Customer Reviews

Steamin

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Steamin' was the last to be released of the four classic albums created from the marathon two day sessions in 1956, which were recorded to fulfill Davis's Prestige contract. The quintet consisted of Davis on trumpet, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. This is the second of the four albums that I've purchased, the other in my collection being Workin' With the Miles Davis Quintet.

Steamin' begins with the Rodgers and Hammerstein tune "Surrey With the Fringe on Top" from the musical Oklahoma, a light-hearted romp. The album steamrolls ahead with a frantic version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts". Philly Joe's drums sound almost crazed as he sets a manic pace for the other musicians to follow, culminating with a tour-de-force percussion solo that seems to occupy most of the song's six minute running time (without once becoming stale!) before a brief stab of horns ends the piece. From there, the album settles into a more relaxed tone with Coltrane dropping out for "Something I Dreamed Last Night", prime time Davis balladry. "Diane" is another mid-tempo number that's not quite a ballad, nor quite a burner, but finds a happy medium. "Well You Needn't" has a nice call and response between Davis and Coltrane, as well as some excellent ivory work from Garland. The interplay between Garland and Chambers is especially nice on this piece. And then there's the simply devastating version of "When I Fall in Love" that closes the set. Coltrane sits this one out and I'm not sure Miles's trumpet ever sounded as poignant as it does here. I was utterly charmed by this piece, my favorite on the record. I rather wish that I had discovered this album five years ago and perhaps my wife and I would have done our first dance to this song at our wedding.

Thus far, Steamin' and Workin' have both lived up to the hype that surrounds them. Based on these, I can't wait to hear Relaxin' and Cookin'. Strongly recommended.

It's funny that the critical consensus regarding this album is that, since Prestige held back it's release the longest, it is somehow the weakest of the four albums by the Miles Davis Quintet recorded for that label in 1956. It is somehow viewed as 'leftovers' from the famous October '56 marathon session that produced the albums Cookin', Relaxin' and Workin', when, in fact, only the Monk tune "Well You Needn't" in the present collection is from that session. Steamin' mostly presents the considerable fruits of an earlier March '56 session when this particular group may have been most feeling its oats. The band, with Red Garland and Philly Joe Jones at their peaks and Trane just reaching his, sounds far more at ease than during the somewhat more tense October date. And while the material on Steamin' is a merely a variety of covers of show tunes and standards (plus "Salt Peanuts"), it is all so imaginatively and swingingly executed, and with such joy, it's hard not to be moved. It's toe-tapping, lyrical and engaging, among some of the most purely happy music Davis ever recorded. Alongside the great Columbia dates like Kind of Blue and Milestones, Steamin' is quite simply one of Miles' finest albums. Of this quintet's four aforementioned Prestige albums, it's my personal favourite, and the one I'm most likely to return to most often.

Ah the 'Miles Trilogy': Cookin',Steamin' and Relaxin'. They may not be a "must", but they are a definite "should have" for any Miles segment of a good listening collection. They are,after all,Miles and Trane. Take Steamin'(please). It opens with Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Surrey With The Fringe On Top",and everybody from the Seven Brothers (play) to Sonny Rollins (Newk's Time) plays it just like R&H wrote it...fast. Except Miles! Here,it's a muted,laid-back,low-swinging,very cool classic. Thanks,also,to Red Garland,Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. The opening and closing bars of Trane's solo have been stuck in my head since the 60's. The solo is quite sharp,too,as is Red's. Dizzy's "Salt Peanuts" is an old high-speed, birdland-style bebop classic jam, and Miles and Trane, introd(ed) by Philly Joe and Red, relay it as such. Watch for a long,mean drum solo from Philly Joe, which comes out of nowhere, and takes up most of the jam. Always the romantic, a muted Miles ballards to a low swing on "Something I Dreamed Last Night". Notice Paul's bass support here. Red, known for his harmonics,is 'swept along' by Philly Joe's brushwork, while soloing beautifully. "Diane" is similar to 'Surrey', in style. Red intros Miles (muted) and the theme. Miles swings a solo. Note Red's piano work behind Miles here. Trane enters with the theme, once, and is then off, blowing that old familiar "Tranesmoke". Red puts down a typically good solo. Miles closes. Miles'"Well You Needn't" is an excellent bop jam with very good solos from everyone. Notice a slightly different Red here, as well as a 'bowed' Paul. Miles "owns" "When I Fall In Love". Miles' romanticism is what makes Miles....well Miles! A romantic second to none. AND this is Miles Davis' "Steamin'", another in a long line of great Miles (and Trane) magic.

This is not my favorite Miles Davis set, from my least favorite Miles Davis period. The Columbia recordings are better in every way--but with Coltrane, Garland, Chambers, and the bombastic Philly Joe Jones as sidemen, it isn't a complete waste of time.

I've never been a fan of jazz takes on corny tunes like "Surrey With The Fringe On Top," though of course the familiar melody is just the head, a precursor to improvising on the chord changes. The bop classic "Salt Peanuts" is a disappointment as well.

Though all but one of the tracks was recorded on May 11, 1956, for some reason some of them sound quite grainy. It's not unlistenable, but it's not pleasant, either.

"Steamin'" has the feel of an assembly line hard bop session. "Cookin'" is the classic of this period.

This was the last of four albums recorded by the Miles Davis Quintet for Prestige records in 1956. (Cookin', Relaxin', and Workin' are the others.) My feeling is that the music, while generally strong, is what you'd expect from the last material to be released -- the music on the other albums (particularly Cookin' and Relaxin') is mostly better than what you'll find on this album.

The highlight, and without a doubt one of the best recordings from the 1956 Prestige sessions, is "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top". The rhythm section sets up their perfect light swinging groove, over which Miles's weaves a witty, melodic trumpet solo. Coltrane follows, barrelling ahead and providing the perfect constrast. "Diane" mines a similar groove though not quite reaching the same heights. The two ballads ("Something I Dreamed Last Night" and "When I Fall in Love") are typical for Miles during this time, with Coltrane sitting out; I think they are pretty colorless in comparison to "My Funny Valentine" (Cookin') and "It Never Entered My Mind" (Workin'). The same could be said for the bebop tunes -- not really on the caliber of "Airegin", "Oleo" or "Tune Up". Most of the music comes from the May session, not from the October session, so Coltrane's playing is more erratic than on Cookin' and Relaxin'.

I would get the other 3 albums from these sessions first, but this was a good enough group that almost everything by them is worth hearing. Steamin' is a very enjoyable listen.

[This review is based on the original CD issue; the tracklist is identical on both.]

i have only been a miles davis fan for 5 years and continue to grab any new cd released, and now that i have a surround sound stereo i can enjoy highest quality sound by legendary miles cds...the first 2 songs are faster paced capped by Philly Joe Jones drum solo, while the 3rd & 5th songs gets slow & steamy hence the album title. then the pace picks up a bit, although Coltrane isnt at his best, miles is in control and runs a smooth ship. Well you neednt is my favorite song because of the Paul Chambers bass highlights, as well the bass piano drums become more playful...

Jazz will never sound as it should when mastered on a digital format. Analog vinyl LP's or magnetic tape (as a distant second) is the best way to go. You will NEVER know what you are missing out on without a decent turntable and tube amplifier. Try listening to Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" or Kenny Drew's "Undercurrent" mp3 album and then find someone who owns it on vinyl and listen... you will never buy another cd or mp3 again and you may want a refund for all those mp3's you bought. Digital jazz is garbage and should only be used while jogging or when not really paying attention to the music (i.e. mowing your lawn).