1 All the Things You Are
12" LP: Jazz Showcase ST-5004, Prestige 7860, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

2 Our Delight
12" LP: Jazz Showcase ST-5004, Prestige 7860, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

3 Lady Bird
12" LP: Jazz Showcase ST-5004, Prestige 7860, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

4 Ow (inc)
12" LP: Jazz Showcase ST-5004, Prestige 7860, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

5 Ray's Idea
12" LP: Prestige 7858, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

6 A Night in Tunisia
12" LP: Prestige 7858, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

7 Wee Dot
12" LP: Prestige 7858, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

8 What's New?
12" LP: Prestige 7858, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

9 Wahoo
12" LP: Jazz Showcase ST-5004, Prestige 7860, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

10 52nd Street Theme (fragment)
12" LP: Jazz Showcase ST-5004, Prestige 7860, Down at Dawn DAD 128LP
CD: Prestige PCD-24117, Victor VICJ-2016, Victor VICJ-41253, Universal UCCO-9942, Jazz Factory JFCD 22853

Congas or bongos are audible on "Our Delight," "Lady Bird," "What's New?," "Ray's Idea," and the shorter version of "Wee Dot." "Ow" -- or "Lady Be Good" -- begins in the middle of Forrest's tenor saxophone solo and features some uninspired scat vocals but some nice obbligatos by Davis. The identity of the bongo/conga player is based on a photo caption in the St. Louis American, January 17, 1952: "Seen taking in a light snack at Pollards were Oscar Oldham and Bob Regan, 'skin' and bongo men with Jimmy Forrest and his combo."

The venue for this set -- known as both "The Barrel Lounge" and "The Barrelhouse" -- was located at 5614 Delmar Avenue in St. Louis. Davis was in the midwest trying to cure his heroin addiction by staying away from the New York scene. It would take him until late 1953 for him to get clean.

The date is speculative and the evidence is very spotty. Early in 1952 Forrest was booked for regular Sunday sessions at Club Lazola in St. Louis; but by mid-January he was at the Barrel with a special guest:

Miles Davis, one of the country's top swing trumpeters, is now being featured at the Barrel, 5614 Delmar with Jimmy Forrest's combo. In other words, "the joint is jumping." (St. Louis Globe Democrat, January 14, 1952)

Later the following month there is another mention of Davis with Forrest, this time at "the Playground" (an unknown club presumably located in St. Louis):

You haven't dug it unless you've dug Jimmy Forrest at the Playground. Jimmy and his combo really do it up. Looked like musician and celebrities night as John Cotter, Jimmy Houston, George Hudson, Wiley Price, Fred Blott, Miles Davis and Charles Stith sat around and took in a few tunes... (St. Louis Argus, February 28, 1952)

(Forrest's group was booked at the Barrel Lounge for a few months in the summer of 1953 -- Clark Terry was featured as a guest for a while in August -- and it's possible that Davis joined as a guest as well. But in the absence of more evidence it seems likely that these recordings are from the early weeks of 1952.)

I'm grateful to Joe Medjuck and Jan Lohmann for help with this session. Special thanks to Ron Fritts for sharing the St. Louis newspaper clips with me.