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Miles Ahead session details

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October 11, 1960 (15 items; TT = 118:04)
Olympia Theatre, Paris (France)
Europe-1 radio broadcast (B+)

Miles Davis (tpt); Sonny Stitt (as, ts); Wynton Kelly (p); Paul Chambers (b); Jimmy Cobb (d)

First concert
1 Walkin' (R. Carpenter) 11:45
2 Autumn Leaves (J. Prevert-J. Mercer-J. Kosma) 13:10
3 Four (E. Vinson) 8:50
4 Unknown Title 5:04

Davis out; as he rejoins the group, Kelly quotes Rachmaninov's Prélude in c# minor (or is it the beginning of "Stardust"?)
5 'Round Midnight (B. Hanighen-C. Williams-T. Monk) 5:41
6 No Blues (M. Davis) 14:32
7 The Theme (M. Davis) 0:45

Second concert
8 Walkin' (R. Carpenter) 9:34
9 If I Were a Bell (F. Loesser) 12:01
10 Fran Dance (M. Davis) 7:24
11 Two Bass Hit (J. Lewis-D. Gillespie) 5:31
12 The Theme (M. Davis) 0:18
13 All of You (C. Porter) 13:03
14 So What (M. Davis) 9:27
15 The Theme (M. Davis) 0:59


1 Walkin'
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710578, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

2 Autumn Leaves
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710578, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

3 Four
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710578, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

4 Unknown Title
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710578, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

5 'Round Midnight
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710578, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

6 No Blues
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710578, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

7 The Theme
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710578, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

8 Walkin'
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710579, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

9 If I Were a Bell
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710579, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

10 Fran Dance
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710579, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

11 Two Bass Hit
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710579, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

12 The Theme
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710579, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

13 All of You
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710579, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

14 So What
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710579, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451

15 The Theme
CD: Trema 710455/8, Trema 710579, Frémeaux & Associés FA 5451


Stitt plays alto saxophone on "Autumn Leaves," "'Round Midnight," "No Blues," and "The Theme" (first concert), and on "Fran Dance" and "All of You" (second concert). He plays tenor on the remaining titles unless indicated otherwise.

The concerts were recorded by Europe-1 Radio; the Trema CDs bear the subtitle "En Concert avec Europe-1." I suspect that more music was performed than is listed here; it may be that the Quintet performed two sets in each concert as they did in Stockholm on October 13. That would account for the two instances of "The Theme" listed in the second concert. (The brief one following "Two Bass Hit" is not listed on either Trema release.) Brian Priestley recalls listening to the Europe-1 broadcast of this performance and hearing a rhythm-section-only version of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise." The reviews I have found (e.g. a review of the first concert in the November 1960 issue of Jazz Magazine) mention only "Walkin'" ("du premier morceau"), "Autumn Leaves," "Two Bass Hit," and a "final blues during which Miles improvised for long minutes with a superb swing." I have not found anything definitive about the set lists for both concerts.

Update November 2024: The Lost Recordings is releasing what they are describing as the complete concerts from this date. The first volume, which purpotedly includes the first concert, includes the following titles:

All Blues (12:35)
Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise (7:04)
Walkin' (11:45)
Four (8:46)
Autumn Leaves (13:11)
Makin' Whoopee (6:28)
No Blues (14:34)
The Theme (1:00)

What has become of "Unidentified" (an unknown impromptu blues in C#, a feature for Sonny Stitt) and "'Round Midnight"? The mysteries continue...

Sonny Stitt joined the Davis Quintet in May 1960 for a one-week engagement at the Showboat Lounge in Philadelphia (May 9-14); they played a week at the Regal Theatre in Chicago in late May, and two weeks at Henri's Show Lounge in Milwaukee (June 3-12). The Quintet then headed west: Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles Jazz Festival, June 17); Blackhawk Supper Club, San Francisco (June 21-27). After that, Sutherland Hotel Lounge, Chicago (July 6-17); Apollo Theatre, New York (July 22-31); Village Vanguard, New York (August 2-14); Brandywine Music Box, Wilmington DE (August 15-20); Randall's Island Jazz Festival (August 21); Minor Key, Detroit (September 6-11).

Norman Granz arranged for the Davis Quintet to tour Great Britain and a few continental venues in the fall of 1960. Surprisingly few recordings from this tour have surfaced. The itinerary was as follows:

September 24: Hammersmith Gaumont Theatre, London (two concerts)
September 25: Guildhall, Portsmouth (two concerts)
September 26: DeMontfort Hall, Leicester
September 27: Free Trade Hall, Manchester (two concerts)
September 28: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
September 30: Colston Hall, Bristol
October 1: Finsbury Park Astoria Theatre, London (two concerts)
October 2: Lewisham Gaumont Theatre, London (two concerts)
October 5: Town Hall, Birmingham
October 7: City Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
October 8: Hammersmith Gaumont Theatre, London (two concerts)
October 9: Kilburn Gaumont Theatre, London (two concerts)
October 11: Olympia Theatre, Paris (two concerts)
October 12: Konserthuset, Gothenburg (two concerts)
October 13: Konserthuset, Stockholm (two concerts)
October 15: Kurhaus, Scheveningen
October 16: Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

After returning to the U.S. the Quintet (with Jimmy Heath subbing for Stitt) played a week at the Regal Theatre in Chicago (October 21-27), and then at the Crawford Grill in Pittsburgh (October 31). They were booked for a week at the Howard Theatre in Washington DC (December 2-6) -- during this engagement Stitt was hospitalized with pneumonia and Jimmy Heath again replaced him. Davis married Frances Taylor on December 21, and the Quintet -- now with Hank Mobley -- was booked at The Cloister in Chicago for two weeks (December 26-January 8).

Thanks to Jan Lohmann and Mark White for help with this session.

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