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Miles Ahead session details

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September 9, 1958 (5 items; TT = 40:46)
Persian Room, Plaza Hotel, New York NY
Commercial for Columbia
Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (as); John Coltrane (ts); William J. "Bill" Evans (p); Paul Chambers (b); Jimmy Cobb (d)

1 Stage chatter 0:10
2 If I Were a Bell (F. Loesser) 8:17

Adderley out
3 Oleo (S. Rollins) 10:52
4 My Funny Valentine (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 10:25

Adderley amd Coltrane out. During closing applause Davis counts off "Straight, No Chaser"
5 Straight, No Chaser (T. Monk) 10:51
6 The Theme (M. Davis) 0:11

Not listed on Columbia, Sony, and Mosaic


1 Stage chatter
12" LP: Columbia C 32470, CBS/Sony SOPL 229, CBS/Sony 20AP 1406, CBS/Sony 23AP 81, Mosaic MQ9-191
CD: Columbia CK 47835, Columbia CK 85245, Columbia Legacy C6K 65833, Columbia Legacy C6K 90922, CBS/Sony 32DP 523 (= Sony SRCS 5700), Sony SRCS 9302, Sony SRCS 2223/8, Sony SICP 651/6, Sony SRCS 9728, Sony SRGS 4586, Sony SICP 815, Sony SICP 4242, Sony SICJ 30047, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 9)

2 If I Were a Bell
12" LP: Columbia C 32470, CBS/Sony SOPL 229, CBS/Sony 20AP 1406, CBS/Sony 23AP 81, Mosaic MQ9-191
CD: Columbia CK 47835, Columbia CK 85245, Columbia Legacy C6K 65833, Columbia Legacy C6K 90922, CBS/Sony 32DP 523 (= Sony SRCS 5700), Sony SRCS 9302, Sony SRCS 2223/8, Sony SICP 651/6, Sony SRCS 9728, Sony SRGS 4586, Sony SICP 815, Sony SICP 4242, Sony SICJ 30047, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 9)

3 Oleo
12" LP: Columbia C 32470, CBS/Sony SOPL 229, CBS/Sony 20AP 1406, CBS/Sony 23AP 81, Mosaic MQ9-191
CD: Columbia CK 47835, Columbia CK 85245, Columbia Legacy C6K 65833, Columbia Legacy C6K 90922, CBS/Sony 32DP 523 (= Sony SRCS 5700), Sony SRCS 9302, Sony SRCS 2223/8, Sony SICP 651/6, Sony SRCS 9728, Sony SRGS 4586, Sony SICP 815, Sony SICP 4242, Sony SICJ 30047, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 9)

4 My Funny Valentine
12" LP: Columbia C 32470, CBS/Sony SOPL 229, CBS/Sony 20AP 1406, CBS/Sony 23AP 81, Mosaic MQ9-191
CD: Columbia CK 47835, Columbia CK 85245, Columbia Legacy C6K 65833, Columbia Legacy C6K 90922, CBS/Sony 32DP 523 (= Sony SRCS 5700), Sony SRCS 9302, Sony SRCS 2223/8, Sony SICP 651/6, Sony SRCS 9728, Sony SRGS 4586, Sony SICP 815, Sony SICP 4242, Sony SICJ 30047, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 9)

5 Straight, No Chaser
12" LP: Columbia C 32470, CBS/Sony SOPL 229, CBS/Sony 20AP 1406, CBS/Sony 23AP 81, Mosaic MQ9-191
CD: Columbia CK 47835, Columbia CK 85245, Columbia Legacy C6K 65833, Columbia Legacy C6K 90922, CBS/Sony 32DP 523 (= Sony SRCS 5700), Sony SRCS 9302, Sony SRCS 2223/8, Sony SICP 651/6, Sony SRCS 9728, Sony SRGS 4586, Sony SICP 815, Sony SICP 4242, Sony SICJ 30047, Jazz Roots CD 56045, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 9)

6 The Theme
12" LP: Columbia C 32470, CBS/Sony SOPL 229, CBS/Sony 20AP 1406, CBS/Sony 23AP 81, Mosaic MQ9-191
CD: Columbia CK 47835, Columbia CK 85245, Columbia Legacy C6K 65833, Columbia Legacy C6K 90922, CBS/Sony 32DP 523 (= Sony SRCS 5700), Sony SRCS 9302, Sony SRCS 2223/8, Sony SICP 651/6, Sony SRCS 9728, Sony SRGS 4586, Sony SICP 815, Sony SICP 4242, Sony SICJ 30047, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 9)


Irving Townsend's notes to C 32470 (released on September 28, 1973) contain several errors. "Straight, No Chaser" is listed as "an original called 'Jazz at the Plaza'"; the drummer is listed as "'Philly' Joe Jones, as distinguished from 'Chicago' Jo Jones"; and the location is listed as the Edwardian Room. These errors were corrected on most subsequent issues.

This set was recorded at a Columbia-sponsored party at the posh Plaza Hotel. In addition to the Davis Sextet, the musical guests included Duke Ellington's Orchestra, Jimmy Rushing, and Billie Holiday. Ralph Ellison was among the guests invited by Columbia, and he was less than keen about the sextet. He wrote his friend Albert Murray, "I finally saw that... poor, evil, lost little Miles Davis, who on this occasion sounded like he just couldn't get it together. Nor did Coltrane help with his badly executed velocity exercises. These cats have gotten lost, man. They're trying to get hold of something by fucking up the blues."

Coltrane was especially busy during this period; in addition to his live dates with the Davis Sextet, he recorded for Savoy with Wilbur Harden (August 25); for Decca with George Russell (September 12); and for United Artists with Cecil Taylor (October 12).

The second half of 1958 was a very busy time for the Sextet: Café Bohemia, New York (April 25-May 4); Storyville, Boston (May 5-11); Café Bohemia, New York (May 12-18); Red Hill Inn, Pennsauken NJ (May 20-25); Village Vanguard, New York (May 27-June 1); Spotlite Lounge, Washington DC (June 10-15); Small's Paradise, New York (June 24-29); Newport Jazz Festival (Thursday, July 3, 8:30 pm); Montréal Theatre Maisonneuve (July 10, with other dates in Montréal and Quebec City); Village Vanguard, New York (July 22-August 3); Spotlite, Washington DC (August 5-10); Comedy Club, Baltimore (August 12-17); Randall's Island, New York (August 23: Third Annual NY Jazz Festival); Showboat, Philadelphia (September 1-6); Persian Room, Plaza Hotel, New York (Tuesday, September 9); Modern Jazz Room, Cleveland (September 15-21); Clarence's Blue Bird Inn, Detroit (September 23-28); Apollo Theatre, New York (October 17-23); Spotlite Lounge, Washington DC (October 29-November 2); Village Vanguard, New York (November 4-16 -- Evans left the group after this gig, and was replaced by Wynton Kelly); Town Hall, New York (Friday, November 28, 8:00 and 11:00 pm) Mosque Theatre, Newark NJ (November 29); Howard Theatre, Washington DC (December 12-18); Town Hall, New York (Saturday, December 27, 8:30 and 11:00 pm).

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