazz Guide's coveted "Crown." Now, 30 years later and six decades after the shows themselves, veteran fans finally get the reissue they've demanded, and new fans get a chance to own one of the most mythologized live engagements in jazz history. This new 8CD edition mirrors the original sequence. Each CD comes in it's own newly designed mini-gatefold jacket, housed in a gold foil-embossed slipcase box. The 44-page perfect bound book includes rare Plugged Nickel photos and extensive new liner notes and track-by-track commentary by Syd Schwartz alongside Bob Blumenthal's original essay.
Miles Davis' Final Collaboration with Arranger Gil Evans Yields Watershed Innovations: Flamenco-Themed Sketches of Spain Spins Graceful Webs of Sound and Emotion Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM LP Set Brings Out the Record's Full Spectrum of Color: 65th Anniversary Edition Pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing Miles Davis and Gil Evans bridged styles and collaborated on high-concept projects three times during their celebrated careers. For their final act, they created Sketches of Spain, a peak moment in each legend's legacy. The transformative record weds Spanish themes, lush orchestrations, romantic timbres, and Davis' lyrical methods in a tender ceremony. Seldom, if ever, did Davis ever so expressively and liberally paint with color. And in Evans, he has a like-minded partner to help draw out tones, shades, and textures. Ranked #358 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, deemed 'a work of unparalleled grace and lyricism' by noted scribe J.D. Considine, bestowed a five-star review from DownBeat, and noted by Q to have taken 'jazz in a new direction,' Sketches of Spain remains universallyrenowned. Part of Mobile Fidelity's Miles Davis restoration series, the 1960 landmark has been afforded the ultimate white-gloves treatment for it's 65th anniversary. Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 5,000 numbered copies, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, this UltraDisc One-Step 33RPM 180g LP set dramatically expands the soundstages and eradicates a prior dryness that many critics found inhibitive to the record's enjoyment. You'll hear the full-range extension of woodwinds, strings, and percussion, all of which come alive with superior definition and detail amid ultra-quiet backgrounds. Sonically, the results are as breathtaking as the music, and a personal invitation to pull up a chair and enjoy what went down at Columbia 30th Street Studio decades ago in New York City. 1/4' / 15 IPS ANALOG MASTER DSD 64 ANALOG CONSOLE LATHE Numbered Limited Edition UD1S 180g 33RPM LP Box Set NUMBERED LIMITED EDITION OF 5,000 Track List Side One: 1. Concierto de Aranjuez 2. Will o' the Wisp Side Two: 1. The Pan Piper 2. Saeta 3. Solea
Miles Davis - "Miles '55: The Prestige Recordings". Miles '55 offers a deeper look at 1955, the year in which jazz icon Miles Davis formed his first great quintet (John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones) and established his influential sound. This 2-CD set collects 16 tracks remastered from the original analog tapes by GRAMMY-winning engineer Paul Blakemore. Included are new liner notes by GRAMMY-winning music historian Ashley Kahn and session notes by Dan Morgenstern. Limited Edition.
Miles Davis - "Miles '55: The Prestige Recordings". Miles '55 offers a deeper look at 1955, the year in which jazz icon Miles Davis formed his first great quintet (John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones) and established his influential sound. This 3-LP set on 180g vinyl collects 16 tracks remastered from the original analog tapes by GRAMMY-winning engineer Paul Blakemore, with lacquers cut by Kevin Gray. Included are new liner notes by GRAMMY-winning music historian Ashley Kahn and session notes by Dan Morgenstern. Limited Edition.
Limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on translucent blue coloured 180-gram audiophile vinyl. Agharta was recorded on the afternoon in 1975, at one of two concerts Miles Davis performed at the Osaka Festival Hall in Japan. He performed with his septet-flautist and saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist Michael Henderson, drummer Al Foster, percussionist James Mtume, guitarist Reggie Lucas, and Pete Cosey, who played guitar, synthesizer, and percussion. Produced and recorded by Teo Macero, the album's four seemingly unstructured segments emphasize the playing of Davis' sidemen rather than his own trumpet. It eschews both melody and harmony in favor of a combination of riffs, crossing polyrhythms, and Funk-oriented grooves for soloists to improvise throughout. The album has received retrospective acclaim as an important and influential Jazz-Rock record. It's abrasive music and Cosey's innovative playing influenced a generation of young musicians, including those in the British Jazz scene.
Recorded When Miles Davis Opened for the Grateful Dead in San Francisco at Fillmore West: Black Beauty Surges into a Future Jazz World, Features Superb Performances and Rich Colors First-Ever Domestic Vinyl Release of 1973 Live Album: Mobile Fidelity's 180g 33RPM 2LP Set Plays with Captivating Energy, Presence, and Clarity Dateline: April 10, 1970. Setting: The storied Fillmore West in San Francisco, CA. Context: Miles Davis, three days removed from his first session for Jack Johnson and, with newly recruited soprano saxophonist Steve Grossman in tow, opening shows for countercultural heroes the Grateful Dead on the latter's home turf. Result: The initial rumblings of a thrilling era in which Davis and his cohorts would again upend jazz and popular conceptions of the genre with music steeped in groove, improvisation, and hang-on-for-your-life adventurousness. All captured on Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West. Given Davis was only months away from releasing the pioneering Bitches Brew, it shouldn't come as a surprise that much of the fare here adheres to similar explorative approaches. Masted at MoFi's California studio, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 2LP set helps bring what went down that spring evening in Bill Graham's venue to your listening room with exceptional clarity, balance, and presence. Originally only released in Japan in 1973 and unavailable in the United States until the late '90s on compact disc, this marks the first time Black Beauty has been issued on domestic vinyl. These LPs present the band's livewire energy and torrential storm of notes with captivating dynamics, pacing, and fullness. At it's core, this audiophile reissue takes you into the walls of sound erected by a band learning on-the-fly the sheer power, will, and breadth of the electric jazz Davis was orchestrating and realizing, on the spot, would reach rock audiences that until that point had only a faint awareness of his mad-scientist experimentation. 1/4' / 15 IPS ANALOG COPY DSD 256 ANALOG CONSOLE LATHE Numbered 180g 33RPM Vinyl 2LP NUMBERED SPECIAL EDITION Track List Disc One Side A: Black Beauty Part I Disc One Side B: Black Beauty Part II Disc Two Side A: Black Beauty Part III Disc Two Side B: Black Beauty Part IV
Miles Davis's Kind of Blue was the number-one jazz album in history. It totaled five songs. There are four more songs from that same historic group, recorded in the same time period and at the same studio. And here they are. These songs deserve to stand on their own with artwork to highlight the quality of the music and that matches the time period of the recording. This is a rare opportunity to have a smash follow-up to what many consider the greatest jazz record ever! Through the years, these four remarkable performances - all from a single recording session in 1958 and all exemplary of the sound of Miles Davis' legend-loaded sextet of that year - have not been served well. They have been largely treated as add-ons for other compilations. Now, for the first time, Analogue Productions, the audiophile in-house reissue label of Acoustic Sounds, Inc., has deservedly given these tracks a stellar stand-alone release for jazz fans to savor! The once-in-a-generation lineup that recorded these tunes is the very same that would be immortalized for the enduring classic they would record almost a year later, Kind of Blue. Davis played trumpet sublime with his ensemble sextet featuring pianist Bill Evans, drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley. Undervalued since their recording, the tunes on this album reflect historial and musical significance. They offer early glimpses into the modal jazz that Kind of Blue would bring to the forefront. Using