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Miles Ahead session details

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June 29, 1954 (5 items; TT = 25:08)
Rudy van Gelder Studio, Hackensack NJ
Commercial for Prestige

Miles Davis (tpt); Sonny Rollins (ts); Horace Silver (p); Percy Heath (b); Kenny Clarke (d)

1 Airegin (S. Rollins) 4:56
2 Oleo (S. Rollins) 5:09
3 But Not for Me (take 1) (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin) 5:40
4 But Not for Me (take 2) (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin) 4:33
5 Doxy (S. Rollins) 4:50


1 Airegin
10" LP: Prestige PRLP 187
12" LP: Prestige 7109, Prestige LP 16-3 (16-2/3 rpm LP), Prestige P-012 (12 LP), Analogue Productions AJAZ 7109 (45 rpm), Analogue Productions ARPJ 7109 (mono LP), Victor SMJ-6520, Victor VIJ-5090/5101 (12 LP), Craft Recordings CR00689
CD: Fantasy OJC-245, Prestige PRCD 5701, Prestige PRCD 5701, Fantasy PRCD 7109, Prestige 8PCD-012, JVC XR 0046, Analogue Productions APSAP 7109 (hybrid SACD), Victor VICJ-23571, Victor VICJ-40225/32, Victor VICJ-60263, Victor VICJ-2035, Victor VICJ-61044, Victor VICJ-41027, Victor VIAJ-60016, Victor VICJ-41505, Universal UCCO-5008, Universal UCCO-9004, Universal UCCO-9208, Universal UCCO-9651, Craft Recordings CR00689

2 Oleo
10" LP: Prestige PRLP 187
12" LP: Prestige 7109, Prestige LP 16-3 (16-2/3 rpm LP), Prestige P-012 (12 LP), Analogue Productions AJAZ 7109 (45 rpm), Analogue Productions ARPJ 7109 (mono LP), Victor SMJ-6520, Victor VIJ-5090/5101 (12 LP), Craft Recordings CR00689
CD: Fantasy OJC-245, Fantasy PRCD 7109, Prestige 8PCD-012, JVC XR 0046, Analogue Productions APSAP 7109 (hybrid SACD), Victor VICJ-23571, Victor VICJ-40225/32, Victor VICJ-60263, Victor VICJ-2035, Victor VICJ-61044, Victor VICJ-41027, Victor VIAJ-60016, Victor VICJ-41505, Universal UCCO-5008, Universal UCCO-9004, Universal UCCO-9208, Universal UCCO-9651, Craft Recordings CR00689

3 But Not for Me (take 1)
78 rpm: Prestige 915
10" LP: Prestige PRLP 187
12" LP: Prestige 7109, Prestige LP 16-3 (16-2/3 rpm LP), Prestige P-012 (12 LP), Analogue Productions AJAZ 7109 (45 rpm), Analogue Productions ARPJ 7109 (mono LP), Victor SMJ-6520, Craft Recordings CR00689
CD: Fantasy OJC-245, Fantasy PRCD 7109, Prestige 8PCD-012, JVC XR 0046, Analogue Productions APSAP 7109 (hybrid SACD), Victor VICJ-23571, Victor VICJ-40225/32, Victor VICJ-60263, Victor VICJ-60818, Victor VICJ-41437, Victor VICJ-2035, Victor VICJ-61044, Victor VICJ-41027, Victor VIAJ-60016, Victor VICJ-41505, Universal UCCO-5008, Universal UCCO-9004, Universal UCCO-9208, Universal UCCO-9651, Craft Recordings CR00689

