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Part One - The Birth Of A Band  It is now fifty years ago that Miles Davis signed with Columbia Records, with whom he would remain for some thirty years. During this period he would record some of his most influential albums, and produce music of such inspiring quality that has been analysed and discussed by critics and fans alike, and dissected and transcribed by musicians throughout the world.To mark the occasion Columbia are following up last year?s box set Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1963 - 1964, with a series of reissues throughout the year that will once again make this music available to new generations of listeners, with new liner notes and some additional material that was not on the original LPs or on previous CD editions. We gave Nick Lea the job of reassessing these classic albums The first batch of reissues in the Columbia/Legacy series contains eight albums including A Tribute To Jack Johnson, which will be featured in a subsequent article, with this piece focussing on the six recordings that document the birth of the Second Great Quintet; namely Seven Steps To Heaven, Miles Davis In Europe, My Funny Valentine, Four & More, Miles in Tokyo and iMiles In Berlin, and the sampler The Best Of Seven Steps. The departure of John Coltrane from the band was to have significant and lasting repercussions on Miles? music and led to a period of instability within the line ups of his subsequent groups. During 1961 to 1964 Davis was to have many a top flight tenor saxophonist in his band, but none seemed to deliver what he was looking for. Trane had been the perfect foil for the economical and lyrical Davis, as he himself had been the perfect counterbalance for the ebullient Charlie Parker, but finding someone to fill Coltrane?s shoes with the same ability to innovate and contribute to the overall sound and concept of his music was a tall order. Sonny Stitt had been a member of the quintet, and in playing both alto and tenor saxophones covered the territory of the sextet in providing the light and shade employed in the partnership between Cannonball and Coltrane. Hank Mobley also made not unsubstantial contributions during his tenure with Davis, despite the trumpeter declaring that Mobley?s playing bored him, and must have been mildly dismayed at Coltrane?s presence in the studio for the recording of the Someday My Prince Will Come set. Perhaps another example of not a bad saxophonist, as the Friday & Saturday Night At The Black Hawk performances testify, but simply the wrong player for Miles? current thinking.  At the time of recording Seven Steps To Heaven Davis had recruited bassist Ron Carter and George Coleman on tenor, and had his eye on the young firebrand drummer Tony Williams. However, the hiring of Williams would in the short term present something of a problem, as the young drummer was only seventeen and too young to play in any establishment that sold alcohol. Miles had already cancelled engagements (at great personal cost to himself in the ensuing lawsuits from angry club owners), and could not hire the drummer immediately as he was already committed to gigs on the West Coast. To fulfil these contractual obligations, Miles, took George Coleman and Ron Carter out to the coast with him, and whilst there hired drummer Frank Butler (whose playing was very much in the style of Philly Joe Jones), and Englishman Victor Feldman on piano, and this was the band that he took into the studio on 16th and 17th April 1963. The resulting material (only some of the tunes recorded were issued on LP at the time) showed an immediate empathy with Ron Carter, that would be further developed over the next few years, with Davis responding to rhythmic and harmonic awareness of his new bas player. As he would go on to prove time and time again, his sure sense of time and choice of notes, and immediately fitted in with Feldman?s delicate touch at the keyboard. The quintet recorded enough material to issue on LP, which was originally to be titled So Near, So Far, but upon his return to New York Miles continued his search for a drummer, and in particular Tony Williams. With Carter and Williams on board, a pianist was needed and on the recommendation of trumpeter Donald Byrd Miles checked out, and subsequently hired, Herbie Hancock. And so was born what was to become one of the greatest rhythm sections in jazz, that would power Miles? bands for the next 5 years, and along with saxophonist George Coleman who had been retained from the West Coast sessions this was the band that Miles took into the studio on 14th May 1963. Although there was already the makings of an album in the can from the time spent in the studio from Los Angeles the previous month, Davis was not entirely happy with the results. Of the selections recorded the medium and up tempo numbers somehow failed to ignite, but the ballad numbers featuring Davis with the harmon mute were quite stunning, producing a music of quiet