Broadcast Sessions 1958-1959

Miles Davis All Stars | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 21, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Acrobat Music
• ASIN: B001EUB6U8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,954 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Miles Davis groups in 1958 and 1959, with John Coltrane on tenor saxophone and Paul Chambers on bass (and varied others, depending on time and occasion) were really, really good, and for bands that became so well known by studio records, they were fabulous live. You can find a fair number of stage bootlegs if you know your way around the shadowlands of file sharing, but not nearly enough of it is available via normal commercial channels. So proceed to the checkout counter for Miles Davis All-Stars: Broadcast Sessions 1958-59, a new CD on Acrobat Music, a British label. Here are chunks of four performances recorded for radio, and the bands include the pianists Bill Evans (sounding more hard-driving than his later self) and Red Garland; the drummers Philly Joe Jones and Jimmy Cobb; and in an all-star iteration, the brothers Nat and Cannonball Adderley on cornet and alto saxophone. Above all, this is a Bye Bye Blackbird album. The two versions of the song here could show a complete novice how small jazz groups work: they represent the sum-of-its-parts philosophy in excelsior. In the first, Davis's solo is magically shrewd and expansive, conducting rhythmic and harmonic battle with the melody, using repetition and humor and subterfuge; he's followed by Coltrane sounding marvelous but a little rote for the phase he's in. In the faster second one, five months later, it's Davis who sounds distracted; he gets out of the melody quickly and Coltrane becomes a supercollider of far-apart tones and styles. And we haven't even
gotten to Evans vs. Garland, but as I said: this music is really, really good. --New York Times, January 4, 2009--Ben Ratliff

Product Description

Throughout a professional career lasting 50 years, Miles Davis played the trumpet in a lyrical, introspective, and melodic style, often employing a
stemless Harmon mute to make his sound more personal and intimate. But if his approach to his instrument was constant, his approach to jazz was
dazzlingly protean. To examine his career is to examine the history of jazz from the mid-'40s to the early '90s, since he was in the thick of almost every important innovation and stylistic development in the music during that period, and he often led the way in those changes, both with his own performances and recordings and by choosing sidemen and collaborators who forged new directions. It can even be argued that jazz stopped evolving when Davis wasn't there to push it forward.

Broadcast Sessions 1958-1959 is a major find for fans of the legendary Milestones LP. These recordings, some of them made only 6 weeks after completing those studio sessions, feature the complete or near complete Milestones Sextet on live renditions of such key Milestones cuts as Sid s Ahead, Straight No Chaser and Two Bass Hit.

The tracks on this collection were recorded at 4 separate live performances at venues in and around New York in 1958-59. Three were for the
Bandstand programme on the Mutual Radio Network at Birdland, The Spotlight and Café Bohemia, and one for Art Ford s Jazz Party TV show in Newark. This essential collector s item includes announcer intros and extended tracks with Davis' stellar re-formed quintet/sextet: John Coltrane (tenor sax), Cannonball Adderley (alto sax), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Bill Evans was on piano for the May gig, and Jimmy Cobb on drums for the November and January dates. The TV show had a staggering expanded line-up including Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax) and Nat Adderley (cornet).

Highly regarded UK label Acrobat Music is launching its US operations on October 21st 2008 with this as well as other re-issues that offer high quality and excellent value. All of the Premier Collection titles are showcased in deluxe packages with unique, consistent packaging, which include o-cards, extensive liner notes and either a large number of tracks or lengthy play time. Acrobat will be establishing its presence as the premier independent re-issue label in the US through its distribution deal with TVT Distribution.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Broadcast Sessions 1958-59, October 30, 2008

By 

Stuart Jefferson (San Diego,Ca) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Broadcast Sessions 1958-1959 (Audio CD)

Approximately 70 minutes,digitally mastered. The sound is fine for tracks recorded fifty years ago,even the bass has it's own individual sound-not to muddy. This is a nice example of what Miles Davis was playing in concert(and in the studio) during this time. Any tracks that include Davis' first great group will excite the jazz/Davis devotee. Be aware that track four,labeled incomplete,is just that-a few seconds of music and then announcer talk over it. It would be nice to have complete tracks but the announcements,that are interspersed throughout,give a feel for the time these recordings were made, some people may find them annoying.

By now everyone knows these tracks (but if you don't are you in for a treat )so no comment is needed. Track eight is a bit different in that there is a fairly long percussion duel at the end. The rest of the tracks are what Miles Davis is all about. Having Coltrane,Bill Evans,"Cannonball"Adderley,and the rest of Davis' first great group playing as only they could is to hear jazz at it's finest. Track eight includes Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax which lends this song something extra.

The booklet gives pertinent information as it relates to these sides and the times when they were recorded. Outside of a couple of things such as no individual track times and spelling Wynton Kelly's name as "Wyonton",and a few mix-ups with who is playing when,the information gives a better insight into this music. If you like Davis during this period-pick this up,you won't be disappointed.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reissue of great live Miles Davis sessions, December 9, 2008

By 

Mark A. Elliott (Richmond, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Broadcast Sessions 1958-1959 (Audio CD)

This is a reissue of the compilation "Miles Davis All-Stars Live in 1958-59" long available on the Jazz Band label. My original review of that record is below. Note that Miles is NOT present on track 8, "What is This Thing Called Love?".

This is one of the best collections of live jazz performances out there. In various combinations, these are the bands that created both Milestones and Kind of Blue. Considering the quality and quantity of the music on this disc, it's one of the best bargains for your buck. The first song is a fourteen minute live version of "Bags' Groove," the only recording of Miles playing this song live! The last song, an 11 minute "all-star" TV performance of "What is This Thing Called Love?" does not even have Miles Davis playing on it, but it doesn't matter. If you like Miles, Cannonball, Trane, Bill Evans, et. al., you HAVE to get this disc. Hurry before the supply runs out. If another label issues these tracks, the price is sure to increase. One of my most prized Miles recordings.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another version available, November 15, 2009

By 

C. C. Peterson "ecological physiologist" (Hempstead NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Broadcast Sessions 1958-1959 (Audio CD)

This CD contains 3 Miles Davis sessions with Coltrane and (on some) Cannonball, plus the weirdly inappropriate Track 8.
The same 3 sessions, minus track 8 but plus a fourth broadcast (3 tracks w/ Adderley, Trane, and Bill Evans from the Spotlight Lounge, Washington D.C, June 30, 1958) NOT included here are available as "Radio Broadcasts 1958-1959 [IMPORT]." I'd go with that instead.