modes common in modern classical music, rather than the chords of popular songs, Miles had begun to experiment with the new approach on the Milestones recording sessions previously. Analogue Productions is proud to present Birth of the Blue in an exclusive first-of-it's-kind stand-alone release that reflects our reputation for meticulous production, capturing authentic sound with clarity, depth and fidelity that exceeds the audiophile standard. For this release, we started with the original 3-track recording session tapes that were mixed down to a brand-new 30 ips quarter-inch stereo master tape by senior mastering engineer Vic Anesini at Battery Studios. From that stereo master tape, Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab mastered the album direct to DSD for this Hybrid Stereo SACD. Smash follow-up to what many consider the greatest jazz record ever! Four more songs from the pioneering ensemble that produced Miles Davis' Kind of Blue! Modal jazz precursor laid groundwork for future jazz innovation! Hybrid Stereo SACD Mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab direct to DSD from a new 30 ips quarter-inch stereo master tape transferred from the original 3-track session tapes
Miles Davis Turns Balladic on My Funny Valentine: Live Album Is Distinguished with Deep Emotions, Spontaneous Brilliance, Poetic Elegance, and Sensitive Beauty Mastered at MoFi's California Studio and Pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl for Reference Sound: Mobile Fidelity's 180g 33RPM SuperVinyl LP 60th Anniversary-Edition Reissue ofthe 1965 Set Plays with Lifelike Clarity, Balanced Tones, and Acoustic Intimacy My Funny Valentine: Miles Davis in Concert marks several historic turning points. For Davis, the live album represents the final time on record he'd perform standards rather than original compositions. It also stands as one of the last documents made by the same band that created Seven Steps to Heaven. As such, the work teems with bebop melodicism yet steers clear of Davis' oft-controversial avant-garde leanings. Most significantly, the richly textured set - the bookend to the fast-paced Four & More - captures the warm ballads and delicate pieces performed at a February 12, 1964 benefit concert at New York's then-new Philharmonic Hall that occurred just months after President Kennedy's assassination. Seemingly channeling divine inspiration, Davis never sounded more elegant or poetic, particularly given the uniqueness of this 60th Anniversary Edition pressing. Mastered at MoFi's California studio, housed in a Stoughton jacket, pressed at Fideltiy Record Pressing on MoFi SuperVinyl, and strictly limited to 3, 000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 33RPM SuperVinyl LP plays with stunning depth, presence, dynamics, clarity, and ambience. Benefitting from SuperVinyl's low-as-possible noise floor and superb groove definition, this audiophile LP boasts balances, tonalities, and airiness that duplicate the experience of witnessing live jazz in an acoustically ideal hall. The images of each individual instrument, the decay of the notes, the inner reaches of the piano, and symmetry of the horns are rendered with palpable detail. Held as a benefit to support voter registration in the South - and a fundraiser for NAACP, the Congress of Racial Equality, and SNCC - the concert came amidst the height of the Civil Rights movement, a cause dear to Davis' heart. The unforeseen circumstances surrounding Kennedy's death further raised the stakes. Having professed admiration for Kennedy years prior, Davis appears to approach the compositions on My Funny Valentine (in particular, the title track) as an homage to the fallen leader. Nearing their one-year anniversary together, he and his band turned half the event into a collective soliloquy comprised of pieces shot through with deeply emotional passages, spontaneous brilliance, sensitive beauty, and sublime poignancy. Elegiac moods permeate these performances; Davis and his Harmon mute paint with intricate brushstrokes. Pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams are their leader's equal. They would continue with Davis until later in the decade, helping form his Second Great Quintet. But the secret weapon on My Funny Valentine arrives in the form of tenor saxophonist George Coleman, whom jazz experts Brian Morton and Richard Cook deem 'one of the unsung heroes of modern jazz.' His lines are subtle and sophisticated, straight-ahead but capable of unanticipated direction. Here, Coleman comes into his own. The combination of introspective chemistry, lyrical reach, and telepathic communication demonstrated by the group on My Funny Valentine exceeds that of any of Davis' live 1960s efforts. One listen confirms something special transpiring. And on this breathtaking reissue, those properties are rendered in a manner that's as transparent to the source. Here's your chance to experience them again and again. 1/4' / 15 IPS analog copy to DSD 64 to analog console to lathe Numbered 180g 33RPM SuperVinyl LP LIMITED EDITION OF 3, 000 Tracklist: Side One: 1. My Funny Valentine 2. All of You Side Two: 1. Stella by Starlight 2. All Blues 3. I Thought About You