4 But Not for Me (take 2)
12" LP: Prestige 7109, Prestige LP 16-3 (16-2/3 rpm LP), Prestige P-012 (12 LP), Analogue Productions AJAZ 7109 (45 rpm), Analogue Productions ARPJ 7109 (mono LP), Victor SMJ-6520, Victor VIJ-5090/5101 (12 LP), Craft Recordings CR00689
CD: Fantasy OJC-245, Fantasy PRCD 7109, Prestige 8PCD-012, JVC XR 0046, Analogue Productions APSAP 7109 (hybrid SACD), Victor VICJ-23571, Victor VICJ-40225/32, Victor VICJ-60263, Victor VICJ-2035, Victor VICJ-61044, Victor VICJ-41027, Victor VIAJ-60016, Victor VICJ-41505, Universal UCCO-5008, Universal UCCO-9004, Universal UCCO-9208, Universal UCCO-9651, Craft Recordings CR00689

5 Doxy
10" LP: Prestige PRLP 187
12" LP: Prestige 7109, Prestige LP 16-3 (16-2/3 rpm LP), Prestige P-012 (12 LP), Analogue Productions AJAZ 7109 (45 rpm), Analogue Productions ARPJ 7109 (mono LP), Victor SMJ-6520, Victor VIJ-5090/5101 (12 LP), Craft Recordings CR00689
CD: Fantasy OJC-245, Prestige PRCD 5701, Prestige FCD 60015, Fantasy PRCD 7109, Prestige 8PCD-012, JVC XR 0046, Analogue Productions APSAP 7109 (hybrid SACD), Victor VICJ-23571, Victor VICJ-40225/32, Victor VICJ-60263, Victor VICJ-2035, Victor VICJ-61044, Victor VICJ-41027, Victor VIAJ-60016, Victor VICJ-41505, Universal UCCO-5008, Universal UCCO-9004, Universal UCCO-9208, Universal UCCO-9651, Craft Recordings CR00689


This is the fourth Prestige session of 1954, the third with the rhythm section of Silver, Heath, and Clarke; this time the fare is Sonny Rollins originals.

Silver does not play during the theme of "Airegin" -- Davis and Rollins play over Heath's walking bass, and Silver enters only when backing the solos. Davis and Rollins each play three choruses (0:44-2:35 and 2:35-4:21 respectively), and they state the closing theme together sans Silver.

"Oleo," based on the chord changes of "I Got Rhythm," also makes ingenious use of the piano: again, the horns state the melody without piano, then they drop out and Silver plays alone on the bridge (0:17-0:26), then the horns return to finish the melody. This pattern is repeated during Davis' two-chorus solo (Silver plays the bridge 0:52-1:02 and 1:28-1:38) and during Rollins' two-chorus solo (Silver enters at 2:08-2:18 and 2:38-2:47); during the A sections of their solos, Davis and Rollins are accompanied only by Heath and Clarke. When Davis re-did this tune with the Quintet in October 1956, he preserved this effective structure.

Davis included "But Not for Me" as a tip of the hat to Ahmad Jamal, whose trio performed it and whose playing Davis admired. The first take is slower. The opening theme is stated almost entirely by Davis (Rollins plays only the last few bars). Davis has a nice four-chorus solo, Rollins takes three, Silver two, and the closing theme is again all Davis until the last few bars. The second take is a bit faster, and Davis plays only three choruses, followed by three by Rollins and two by Silver. Unlike the first take, Rollins does not come in at the end of the opening chorus, but he joins in on the last four bars of the closing melody.

"Doxy" is a 16-bar melody whose swinging tempo is well-suited to the rhythm section. Davis solos for three choruses, Rollins and Silver for two each.

Davis performed all three of these Rollins tunes throughout the 1950s, and "Oleo" lasted well into the 1960s.

A month earlier (Thursday, May 27th) the "Miles Davis Quintet" performed in the Record Collectors' Shop on 47th Street in New York: "As space is limited, we must confine the audience to those with tickets. To assure admission, therefore, please call in person promptly for your FREE TICKETS!." Davis, Silver, Heath, and Clarke -- billed by Bob Reisner as "the greatest in modern jazz" -- performed at the Open Door on June 20.

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