Miles Davis

On 11 May and 26 October 1956, Miles Davis went into the studio with his core quintet and laid down tracks that were released as four different albums:

1957 - Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet
1957 - Relaxin' With The Miles Davis Quintet
1959 - Workin' With The Miles Davis Quintet
1961 - Steamin' With The Miles Davis Quintet

The Personnel on these four albums:

Miles Davis - Trumpet
John Coltrane - Tenor saxophone
Philly Joe Jones - Drums
Red Garland - Piano
Paul Chambers - Bass

Many jazz fans of the era and of present day considered this to be the best small combo ever in jazz music. Not only did they improve as a unit while they were together but each member benefited individually from the association. Miles found an incentive to play again and reached new heights because of the musical environment he had created in choosing his sidemen. The sidemen, in turn, flowered in the climate of the Davis latitude. By the beginning of 1957 Coltrane had broken the shackles of self-doubt and breathed freely into his singing horn. Garland had recorded successfully as a trio pianist (A Garland of Red) and the Chambers-Jones duo was fused into the most powerful of pulses.

In essence, what you are hearing is a portion of the group's repertoire. Some have been recorded before by Miles but with different personnel. This is similar to the way bands used to record. I do not refer to the calling of tunes as in a set but the idea of recording numbers that have been in the book for a while, ones with which the musicians are completely at home. I'm sure this had a lot to do with the great string of records that Count Basie made for Decca in the Thirties and although a small group has less difficulty in "shedding" an arrangement, the benefits they reap from experience of playing a piece on the job for several months prior to recording it, are unmistakable.

1957 Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet @ 320



1. My Funny Valentine 6:04
2. Studio Chatter 0:25
3. Blues by Five 10:02
4. Airegin 4:29
5. Tune Up/When Lights Are Low 13:13

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/128403688/1957-md-c-320.rar

1957 - Relaxin' With The Miles Davis Quintet @ 320



1. Studio Chatter 0:13
2. If I Were A Bell 8:10
3. Studio Chatter 0:30
4. You're My Everything 4:52
5. I Could Write a Book 5:12
6. Studio Chatter 0:26
7. Oleo 5:56
8. It Could Happen to You 6:39
9. Woody 'n' You 5:03

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/128413219/1957-md-r-320.rar

1959 - Workin' With The Miles Davis Quintet @ 320



1. It Never Entered My Mind 5:27
2. Four 7:15
3. In Your Own Sweet Way 5:45
4. The Theme (take 1) 2:01
5. Trane's Blues (a.k.a "Vierd Blues") 8:35
6. Ahmad's Blues 7:26
7. Half Nelson 4:48
8. The Theme (take 2) 1:05

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/128417437/1959-md-w-320.rar

1961 - Steamin' With The Miles Davis Quintet @ 320



1. The Surrey With the Fringe On Top 9:08
2. Salt Peanuts 6:11
3. Something I Dreamed Last Night 6:18
4. Diane 7:53
5. Well You Needn't 6:23
6. When I Fall In Love 4:27

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/128421536/1961-md-s-320.rar

Enjoy!!