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Miles Ahead session details

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August 25, 1959 (4 items; TT = 22:01)
Birdland, New York NY
AFRS radio broadcast (B)
Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (as); John Coltrane (ts); Wynton Kelly (p); Paul Chambers (b); Jimmy Cobb (d); Ray Barrett (ann)

1 The Theme (with voiceover) (M. Davis) 0:43
2 Announcement 0:52
3 So What (M. Davis) 12:05
4 The Theme (inc) (M. Davis) 8:21


1 The Theme (with voiceover)
CD: Rare Live Recordings RLR 88666, United Archives NUA 10

2 Announcement
CD: Rare Live Recordings RLR 88666, United Archives NUA 10

3 So What
CD: Rare Live Recordings RLR 88666, United Archives NUA 10

4 The Theme (inc)
CD: Rare Live Recordings RLR 88666, United Archives NUA 10


This was recorded for Armed Forces Radiso Service's Treasury of Music show; it was broadcast on AFRS September 16, 1960.

Some tapes include an additional minute or so of "Lullaby of Birdland" (the show's theme) after the concluding voiceover. Also, on some tapes "So What" is interrupted after Kelly's solo, where a one-minute announcement is inserted: "Now, while Miles Davis and the Sextet catch their collective breath, let's listen to this message... (Different announcer:) Four Navy ships arrived off the coast of Colombo, Ceylon -- the U.S.S. Duxberry, U.S.S. Princeton, U.S.S. Sutherland, and U.S.S. Henderson. They were there to take part in the rescue work made necessary by one of the worst floods in the history of Ceylon. Over 300 tons of food were offloaded and dispatched to the disaster areas. 160 tons were air-lifted by the helicopters of the Princeton. Medical teams from all the Navy ships immunized thousands of people to prevent epidemic outbreaks. They also purified the drinking water. After five days of 24-hours-a-day work, the flood waters receded, and the emergency passed. The spirit and teamwork displayed by these Navy men gave us all a thought to remember: we are Americans; as we go, so goes America... (Original announcer:) Back now to the Miles Davis Sextet and the final portion of 'So What'..."

The Davis Sextet had begun a two-week engagement at Birdland on Thursday, August 13; during the two-week engagement the group also performed at the Randall's Island Jazz Festival on Sunday, August 23. Davis was beaten and arrested outside Birdland during a late intermission on August 25-26. News of the beating appeared in the New York Times on Wednesday, August 26. Adderley left the group after this gig. Davis sued the City of New York and had to attend to legal matters throughout the autumn, and he and Gil Evans were beginning plans for sessions that would result in the Sketches of Spain album, but the Quintet continued to perform throughout the fall: Cotton Club, Atlantic City NJ (September 1-6); Showboat, Philadelphia (September 7-16); Birdland, New York (September 17-October 7); Assembly Hall, Hunter College, New York (Sunday, October 4, 8:30pm); Academy of Music, Philadelphia (Sunday, October 11); Howard Theatre, Washington DC (October 16-22); Brooklyn Paramount, New York (October 23-29); Birdland, New York (November 5-25); St. Nicholas Arena, New York (Friday, November 27, 9:00 pm); Club 12, Detroit (December 11-20); Regal Theatre, Chicago (December 25-31).

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