Search - Miles Davis :: Birdland Jam Session

MILES DAVIS BIRDLAND JAM SESSION

Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 04/30/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One disc 75 minutes approximately. The sound is rather flat and a bit distant-it varies from track to track. This set might have been recorded at the club,but it sounds like it was taped off the radio. The best sounding tracks are presented first with the last three being progressively worse. However,don't think this is a complete mess-it's not. This is bootleg quality. It's your call if you want to hear a good jam session and put up with the above or not. This would be more for the Davis fan who wants everything he recorded. The tracks are in this particular order simply to present the best sounding sides first. Since the true order of these sides is unknown,that's okay. However,there is a lot of good jazz here,so for some,it will be worth it. There are fade-outs on 52nd STREET THEME during Navarro's solo and on HOT HOUSE,during Davis' solo. The tunes are written by Monk,Gillespie,Pettiford,the Gershwins,Shearing and Denzil Best. There is also a track titled BAND WARM-UP,which is just that. Being a jam session,several tracks are in the ten minute-plus range,which gives the players a chance to really blow.

The musicians collectively are: Miles Davis-trumpet (all tracks),Fats Navarro-trumpet,J.J.Johnson-trombone,Brew Moore-tenor sax,Tadd Dameron or Walter Bishop Jr.-piano,Curly Russell-bass,and Art Blakey-drums. On track six,Charlie Parker plays a few notes but no solo. The first track is just Miles Davis with the rhythm section,which is nice to hear. There is also the only known recording by Davis of ERONEL.

This was recorded in 1950,just at the beginning of Miles Davis' switch from be-bop to a cooler style. It was during the years 1948-1950 that Davis was working (and recording) with his new group,that would lead to the landmark album BIRTH OF THE COOL. This being a jam session,little of Davis' cooler sound can be heard,however every now and again Davis can be heard slipping in a few "cool" notes. But with Blakey on the drums you can rest assured that this set really swings. Bare in mind that Davis,while contributing a lot here is not the sole star-everyone gets a chance to play,especially J.J.Johnson. Throughout voices of musicians or others can be heard extolling the players to stretch out and really blow,which gives this collection a real jam session atmosphere. Again,this is something each listener will have to decide if it would be a distraction or not.

The booklet is okay-nothing real informative about this session that most jazz lovers won't already know. But there is a nice photograph of Miles Davis sitting at the club,in a booth,with his horn-which helps give some more atmosphere to the whole thing. For Davis fans this should be purchased. Likewise,listeners who like jam sessions with some of the best jazz musicians of the era will want to have this. Basically if you liked the recent Davis release BROADCAST SESSIONS 1958-59,(which has better sound) you will want this too. This is what good jazz is all about. The "star" rating is for the music,not the recording quality.

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