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Miles Ahead session details

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May 7, 1971 (6 items; TT = 68:52)
Fillmore West Auditorium, San Francisco CA
Soundboard recording (B)
Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); Gary Bartz (ss, as); Keith Jarrett (el-p, org); Michael Henderson (el-b); Jack De Johnette (d); Airto Moreira (perc)

1 Honky Tonk (incomplete) (M. Davis) 7:58

Begins near the end of Davis solo
2 What I Say (M. Davis) 14:41
3 Sanctuary (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 3:34
4 It's About That Time (M. Davis) 19:35
5 Funky Tonk (M. Davis) 20:21
6 Sanctuary (closing theme, applause, announcement) (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 2:43


Presumably the set began with "Directions." The Davis Sextet opened for The Elvin Bishop Group and Mandrill for four nights at the Fillmore West, May 6-9 (Thursday-Sunday). Columbia probably recorded these shows, but they remain unissued. According to Wolfgang's Vault, which owns all of the surviving recordings from the Fillmores and has made many available on the web, this music is from May 7, though the version that's available online is also missing "Directions" and the beginning of "Honky Tonk." (Thanks to Ihor Slabicky for pointing me to the Wolfgang Grajonca site.)

While on the west coast the Sextet also opened for The Band at the Hollywood Bowl, and played a week at Shelly's Manne-Hole, Los Angeles (dates unknown). It was during this tour of the west coast that Jarrett and De Johnette recorded Ruta and Daitya (ECM 1021) in Sunset Studios. Later in May the Sextet returned to New York for a week at the Gaslight Club, New York (April 8-11); it was also booked at the Newport Jazz Festival (July 5; the festival was canceled on July 4 because of rioting) and The Beacon Theater, New York (July 20-21). The group performed at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park on August 4. Sometime in July or August Jack De Johnette left the Sextet to form his own group, Compost.

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