introspection that underlined a sparseness and fragility in the relationship between trumpet and Feldman?s accompaniment that was quite breathtaking. It was these that would find their way onto the resulting album Seven Steps To Heaven, with the trumpeter surprising many with his choice of material, especially with his rendition of ?Basin Street Blues?. With his new quintet, Miles set about looking to complete an album?s worth of material that he was happy with and set about re-recording the numbers that he felt hadn?t worked successfully in the April sessions. This was to cause a minor headache for producer Teo Macero who was already in the process of assembling the masters for an imminent LP release, but immediately after hearing the material laid down by the new band decided to abandon the So Near, So Far album and instead selected the ballads from the Los Angeles sessions, and three up tempo numbers by the new quintet releasing it under the title Seven Steps To heaven. The quintet sessions produced the most startling music on the LP, and yielded three cuts. Two tunes by Victor Feldman, ?Seven Steps To Heaven? and ?Joshua? which ironically with the composer at the helm in Los Angeles didn?t produce music, deemed by Miles at least, worthy of release, and ?So Near, So Far?. The New York recording shave an extra spark and push on these titles that was previously missing, adding an extra rhythmic twist to ?Seven Steps? in the arrangement, and the powerful solos produced by all in ?Joshua? which would remain a staple in Davis? live repertoire for the next few years. Just why these later takes on the faster pieces were more successful is immediately apparent, it is the rhythm section. This is proven with this new CD reissue providing an alternative version of?So Near, So Far? from the Los Angeles date that was originally rejected, and provides an immediate insight and comparison in how each rhythm section approached the material and their role. It is amazing to think that this relationship between Carter, Hancock and Williams could flourish so quickly, with Hancock grasping just how he could compliment and contribute to the flow of ideas from Tony whose playing could simply overwhelm many a pianist, and with Carter?s steady pulse stating the beat this creative bedrock for the trumpeter?s playing was born. When it was first released, {iSeven Steps garnered very little attention from the jazz critics of the day. Inevitably, perhaps, anything that Miles released was going to eagerly anticipated and with the past glories of the quintet/sextet with Coltrane and the artistic triumphs of the ?orchestral? collaborations with Gil Evans, expectations would run high. Seven Steps was therefore ultimately regarded as just another album with nothing in particular to mark out from any of the LPs released at that time. With the benefit of hindsight, we can view this album from a different perspective and can hear the beginning of a band that was to have a profound effect on how Miles? small group music would develop over the next five years. Just how the band would develop has, thankfully, been documented pretty thoroughly in a number of live recordings from the inception of the quintet with tenorist Coleman through to the joining of Wayne Shorter (Miles? first choice for the tenor spot) in 1964 and a fascinating series of releases would stem from these sources. In fact after the Seven Steps sessions in May 1963, and due to a falling out with producer Teo Macero, Miles would not step inside a recording studio until January 1965 when the sessions that would yield his first studio record for two years, ESP. So, in order to maintain their investment in Miles, and to provide some additional income, no less than five live albums were issued recorded between July 1963 and September 1964 giving a clear insight into how this remarkable Second Great Quintet was making such an indelible mark on the small group jazz of it?s day.  The first of these Miles Davis In Europe was recorded at the Antibes Jazz Festival on July 27, 1963 just a few short months after the studio sessions with the quintet in New York, and the development within in the band is apparent from the outset. The relaxed manner in which the group handle the opener ?Autumn Leaves? shows the empathy that has been built on and solidified between the rhythm section, with perhaps the most interesting interplay occurring during Hancock?s piano solo. Full of little twists and surprises, and merely a hint of what was to follow not just later in this performance but in the months to come.?Milestones? is taken at a faster pace than previously, a trait that was again to continue over a period of time with the quintet retaining some familiar pieces in their repertoire and playing at increasingly faster tempos almost destroying them to see how they could be rebuilt. Miles? playing is magnificent for all it?s brevity. His solo is controlled and fluid, with a clear sense of direction despite the tempo and incessant