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Miles Ahead session details

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April 22, 1961 (16 items; TT = 123:31)
Blackhawk Supper Club, San Francisco CA
Commercial for Columbia

Miles Davis (tpt); Hank Mobley (ts); Wynton Kelly (p); Paul Chambers (b); Jimmy Cobb (d)
First set
1 If I Were a Bell (F. Loesser) 12:42

Edited (8:46) prior to Sony SRCS 9317
2 So What (M. Davis) 12:14
3 No Blues (closing theme) (M. Davis) 0:25

Second set
4 On Green Dolphin Street (N. Washington-B. Kaper) 12:02
5 Walkin' (R. Carpenter) 12:23
6 'Round Midnight (B. Hanighen-C. Williams-T. Monk) 7:29
7 Well, You Needn't (T. Monk) 8:02

Edited (4:40) on CL 1670/CS 8470
8 The Theme (M. Davis) 0:17

Fragment spliced onto the end of "'Round Midnight" on KC2 36474 and equivalents

Third set
9 Autumn Leaves (incomplete) (J. Prevert-J. Mercer-J. Kosma) 11:45

Faded in during opening chorus
10 Neo [Teo] (M. Davis) 12:28
11 Two Bass Hit (J. Lewis-D. Gillespie) 4:35
12 The Theme [Bye Bye] (M. Davis) 3:27
13 Love, I've Found You (Kelly p solo) (C. Moore-D. Small) 1:53

Fourth set
14 I Thought About You (J. Mercer-J. Van Heusen) 5:31
15 Someday My Prince Will Come (F.E. Churchill-L. Morey) 9:38

Listed as "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" on MRCD 125
16 Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise (S. Romberg-O. Hammerstein) 8:40

Rhythm section only

1 If I Were a Bell
12" LP: Columbia CL 1670 (= CS 8470), Columbia C2L 20 (= C2S 820), Columbia CJ 44425, Nippon Columbia YS-152, Nippon Columbia SL-1090, Nippon Columbia PSS-90, CBS/Sony SONP 50071, CBS/Sony SONP 50070/1, CBS/Sony SOPJ 18, CBS/Sony SOPW 73/4, CBS/Sony 20AP 1403, Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia CK 44425, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106, CBS/Sony 32DP 526, CBS/Sony CSCS 5345, Sony SRCS 9317, Sony SRCS 9730, Sony SRGS 4582; Sony SICP 381/4, Sony SICP 3964, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

2 So What
12" LP: Columbia CL 1670 (= CS 8470), Columbia C2L 20 (= C2S 820), Columbia CJ 44425, Nippon Columbia YS-152, Nippon Columbia SL-1090, Nippon Columbia PSS-90, Nippon Columbia XS-38C, CBS/Sony SONP 50071, CBS/Sony SONP 50070/1, CBS/Sony SOPJ 18, CBS/Sony SOPW 73/4, CBS/Sony 20AP 1403, Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia CK 44425, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106, CBS/Sony 32DP 526, CBS/Sony CSCS 5345, Sony SRCS 9317, Sony SRCS 9730, Sony SRGS 4582; Sony SICP 381/4, Sony SICP 3964, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

3 No Blues (closing theme)
12" LP: Columbia CL 1670 (= CS 8470), Columbia C2L 20 (= C2S 820), Columbia CJ 44425, Nippon Columbia YS-152, Nippon Columbia SL-1090, Nippon Columbia PSS-90, CBS/Sony SONP 50071, CBS/Sony SONP 50070/1, CBS/Sony SOPJ 18, CBS/Sony SOPW 73/4, CBS/Sony 20AP 1403, Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia CK 44425, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106, CBS/Sony 32DP 526, CBS/Sony CSCS 5345, Sony SRCS 9317, Sony SRCS 9730, Sony SRGS 4582; Sony SICP 381/4, Sony SICP 3964, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

4 On Green Dolphin Street
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

5 Walkin'
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

6 'Round Midnight
12" LP: Columbia KC2 36474, CBS/Sony 36AP 1409/10, CBS/Sony 38AP 2017/8, Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106, CBS/Sony CSCS 5135/6, Sony SRCS 9310/1, Sony SRCS 9761/2; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