Dark Magus Anticipates Developments in Jungle, Noise, and Drum 'n' Bass Music: Funky, Ferocious, Free-Form Miles Davis Double Album Is an Exhilarating Jazz-Rock Trip On Domestic Vinyl for the First Time: Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Edition 180g 33RPM 2LP Set Presents 1974 Performances with Absorbing Detail, Color, and Energy It's safe to assume no one in the audience at Carnegie Hall on March 30, 1974 anticipated what Miles Davis would play at the concert documented on Dark Magus. A rhythmic bonanza rooted in Afro-centrist techniques, avante-garde sensibilities, and exploratory moods, it's songs eschew set arrangements, solos, and, for that matter, melodic devices. Recorded near the tail end of his electric period, the double album remains the darkest, most ferocious statement of Davis' career - a visionary effort that foresaw developments in jungle, noise-rock, funk, and drum 'n' bass. Initially issued in Japan in 1977, Dark Magus waited two decades for U.S. release. Now, more than 50 years after Davis and his ensemble blew minds at the New York venue, it gets it's first-ever domestic issue on vinyl - on a definitive-sounding pressing. Mastered at Mobile Fidelity's private studio, housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g 33RPM 2LP set of Dark Magus invites you to pull up a seat and wrap your head around an exhilarating performance that simultaneously functions as an audition, experiment, release, and magnificent explosion of jazz-rock fusion. It presents the improvisational magic that unfolded onstage - the skronking tonalities, wah-wah-pedal bluster, acid-washed effects, furious drumming, run-the-voodoo-down grooves, menacing riffs, crashing cymbals - with incredible detail, color, and pace. It also captures the band's unbelievable energy, rendering both instruments and on-the-fly changes with revealing depth, definition, and dynamics. At it's core, this audiophile set takes you deep into the boundless mystery, promise, and uncertainty of Davis and company's efforts like never before. We hope your turntable and speakers are up to the challenge. 1/4' / 15 IPS analog copy to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe Numbered 180g 33RPM Vinyl 2LP NUMBERED SPECIAL EDITION Track List Side A Moja (Part I) Moja (Part II) Side B Wili (Part I) Wili (Part II) Side C Tatu (Part I) Tatu (Part II) Side D Nne (Part I) Nne (Part II)
Miles Davis's Kind of Blue was the number-one jazz album in history. It totaled five songs. There are four more songs from that same historic group, recorded in the same time period and at the same studio. And here they are. These songs deserve to stand on their own with artwork to highlight the quality of the music and that matches the time period of the recording. This is a rare opportunity to have a smash follow-up to what many consider the greatest jazz record ever! Through the years, these four remarkable performances - all from a single recording session in 1958 and all exemplary of the sound of Miles Davis' legend-loaded sextet of that year - have not been served well. They have been largely treated as add-ons for other compilations. Now, for the first time, Analogue Productions, the audiophile in-house reissue label of Acoustic Sounds, Inc., together with Quality Record Prssings, has deservedly given these tracks a stellar stand-alone release for jazz fans to savor! The once-in-a-generation lineup that recorded these tunes is the very same that would be immortalized for the enduring classic they would record almost a year later, Kind of Blue. Davis played trumpet sublime with his ensemble sextet featuring pianist Bill Evans, drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley. Undervalued since their recording, the tunes on this album reflect historial and musical significance. They offer early glimpses into the modal jazz that Kind of Blue would bring to the forefront. Using modes common in modern classical music, rather than the chords of popular songs, Miles had begun to experiment with the new approach on the Milestones recording sessions previously. Analogue Productions is proud to present Birth of the Blue in an exclusive first-of-it's-kind stand-alone release that reflects our reputation for meticulous production, capturing authentic sound with clarity, depth and fidelity that exceeds the audiophile standard.
