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Miles Ahead session details

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May 21, 1966 (11 items; TT = 94:05)
Oriental Theatre, Portland OR
Soundboard recording (B-)

Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ts); Herbie Hancock (p); Richard Davis (b); Tony Williams (d)

1 Introduction 0:41
2 Autumn Leaves (J. Prevert-J. Mercer-J. Kosma) 10:12
3 Agitation (M. Davis) 9:44

Missing opening measures
4 Stella by Starlight (N. Washington-V. Young) 11:01
5 Gingerbread Boy (J. Heath) 12:16
6 No Blues (inc) (M. Davis) 9:55

Cut off during Shorter solo
7 My Funny Valentine (R. Rodgers-L. Hart) 11:33

Incomplete (3:13) on So What CDR
8 All Blues (M. Davis) 9:55
9 Who Can I Turn To? (L. Bricusse-A. Newley) 9:17
10 So What (M. Davis) 9:14
11 The Theme (with applause) (M. Davis) 0:17


1 Introduction
CD: Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

2 Autumn Leaves
12" LP: Stone OE-66201
CD: Jazz Door JD 1224, Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

3 Agitation
12" LP: Stone OE-66201
CD: Jazz Door JD 1224, Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

4 Stella by Starlight
12" LP: Stone OE-66201
CD: Jazz Door JD 1224, Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

5 Gingerbread Boy
12" LP: Stone OE-66201
CD: Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

6 No Blues (inc)
12" LP: Stone OE-66201
CD: Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

7 My Funny Valentine
CD: Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

8 All Blues
CD: Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

9 Who Can I Turn To?
CD: Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

10 So What
CD: Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880

11 The Theme (with applause)
CD: Mega Disc Legendary (no number), Sunburn 9339880


"My Funny Valentine" is from a different source, and the version in circulation is a bit more than a half-tone flat. The time listed above is from a pitch-corrected version. Tapes in circulation often include "My Funny Valentine" as an extra tune at the end, after "The Theme," but I believe it belongs between "No Blues" and "All Blues." There is a bit of finger-snapping at the end of the applause after "My Funny Valentine," and this matches the finger-snapping at the beginning of "All Blues." And from a programmatic point of view it's unlikely that "All Blues" would have followed directly after "No Blues."

The year began with several weekends at the Village Vanguard in New York: January 7-9, 14-16, 21-23, and 28-30. Davis spent the next two weeks in the hospital with liver problems, and the next couple months recuprating at home. Once again, the other members of the Quintet participated in several Blue Note sessions:

Wayne Shorter, Adam's Apple (Shorter, Hancock: February 3 and 24)
Bobby Hutcherson, Happenings (Hancock: February 8)
Freddie Hubbard, Blue Spirits (Hancock: March 5)
Lee Morgan, Delightful-Lee (Shorter: April 8)

The Quintet returned to the Village Vangaurd for two nights (April 1-2), and flew to Texas as a last-minute replacement for the John Coltrane Quartet at the Longhorn Jazz Festival in Austin (April 3). Davis sat in with Charles McPerson and Lonnie Hillyer at Slug's Saloon on April 4. Weekend bookings at the Village Vanguard continued (April 8-10, April 29-May 1). The Quintet was also booked for a week at Lennie's on the Turnpike (ca. April 18-24). Several engagements around this time were canceled because of Davis' health: Village Vanguard (May 6-7); Masonic Temple, Detroit MI (May 8); Basin Street West, San Francisco (May 10-15). The Quintet was back at the Village Vanguard for the weekend of May 13-15 before heading west.

Richard Davis replaced Ron Carter for the western dates. In addition to the Portland show on this date (sponsored by Portland State College, and recorded for broadcast by KPSU, the college radio station), the Quintet played at the Memorial Auditorium at Stanford University on May 22. Ralph Gleason's review states that the group had not worked in three weeks and that this was their only gig in California. Davis headed back east -- a week-long engagement at Bohemian Caverns in Washington DC (May 23-28), and a concert at Braves Stadium in Atlanta GA (May 29) were canceled. The "Herbie Hancock Quartet" -- the Quintet minus Davis -- was booked at the Both/And Club in San Francisco (June 7-19).

(Jack Chambers [Milestones, Volume 2, page 95] claims that the Davis Quintet was booked at Shelly's Manne-Hole from May 24-June 5, but the scheduled acts during this period were Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio [May 10-24]; the Gerald Wilson Big Band [May 26-June 5], and the Chico Hamilton Group [June 7-17].)

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