Miles Ahead Session Details

August 21, 1969 (31 items; TT = 80:40)
Columbia Studio B, New York NY
Commercial for Columbia
Miles Davis Studio Group
Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ss); Bennie Maupin (bcl); John McLaughlin (g); Chick Corea (el-p); Josef Zawinul (el-p); Larry Young (el-p); Dave Holland (b); Harvey Brooks (el-b); Jack De Johnette (d); Lenny White (d); Charles Don Alias (d, perc); Jumma Santos [Jim Riley] (perc)
1 Studio chatter 0:11

"Co 103750, take one..."
2 Spanish Key (take 1 (fs) + chatter) (M. Davis) 0:39
3 Studio chatter 0:24

Davis: "Can we break that up more? Can it be broken up more? Okay, let's try it and see what happens..."
4 Spanish Key (take 1) (M. Davis) 2:44
5 Studio chatter 0:28

Unknown: "Have him turn you up more." Davis: "Right here? Turn this thing on, Teo." Macero: "This sound all right? All right, two..."
6 Spanish Key (take 2) (M. Davis) 10:17
7 Studio chatter 0:10

Macero: "All right, stand by please, this'll be take three..."
8 Spanish Key (take 3) (M. Davis) 7:19
9 Studio chatter 0:29

Davis: "Hey, Teo..." Macero: "Okay, this'll be take four. Take four..."
10 Spanish Key (take 4 (fs) + chatter) (M. Davis) 0:13
11 Spanish Key (take 4 (fs) + chatter) (M. Davis) 0:14
12 Spanish Key (take 4 (nc)) (M. Davis) 6:17
13 Pharaoh's Dance (rehearsal + tune up) (J. Zawinul) 1:27

Macero: "This is Co 103313, part one, Joe..." Zawinul plays the opening of "Directions" on el-p (0:18-0:25). Various noodling. Macero: "All right, still take one." Davis: "Where's Harvey, man?" Macero: "I don't know what happened to Harvey." False start. Macero: "Okay... Okay, this is take two..."
14 Pharaoh's Dance (rehearsal) (J. Zawinul) 0:42
15 Pharaoh's Dance (rehearsal) (J. Zawinul) 0:23
16 Pharaoh's Dance (part 1 take 2 (fs) + chatter) (J. Zawinul) 0:08
17 Studio chatter 0:33

Davis: "Teo! We just did one section." Macero: "Right. All right, all right, all right." Davis: "Make a note of it, 'cause you know when you look at it Saturday, it's gonna look funny." Macero: "I know, 'cause I won't be here." (Laughter.) Davis: "You're not here today..." Macero: "Okay, stand by, this'll be part two, take one" Davis: "Yeah, but the bass clarinet makes an entrance, Teo, just put that down..."
18 Pharaoh's Dance (part 2 take 1 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:17
19 Studio chatter 0:31

Holland: "Can we do that again? I thought, I thought, I thought that was four bars." Macero: "Part two, take two." Davis (to Holland): "No, it's (he sings). I mean, attack, and then taper it off." Unknown: "You mean at the end of that second one?" Davis: "Just come down to another frame." Macero: "We're rolling..."
20 Pharaoh's Dance (part 2 take 2 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:26
21 Pharaoh's Dance (rehearsal) (J. Zawinul) 0:54

Holland, McLaughlin, and the pianists work out the line.
22 Pharaoh's Dance (rehearsal) (J. Zawinul) 0:37

At the end, "Okay, let's start."
23 Pharaoh's Dance (part 2 take 2 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:25
24 Studio chatter 0:45

Macero: "All right, you wanna do all that again?" More rehearsal
25 Pharaoh's Dance (part 2 take 3 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:05
26 Studio chatter 0:36

Macero: "Four."
27 Pharaoh's Dance (part 2 take 4 (rehearsal)) (J. Zawinul) 0:09
28 Pharaoh's Dance (part 2 take 4 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:11
29 Studio chatter 0:08

Davis: "Do it again."
30 Pharaoh's Dance (part 2 take 4 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:09
31 Pharaoh's Dance (part 2 take 4 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:13
32 Studio chatter 0:31

Holland: "Which one is that?" Macero: "We'll call this 'Insert'... Take one." Holland (sings to McLaughlin): "It's a dramatic process, so it's not like..." McLaughlin plays.
33 Pharaoh's Dance (insert take 1 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:10
34 Studio chatter 0:12