Released to celebrate the 70th anniversary of these sessions and the 75th anniversary of Prestige Records, "Miles '54" brings together 20 tracks recorded by the trumpet legend in 1954. Including cuts from albums released that year, it features Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk and more. Included are new liner notes by GRAMMY Award-winning music historian Ashley Kahn and session notes by Dan Morgenstern, with mastering by Paul Blakemore. 2 CD set.
Released to celebrate the 70th anniversary of these sessions and the 75th anniversary of Prestige Records, "Miles '54" brings together 20 tracks recorded by the trumpet legend in 1954. Including cuts from albums released that year, it features Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk and more. Included are new liner notes by GRAMMY Award-winning music historian Ashley Kahn and session notes by Dan Morgenstern, with mastering by Paul Blakemore. 4 LP set on 180g black vinyl.
180g Black Vinyl. Comes in a sleeve finished with linen laminate. Recorded live at the Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center, New York, February 12, 1964. Featuring Herbie Hancock, George Coleman, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Recorded at the same Feb. 12, 1964 New York concert that yielded the more balladic album My Funny Valentine, Four & More showcases the Miles Davis quintet at their blistering best. The great trumpeter and bandleader (1926-1991), and his stellar group, which was less than a year old at the time of this recording, mostly essayed tempos that ranged from Indianapolis 500 to Bonneville Salt Flats. Offering a well-balanced, albeit reconfigured, repertoire featuring the familiar hard-bop strains of "Four" and "Walkin', " newer, original free bop compositions like "Joshua" and "Seven Steps To Heaven, " and the standard "There Is No Greater Love, " which the ensemble performed relatively infrequently and is the only tune herein not taken at a supersonic pace, the quintet electrified a sold out Philharmonic Hall. Spurred on consistently by the mercurial rhythm section of pianist Herbie Hancock (23 years old at the time), bassist Ron Carter (then 26), and especially by the cross rhythms of 18-year old genius drummer Tony Williams, Davis' work, particularly in the upper register, was seldom more commanding. As for his front line partner, tenor saxophonist George Coleman, Davis would write in his autobiography that he "played better that night than I ever heard him play."
Miles In France 1963 & 64- The Miles Davis Quintet: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 / MILES IN FRANCE is the eighth installment in the celebrated Miles Davis Bootleg Series and this edition focuses on the birth of the Second Great Quintet in 1963 and 1964. The music heard here represents the sound of an end and a beginning coming through at once. The set contains 5 separate performances of the Miles Davis Quintet spread over 8 LPs and the energy and depth of feeling in the transcendent playing hint at the special relationship Miles and the group had with the French nation that embraced them in a way their homeland would not. It contains over 4 hours of revelatory, unreleased live music featuring Miles backed by George Coleman (on the 1963 recordings), Wayne Shorter (on the 1964 recordings), Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. This set expands on the 1964 live album MILES IN EUROPE which documented the Miles Davis Quintet's performance at the Festival Mondial du Jazz in Antibes in July 1963. While that album included a single edited set across 2LPs, this will include all three very distinct performances from Antibes along with two never-before-released concerts from October 1964 in Paris, by which time Wayne Shorter had joined the band, so you could hear the Second Great Quintet come together before your ears. The audio has been lovingly mixed and mastered in the highest quality possible and the 8 LPs are packaged in 4 gatefold jackets housed in a luxe slipcase box with a die-cut O-card and a 20 page book that includes dozens of unseen photos, ephemera and extensive liner notes by noted journalist Marcus J. Moore.