commentary from the cymbals of Tony Williams. Indeed the fascination in this series of live recordings is just how far and how fast this incredible relationship between Miles and Williams was to coalesce into one of the greatest partnerships in jazz, as was the relationship between Davis? former saxophonist, John Coltrane and his drummer, Elvin Jones. Another pot boiler on this disc is heard on ?Joshua?, the Victor Feldman tune that was featured on the Seven Steps album, but again at a greatly increased tempo. Again Davis? playing is controlled and assured, but it is Coleman who surprises on this outing. Stating his case clearly at the start of his solo, he then changes up a gear to increase the momentum of his playing, and really cuts loose to build a climatic end to his turn at the microphone. As with a CD reissue and the greater playing time permitted there is an additional track that was not included on the original LP release in ?I Thought About You?. Programmed as it is after the blistering ?Milestones? it comes as a breath of fresh air in proceedings, with Coleman sitting this one out leaving Miles? to take centre stage with an intensely lyrical solo and some beautiful high note playing. Not to be outdone, Hancock also makes good use of his solo, capturing the mood set by his leader, and the relaxed tempo also give Ron Carter a chance to let us hear his full tone and melodic invention in a pizzacato solo of grace and precision.  Our next port of call takes us, and the band, back to the States for a performance at the Philharmonic Hall in New York on February 12, 1964. The resulting recording produced two live albums, and probably the most widely known and acknowledged of the time, My Funny Valentine and Four & More]. The quintet had not played together for several weeks, although that would not be apparent in the performances that they gave that night. To add a further ingredient in to the pot, the gig would be a benefit concert for voter registration in Mississippi and Alabama for which the trumpeter had agreed to waive the band?s fee a fact that Miles had omitted to mention to his the other musicians, until that is, just before they were about to on stage. Bassist, Carter, was so incensed not that his fee had been waived, but that the principal of the fact that he had not been consulted prior to the decision being made that he was about to pack up and leave. Miles persuaded the band to stay and play, but the underlying tension of the pre-gig conflict went on stage with the quintet, and perhaps contributed to the outstanding evenings music captured on these two discs.With My Funny Valentine taking care of the ballad performances, ?Four? & More featured the faster tunes of the nights concert, and faster was indeed something that the trumpeter was certainly investigating with his live performances of the time. With a repertoire that was relatively small, and a familiarity borne of playing this material countless times the quintet would seem to let the tunes get progressively faster and faster until they were almost obliterated and rebuilt in the ensuing solos. In fact, some of the performances dispense with the theme in an almost perfunctory manner, with the tune played as if for a point of reference only in the first thirty seconds or so of a ten or fifteen minute performance.  Careful listening reveals, in this and the sister album of ballads, that Miles and his colleagues were taking this a step further than just reconstructing the bits smashed by tempo (whether very quick or indeed the slow tempos of Valentine), and would use the reconstruction process to examine in detail the harmonies in each piece and Hancock in particular would look at substitute chords and voicing that would bring a new element and texture to his accompaniment. With Tony Williams at the kit, things were never going to remain static for long, and with Hancock?s imaginative comping he would very the tempo, allowing things to slow right down before picking things back up, and even stop playing altogether releasing tension before his re-entry. With Ron Carter able to follow his colleagues anywhere they wished to go, Miles had a rhythm section that were capable of keeping an interesting commentary going for the soloist, whilst also leading them in different directions. It was to this end that you can hear in these performances ?ensembles from within the ensemble? with piano or drums periodically sitting out leaving the Miles or Coleman with either bass/drums or piano/bass accompanying their solos. This too was subject to change at a moments notice, with the time being elongated and stretched, a Latin feel may appear for a few bars before moving on - all it appears created spontaneously in the heat of the moment. If definite changes can be identified in the Philharmonic Hall performances from those on the earlier Miles Davis In Europe set , then the boat would be rocked still further with the departure of George Coleman and his temporary replacement, Sam Rivers. Rivers