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MILES DAVIS
Miles Davis And The Modern Jazz Giants (Prestige)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Four of the five tracks on this disc were recorded during the December, 1954, session that may be best known for a cut not found here, "Bags Groove," which was released on an album by that title and remains one of the definitive treatments of the Milt Jackson standard. There's little wonder, because Jackson and his MJQ bandmate drummer Kenny Clarke were both on the date, along with Thelonious Monk and bassist Percy Heath. Modern Jazz Giants? Bigger than that, perhaps.
From that session at Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack headquarters this release includes two takes of Gershwin's "The Man I Love," Davis' Swing Spring" and Monk's "Bemsha Swing." There were legendary tensions in the studio, though the legend that Miles hit Monk have been largely discounted (and Monk insisted that if it had been the case, he would have laid the trumpet player out, and he no doubt would have been good for his word.) Monk generally lays out when Miles picks up his horn, at the leader's insistence. It's unfortunate, because when Monk does comp for Miles on his own "Bemsha Swing," the interplay is superb. In fact, though he takes some notable choruses of his own, Monk is perhaps at his best here in support of Milt Jackson. If Miles was the midwife at the birth of the cool, Milt Jackson was the pediatrician that raised it into a strapping youth. Together they are often magical.
Whatever their personal conflicts (and both Miles and Monk were notoriously cantankerous), Miles Davis certainly had a way with a Thelonious Monk composition, which is amply proven by the one cut that doesn't feature the pianist. Wedged between the four 1954 tracks is one from the Cookin' sessions of 1956 with the fabled Miles Davis Quintet that included John Coltrane (tenor), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). That quintet is, in my mind, Miles at his best, and their take on Monk's "'Round Midnight," was introduced on the original release of this album. How it missed inclusion on an earlier release can only be attributed to the space limitations of the LP format and the consistently excellent output of the quintet.
Ultimately, this album, although it features some of the finest soloists in jazz on their respective instruments, is not about solos at all. By this time, Miles had identified both his limitations and his talents. He was far from the most technically proficiant trumpeter on the scene. He would never play fast and high like Diz. He couldn't. But he could hear song forms and structure a piece of music like few others could hope to. Jazz improvisation has been described as composition in the moment. Miles Davis didn't simply compose in the moment, he arranged in the moment, finding ways to shape the skills of those around him into the sound he was in search of. This disc provides an outstanding example of him in the act of doing so with some of the best players he ever worked with.
An audiophile note: this release has been remastered using the 20 bit K2 Super Coding technology. The sound is spectacular.
Track List:
The Man I Love (take 2) * Swing Spring * 'Round Midnight * Bemsha Swing * The Man I Love (take 1)
© 2000 - Shaun Dale