Search - Miles Davis :: Walkin' (20 Bit Mastering)

The 33 1/3 RPM record was just beginning to let jazz musicians stretch out in the studio when Miles Davis recorded with his All-Stars in April 1954. The sextet, which combined trombonist J.J. Johnson and tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson with the trumpeter's regular rhythm section of pianist Horace Silver, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Kenny Clarke, would record just two tunes. The up-tempo version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Blue 'n' Boogie" is emblematic of the changes bop was undergoing, becoming harder-swinging, more focused and spacious music than it had been. The relaxed and sinuous "Walkin'" is a masterpiece, over 13 minutes of blues with suave playing from Johnson and strong, roots-flavored work by Thompson and Silver. But it's Davis who makes the greatest impact, redefining his solos into a series of taut, dramatic gestures. The other three tracks come from a session in the same month and show Davis's growing fascination with close-miked, muted trumpet. "You Don't Know What Love Is" is an intimate ballad feature, while Davis's "Solar" and "Love Me or Leave Me" find the trumpeter in boppish mode with the underrated altoist Davey Schildkraut, one of Charlie Parker's most talented disciples. This 20-bit reissue commemorates a landmark in the history of the jazz LP, Davis's career, and the hard-bop movement. --Stuart Broomer