tenure with the band was remarkably brief, lasting just a few weeks encompassing a six date tour of Japan and a few concerts in the States upon the bands return, but was to have a profound effect. Miles was still not 100% satisfied with the sound of the quintet, it was still missing that allusive ingredient. Whilst the new rhythm section, after more than a year together, was developing at a rapid pace, the cog that was required to make the well oiled machine that Davis was looking for to run away with itself and it?s musical ideas was Wayne Shorter who was still unavailable due to contractual obligations with his then current employer, Art Blakey. The band with Coleman on tenor had covered a significant amount of ground from the studio recordings on Seven Steps To Heaven to the live sets at the Philharmonic Hall, but although a fine player the tenorist was never the right man for this evolving group, with his playing perhaps taking a more retrospective stance than was needed. The appointment of Bostonian, Sam Rivers, would take this to the other extreme with his playing too free for Miles, although Davis still managed to turn to his advantage, as is evidenced in the Miles In Tokyo album. Whereas the band with Coleman was striving for that overall group sound, the differing approach and musical personality between Miles and Rivers made such a notion of a group identity impossible, the gap between the two men, musically atleast, was too wide to bridge in the short period of time that the band had prior to their commitments in Japan.  To this end, Davis utilised his frontline in an altogether different light. Rather than look to unify the horns, Miles exploited their fundamental differences. No longer acting as balanced foil for the trumpet, Rivers? tenor would jolt and grate. Harsh bursts of sound would emanate from the saxophone, along with such tender moments of beauty that could be quite breathtaking . Against this Miles would gently focus all his energies into his own playing, and allowing the Japanese audience to revel in the sound of his trumpet. Giving his horn full reign, Davis is quite simply majestic. His muted trumpet on the familiar ?If I Were A Bell? is lyrical and poignant, whilst the version of ?My Funny Valentine? (with Miles on open horn, this time) is sublime in it?s poise and beauty. From Hancock?s sparse opening chords, and Miles? entry the song seems to be gently pushed and pulled leading into a gentle swing section in the middle of the horn solo. This gradually eases off as Davis concludes his solo, only to be picked as Rivers? enters and to fade away again to be replaced by new ideas. This in itself is nothing new. The quintet had been perfecting this method of exploring the depths of their material for sometime, but with the looser methods of Rivers having an effect on the rest of the band, and being able to step aside from the more rigid approach of his predecessor Coleman , gives an indication of what the trumpeter was ultimately looking for in the group sound that everyone had been working so hard to realise. After the Japanese tour, was Rivers was to leave the group and another, albeit rather brief, chapter in Miles? career and development was closed. Rivers? sojourn with the band may have only lasted a few weeks, but the impact he had on the development on the quintet and the rhythm section especially should not be overlooked, as his work on Miles In Tokyo testifies. However, the introduction of Wayne Shorter into the band was to finally bring together the perfect combination for the trumpeter, that would sustain him creatively for the next four years.  With Shorter on board, a warm up date at the Hollywood Bowl and a TV appearance on the Steve Allen Show, Miles took the band to tour Europe. The transformation within the quintet was startling, and even more so when one realises just how quickly it had occurred. Miles In Berlin is the first recorded evidence of the second great quintet, recorded at the Berlin Philharmonic in September ?64, and from the outset Shorter?s presence is felt. His solo on the opening track, a fast version of ?Milestones?, starts in confident manner, notes pouring out of the bell of his horn. Hancock, Carter and Williams are with him from the outset, and the saxophonists phrases become shorter and more fragmented, so the rhythm section adjust their collective strategy. And so on throughout the set we have these magical moments of brilliance that illuminate the music. Rarely do you hear five musicians moving and reacting in such an organic way - as one being - playing for each other and delighting in the music that they are creating. The repertoire is still a few select staples of the last few years, ?Milestones?, ?Autumn Leaves?, ?So What? and ?Walkin??, but irrespective of the tempo there is the underlying thrill of the unexpected. If the up tempo numbers have that ?edge of your seat? excitement then the ballads realise their own quiet intensity. As on the version of ?My Funny Valentine? from