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Miles Ahead session details

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September 24, 1968 (2 items; TT = 22:09)
Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York NY
Commercial for Columbia

Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ts); Chick Corea (el-p); Dave Holland (b); Tony Williams (d)

1 Mademoiselle Mabry (part 2, take 6 + part 3, take 5) (M. Davis-G. Evans) 16:32
2 Frelon Brun (Brown Hornet) (part 1, take 2) (M. Davis-G. Evans) 5:37


1 Mademoiselle Mabry (part 2, take 6 + part 3, take 5)
12" LP: Columbia CS 9750, Mobile Fidelity Sound Laboratory MFSL 2-45438, CBS/Sony SONP 50052, CBS/Sony SOPL 169, CBS/Sony 18AP 2074, CBS/Sony 23AP 2574, CBS/Sony 25AP 769, Mosaic MQ5-209
CD: Columbia CK 46116, Columbia C4K-45000, Columbia CK 86555, Columbia C3K 65362, Columbia C3K 90921, CBS/Sony 80DP 5340/3, Mobile Fidelity Sound Laboratory UDSACD 2148, CBS/Sony 32DP 729, CBS/Sony CSCS 5150, CBS/Sony 80DP 5430/3, Sony SICP 5037/40, Sony SRCS 9306, Sony SRCS 9712, Sony SIGP 13, Sony SICP 832, Sony SICJ 30074 Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

2 Frelon Brun (Brown Hornet) (part 1, take 2)
12" LP: Columbia CS 9750, Mobile Fidelity Sound Laboratory MFSL 2-45438, Columbia C5X 45000, CBS/Sony SONP 50052, CBS/Sony SOPL 169, CBS/Sony 18AP 2074, CBS/Sony 23AP 2574, CBS/Sony 25AP 769, CBS/Sony 00AP 2076/81, Mosaic MQ5-209
CD: Columbia CK 46116, Columbia C4K 45000, Columbia C4K 86569, Columbia CK 86555, Columbia C3K 65362, Columbia C3K 90921, Columbia CK 65449, Mobile Fidelity Sound Laboratory UDSACD 2148, CBS/Sony 32DP 729, CBS/Sony CSCS 5150, CBS/Sony 80DP 872/5, Sony SRCS 5691/4, CBS/Sony 80DP 5430/3, Sony SICP 5037/40, Sony SRCS 9306, Sony SRCS 9712, Sony SIGP 13, Sony SICP 832, Sony SICJ 30074 Columbia Legacy 86975 24922


Davis married Betty Mabry in late September, and both of these tunes were written for her. (Mabry's photo was featured on the cover of Filles de Kilimanjaro.) The tunes are pretty blatant attempts to fuse the rock, soul, and rhythm 'n' blues Davis was listening to and a more adventurous jazz aesthetic. This is the first studio session with the new Davis Quintet featuring Corea and Holland. Corea plays an RMI Electra Piano throughout.

"Mademoiselle Mabry" is listed as "Untitled original" on the track sheet. The one complete take from the 40+ minute session accounts for most of the issued version.

"Frelon Brun," listed on the track sheet as "Untitled original No. 2 (T. Wms)," is an excerpt of the only complete take.

Immediately after this session the Quintet headed west: bookings include Plugged Nickel Club, Chicago (September 25-29); Royce Hall, UCLA (October 5); Both/And Club, San Francisco (October 8-20); Shelly's Manne-Hole, Los Angeles (October 22-November 3). A concert scheduled at the Philadelphia Civic Center (November 23) was canceled.

Thanks to Frederik Adlers for identifying the keyboards.

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