"Two..."
35 Pharaoh's Dance (insert take 2 (rehearsal)) (J. Zawinul) 0:38

Holland, McLaughlin, and the pianists work on chords.
36 Pharaoh's Dance (insert take 2 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:06
37 Studio chatter 0:17

"Three..." More guitar/el-piano rehearsal.
38 Pharaoh's Dance (insert take 3 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:11
39 Studio chatter 0:05

"Four..."
40 Pharaoh's Dance (insert take 4) (J. Zawinul) 0:36
41 Studio chatter 0:37

More puzzlement about guitar/el-piano playing against each other. Davis (sounding impatient): "Play the triples..."
42 Pharaoh's Dance (insert take 4 (rehearsal)) (J. Zawinul) 0:24
43 Pharaoh's Dance (insert take 4 (fs)) (J. Zawinul) 0:07
44 Studio chatter 0:09
45 Pharaoh's Dance (insert take 4) (J. Zawinul) 0:57
46 Spanish Key (take 5) (M. Davis) 17:30

Edited (2:49) on Columbia 45171 and CSK 41598; edited (11:50) on Columbia CAS 42193.
47 Studio chatter 0:02

"Play some of that, Teo..."
48 Pharaoh's Dance (issued version) (J. Zawinul) 20:04

Spanish Key (take 2)
CD: Columbia 88697 70274-2, Columbia 88697 54519-2

Spanish Key (take 5)
45 rpm: Columbia 4-45171
12" LP: Columbia GP 26 (= CS 9996, PG 30977), Columbia CAS 42193 (12" single), CBS/Sony SONP 50255/6, CBS/Sony SOPL 24/5, CBS/Sony SOPJ 58/9, CBS/Sony 28AP 2151/2, CBS/Sony 36AP 1771/2, Mosaic MQ6-183, Columbia 88697 70274-2
CD: Columbia C2K 40577, Columbia C2K 65774, Columbia C4K 65570, Columbia C4K 90924, Columbia 88697 70274-2, Columbia 88697 54519-2, CBS/Sony 50DP 703/4, CBS/Sony CSCS 5151/52, Sony SRCS 9118/9, Sony 8837/40, Sony SICP 669/72, Sony SRCS 9714/5, Sony SIGP 20/1, Sony SICP 834/5, Sony SICP 1220/1

Studio chatter
12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-183, Columbia CAS 42193 (12" single)
CD: Columbia C2K 65774, Columbia C4K 65570, Columbia C4K 90924, Columbia 88697 70274-2, Columbia 88697 54519-2, Sony 8837/40, Sony SICP 669/72, Sony SRCS 9714/5, Sony SIGP 20/1, Sony SICP 834/5, Sony SICP 1220/1

Pharaoh's Dance (issued version)
12" LP: Columbia GP 26 (= CS 9996, PG 30977), CBS/Sony SONP 50255/6, CBS/Sony SOPL 24/5, CBS/Sony SOPJ 58/9, CBS/Sony 28AP 2151/2, CBS/Sony 36AP 1771/2, Mosaic MQ6-183, Columbia 88697 70274-2
CD: Columbia C2K 40577, Columbia C2K 65774, Columbia C4K 65570, Columbia C4K 90924, Columbia 88697 70274-2, Columbia 88697 54519-2, CBS/Sony 50DP 703/4, CBS/Sony CSCS 5151/52, Sony SRCS 9118/9, Sony 8837/40, Sony SICP 669/72, Sony SRCS 9714/5, Sony SIGP 20/1, Sony SICP 834/5, Sony SICP 1220/1

Most of the music that does not appear on Bitches Brew has now been issued on Deep Brew, Volume 1 and Deep Brew, Volume 2 (Mega Disc) and on Unreleased Bitches Brew Session (So What (CDR) SW-146/47), though it is indexed differently.

The Davis Quintet maintained a busy touring schedule during this time: Rutgers University Stadium, New Brunswick (July 27); Village Gate (July 29-August 10); Sheraton Park Hotel, French Lick (French Lick Jazz Festival) (July 31); The Spectrum, Philadelphia (August 15); Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis (August 16); Grant Park Theater, Chicago (August 22); Crosley Field, Cincinnati (Ohio Jazz Festival) (August 23); Shelly's Manne-Hole, Los Angeles (September 9-21).

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