the Miles In Tokyo set, the new reissue of Miles In Berlin contains a superb ballad reading that is simply jaw-dropping. Stellar By Starlight is a bonus track that was not released on the original LP, and upon hearing it here produces a feeling of delight and bemusement at the decision to omit it from the LP issue all those years ago. A performance that stretches the fabric of the Young-Washington tune to it?s limits. At a tempo that is slow to say the least, we again get chance to savour Davis trumpet tone and hang to every note. Poised, eloquent and compelling, it brings a whole new experience to listening to this well-known standard. That Shorter is able to follow his leader with a solo that is as equally fluent and full of interest is no mean feat, with Hancock rising to take up the challenge with all too brief solo. The accompaniment throughout is subtle and supportive, but never complacent given the tempo. At a fraction under the thirteen minute mark, this is the longest track on the disc and is over far too soon.  The final disc in this first batch of releases is The Best Of Seven Steps that collects seven tracks from each of the above discs (two cuts from Seven Steps To Heaven and one a piece from the other albums) that serve as a superb taster. A perfect purchase for anyone new to Miles Davis, or who has yet to investigate this period of the trumpeter?s career. The disc, as all the others, is impeccably packaged with comprehensive and informative liner notes. But it is the music, as Miles also stated it should with his disdain for liner notes on his LP covers, that speaks the loudest. After a couple of listens to the music on this disc you will want to hear more of the albums that they are taken from, and the The Best Of? will quickly find itself relegated to ?car companion?. I can think of no better ways to lighten the burden of those tiresome journeys to work than a listen to the quintet in full flow with the anticipation of the return home to a favourite seat next to the hi-fi and to listen to the performances in their entirety. So just how do you go about hearing as much of this music as possible? Well, if your budget permits it (and even if it doesn?t for that matter) I would thoroughly recommend investing in the 7CD set Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings Of Miles Davis 1963-1964, and you can read an in depth analysis of this superb box set by John Kelman in our October 2004 issue. In short, it has all the material featured on these six reissues with previously un-issued tunes from the sessions that produced the Seven Steps To Heaven album; two previously un-issued tracks from Miles Davis In Europe, along with three more heard for the first time in unedited form. If you cannot stretch to such a hefty investment, then you have the option to purchases in instalments and buy each of the six discs discussed in this article as individual CDs, which I have seen priced at a reasonable ?8.99 each. Whichever way you choose to obtain this music, it will provide hours of intense enjoyment, and warrants your full attention and study. It is becoming somewhat of a clich? I know, but these discs are essential listening. The Columbia/Legacy series is set to continue their reissue of some of Miles? albums throughout the coming months, and Jazz Views will endeavour to provide more detailed articles as they are released. Columbia/Legacy 5195092 Basin Street Blues; Seven Steps To Heaven; I Fall In Love Too Easily; So Near, So Far; Baby Won?t You Please Come Home; Joshua; So Near, So Far*; Summer Nights* Recorded 16/17 April 1963 & 14 May 1964 Miles Davis (t); George Coleman (ts); Victor Feldman, Herbie Hancock (p); Ron Carter (b); Tony Williams, Frank Butler (d) Catalogue Number 5195062 Introduction by Andre Francis; Autumn Leaves; Milestones; I Thought About You*; Joshua; All Of You; Walkin? Recorded 27 July 1963 Miles Davis (t); George Coleman (ts); Herbie Hancock; (p); Ron Carter (b); Tony Williams (d) Columbia/Legacy 5195032 My Funny Valentine; All Of You; Stella By Starlight; All Blues; I Thought About You Recorded 12 February 1964 Miles Davis (t); George Coleman (ts); Herbie Hancock; (p); Ron Carter (b); Tony Williams (d) Columbia/Legacy 5195052 So What; Walkin?; Joshua; Go-Go (Theme and Announcement); Four; Seven Steps To Heaven; There Is No Greater Love; Go-Go (Theme and Announcement Recorded 12 Ferbuary 1964 Miles Davis (t); George Coleman (ts); Herbie Hancock; (p); Ron Carter (b); Tony Williams (d) Columbia/Legacy 5195082 Introduction by Teruo Isono; If I Were a Bell; My Funny Valentine; So What; Walkin?; All Of You Recorded 14 July 1964 Miles Davis (t); Sam Rivers (ts); Herbie Hancock; (p); Ron Carter (b); Tony Williams (d) Columbia Legacy 5195072 Milestones; Autumn Leaves; So What; Stella By Starlight*; Walkin?; Go-Go (Theme) Miles Davis (t); Wayne Shorter (ts); Herbie Hancock; (p); Ron Carter (b); Tony Williams (d) * Bonus tracks not on original LP releases. |
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