7 Well, You Needn't
12" LP: Columbia CL 1670 (= CS 8470), Columbia C2L 20 (= C2S 820), Columbia CJ 44425, Nippon Columbia YS-152, Nippon Columbia SL-1090, Nippon Columbia PSS-90, CBS/Sony SONP 50071, CBS/Sony SOPJ 18, CBS/Sony SOPW 73/4, CBS/Sony 20AP 1403, Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia CK 44425, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106, CBS/Sony 32DP 526, CBS/Sony CSCS 5345, Sony SRCS 9317, Sony SRCS 9730, Sony SRGS 4582; Sony SICP 381/4, Sony SICP 3964, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

8 The Theme
12" LP: Columbia KC2 36474, CBS/Sony 38AP 2017/8, Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106, CBS/Sony CSCS 5135/6, Sony SRCS 9310/1, Sony SRCS 9761/2; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

9 Autumn Leaves (incomplete)
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Magnetic MRCD 125, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

10 Neo
12" LP: Columbia CL 1670 (= CS 8470), Columbia C2L 20 (= C2S 820), Columbia CJ 44425, Nippon Columbia YS-152, Nippon Columbia SL-1090, Nippon Columbia PSS-90, CBS/Sony SONP 50071, CBS/Sony SONP 50070/1, CBS/Sony SOPJ 18, CBS/Sony SOPW 73/4, CBS/Sony 20AP 1403, Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia CK 44425, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106, CBS/Sony 32DP 526, CBS/Sony CSCS 5345, Sony SRCS 9317, Sony SRCS 9730, Sony SRGS 4582; Sony SICP 381/4, Sony SICP 3964, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

11 Two Bass Hit
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Magnetic MRCD 125, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

12 The Theme
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Magnetic MRCD 125, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

13 Love, I've Found You (Kelly p solo)
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Magnetic MRCD 125, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

14 I Thought About You
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Magnetic MRCD 125, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

15 Someday My Prince Will Come
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Magnetic MRCD 125, Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

16 Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-220
CD: Columbia C2K 87100, Columbia C4K 87106; Sony SICP 381/4, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922

Hank Mobley joined the Davis Quintet in late 1960 and immediately hit the road: Cloister Club, Chicago (December 26-January 8); Bradford Hotel Storyville Room, Boston (January 23-28); a live jazz program for Chicago's WMBI-FM (February 6); Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo (February 25); Village Vanguard, New York (February 28-March 12); Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles (March 31); Blackhawk Supper Club, San Francisco (April 4-30); Foster's House of Jazz, Detroit (May 25-28).

Although Columbia recorded the Quintet on only two nights, the dates are sometimes listed as April 14-15 and 21-22 (see Ken Vail, Miles' Diary and Jack Chambers, Milestones). Neither Vail nor Chambers mentions the tunes originally issued on Magnetic 125.

The original Columbia LPs (CL 1669 and 1670) and their early equivalents (CBS/Sony SONP 50070 and 50071, etc.) were titled In Person Friday Nights at the Blackhawk and In Person Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk. The first Columbia and CBS/Sony CD releases bore these titles as well. Beginning with the Sony Master Sound versions (SRCS 9316 and 9317), titles have been altered to In Person Friday Night... and In Person Saturday Night....

Several tunes are edited on issues prior to Sony SRCS 9316 and 9317. The following tunes were restored to their full length:

  • "If I Were a Bell" (first set) - add ts solo and first few notes of p solo (audible splice at 4:16 of abridged version removed 4:15-8:08 of master). Unedited: Davis solo (0:38-4:15); Mobley solo (4:17-8:06); Kelly solo (8:07-11:02); closing theme. Edited: Davis (0:38-4:15); Kelly (4:17-7:12); closing theme.
  • "Well, You Needn't" (second set) - add ts solo and beginning of p solo (audible splice at 2:55 of abridged version removed 2:55-6:26 of master). Unedited: Davis solo (0:30-2:55); Mobley solo (2:55-5:59); Kelly solo (6:00-7:20); closing theme. Edited: Davis (0:30-2:55); Kelly (2:55-3:49); closing theme.

The beginning of "Autumn Leaves" (third set) is missing because the tape recorder was off when the group began. In addition, a rhythm trio set-closing "The Theme" was recorded but rejected by Columbia.
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