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Miles Ahead session details

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April 16, 1963 (22 items; TT = 76:28)
Columbia Studio, Hollywood CA
Commercial for Columbia
Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); George Coleman (ts); Victor Feldman (p); Ron Carter (b); Frank Butler (d)

1 Joshua (rehearsal) (V. Feldman) 7:09
2 Joshua (take 1 (fs + inc)) (V. Feldman) 1:07
3 Joshua (take 2 (inc)) (V. Feldman) 1:15
4 Joshua (rehearsal) (V. Feldman) 2:32
5 Joshua (take 4 (nc)) (V. Feldman) 3:02
6 Joshua (insert 1 take 1) (V. Feldman) 1:34
7 Joshua (insert 1 take 2) (V. Feldman) 0:59
8 Joshua (insert 1 take 3) (V. Feldman) 1:04
9 Joshua (insert 1 take 4) (V. Feldman) 0:48
10 Joshua (insert 1 take 5) (V. Feldman) 2:35
11 Joshua (insert 1 take 6) (V. Feldman) 5:12
12 Joshua (insert 1 take 7) (V. Feldman) 1:30
13 Joshua (insert 1 take 8) (V. Feldman) 0:13
14 Joshua (insert 2 take 1 + rehearsal) (V. Feldman) 2:17
15 Joshua (insert 2 take 1) (V. Feldman) 0:29
16 Joshua (insert 2 take 2) (V. Feldman) 6:02
17 I Fall in Love Too Easily (take 2) (S. Cahn-J. Styne) 6:46

Coleman out
18 Baby, Won't You Please Come Home? (take 1) (C. Warfield-C. Williams) 8:26

Coleman out
19 So Near, So Far (rehearsal) (T. Crombie-B. Green) 5:33
20 So Near, So Far (take 7) (T. Crombie-B. Green) 1:18
21 So Near, So Far (take 9) (T. Crombie-B. Green) 6:08
22 Basin Street Blues (take 1) (S. Williams) 10:29

Coleman out


16 Joshua (insert 2 take 2)
12" LP: Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Sony SICP 620/5, Mega Disc Legendary 041617

17 I Fall in Love Too Easily (take 2)
12" LP: Columbia CL 2051 (= CS 8851), Nippon Columbia YS-292, CBS/Sony SONP 50214, CBS/Sony SOPL 158, CBS/Sony 18AP 2060, CBS/Sony 23AP 2560, CBS/Sony 25AP 758, Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia CK 48827, Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93592, CBS/Sony 32DP 527, Sony SRCS 5704, Sony SRCS 9109, Sony SRCS 9755, Sony SIGP 14, Sony SICP 820, Sony SICP 1209, Sony SICP 30059, Sony SICP 620/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 18)

18 Baby, Won't You Please Come Home? (take 1)
12" LP: Columbia CL 2051 (= CS 8851), Nippon Columbia YS-292, CBS/Sony SONP 50214, CBS/Sony SOPL 158, CBS/Sony 18AP 2060, CBS/Sony 23AP 2560, CBS/Sony 25AP 758, Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia CK 48827, Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93592, CBS/Sony 32DP 527, Sony SRCS 5704, Sony SRCS 9109, Sony SRCS 9755, Sony SIGP 14, Sony SICP 820, Sony SICP 1209, Sony SICP 30059, Sony SICP 620/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 18)

21 So Near, So Far (take 9)
12" LP: Columbia KC2 36474, CBS/Sony 38AP 2017/8, Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, CBS/Sony CSCS 5135/6, Sony SRCS 9310/1, Sony SRCS 9761/62, Sony SICJ 30113/4, Sony SICP 620/5, Mega Disc Legendary 041617, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 12, CD 18)

22 Basin Street Blues (take 1)
12" LP: Columbia CL 2051 (= CS 8851), Nippon Columbia YS-292, CBS/Sony SONP 50214, CBS/Sony SOPL 158, CBS/Sony 18AP 2060, CBS/Sony 23AP 2560, CBS/Sony 25AP 758, Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia CK 48827, Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93592, CBS/Sony 32DP 527, Sony SRCS 5704, Sony SRCS 9109, Sony SRCS 9755, Sony SIGP 14, Sony SICP 820, Sony SICP 1209, Sony SICP 30059, Sony SICP 620/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 18)


Coleman lays out except on "Joshua" and "So Near, So Far." The latter tune was not released until Directions (1981). Both tunes were re-done with a different rhythm section after Davis returned to New York in May.

The problems Davis had throughout 1962 with keeping a working group continued into 1963. His quintet was booked at Philadelphia's Uptown Theatre from December 25, 1962 through January 1, 1963 (Wednesday-Tuesday); in addition to missing one of the sets on December 25, Davis walked out and missed the last two nights (and was later ordered by the musicians' union to pay the promoter $8000). A two-week engagement at Chicago's Sutherland Hotel Lounge, January 30-February 10 (Wednesday-Sunday) was followed by the sudden departure of Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers. Davis was forced to cancel an eight-day engagement at Gino's Club in St. Louis, February 15-23 (Friday-Saturday). He was booked for two weeks at the Blackhawk Supper Club in San Francisco, March 5-17 (Tuesday-Sunday), but the opening was delayed for a week while Davis recruited some West Coast players. In addition to Jimmy Cobb, he ended up with Frank Strozier on alto, George Coleman on tenor, Victor Feldman or Harold Mabern on piano, and Ron Carter on bass (at the time Carter was playing with Art Farmer). The sextet played a ten-day gig at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Los Angeles, April 5-14 (Friday-Sunday). Cobb, who was planning to leave the Davis group later in the summer, left in mid-April after a dispute about money. He returned to New York and joined Wes Montogomery in the studio on April 22. Before leaving, he recommended Frank Butler, and the quintet -- Feldman on piano, Butler on drums and without Strozier -- went into Columbia's Hollywood studios for these sessions. Butler remained in Los Angeles and the rest of the group returned to the East Coast, where they were booked for one night at the Lyric Theatre in Baltimore (May 9; "The Miles Davis Quintette" was listed as Davis, George Coleman, Frank Strozier, Harold Maybern [sic], Jim Cobb. I can't believe that Carter didn't play with the group, so either it was not a "quintette" or else one of the horns, probably Strozier, didn't play).

Davis fired Strozier and Mabern soon afterward, hiring Hancock and Williams; and the new Miles Davis Quintet -- Davis, Coleman, Hancock, Carter, Williams -- went into Columbia's 30th Street Studio on May 14, then hit the road: Bowdoin College, Brunswick ME (May 17 -- listed as the Miles Davis Sestet); Jazz Villa, St. Louis (May 27-June 4); Sutherland Hotel Lounge, Chicago (June 5-16); Jazz Temple, Cleveland (June 20-23 -- listed as the Miles Davis Sextet); Village Vanguard, New York (July 2-14).

Much of this material has been issued on The Sessions of Seven Steps (Mega Disc Legendary 041617 and 0514).

I am grateful to Tommaso Urbano, Bill White, and Fernando Ortiz de Urbina for help with this session.

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