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European Tour '56 (With the Modern Jazz Quartet &
Miles Davis
European Tour '56 (With the Modern Jazz Quartet &
Genres: Jazz, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (14) - Disc #1

This fascinating release comprises live recordings made at the end of 1956, when Miles accepted an offer to tour Europe with a formation called the "Birdland All Stars", which also included Lester Young and the Modern Jazz...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Miles Davis
Title: European Tour '56 (With the Modern Jazz Quartet &
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Definitive Spain
Release Date: 3/13/2006
Album Type: Import
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Style:
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 8436006492945, 758661479627

Synopsis

Album Description
This fascinating release comprises live recordings made at the end of 1956, when Miles accepted an offer to tour Europe with a formation called the "Birdland All Stars", which also included Lester Young and the Modern Jazz Quartet, along with European musicians such as pianist Rene Urtreger, bassist Pierre Michelot and drummer Christian Garros. We have here the one and only existing evidence of Miles playing with Lester Young and with the MJQ. It also presents a rare occasion to find Miles playing as the sole horn in a quartet format. As a complement, we offer the complete 1955 Newport Jazz Festival performance, in which Miles played a famous version of "Around Midnight" backed by Thelonious Monk and Gerry Mulligan. The two bonus tracks come from a rare Birdland broadcast featuring Miles with tenor saxophonist Bobby Jaspar. Tunes include jazz standards and Miles Davis' compositions: How High the Moon, Lester Leaps In, Tune Up, What's New, Indiana, Four, Walkin', Lady Be Good, Hackensack, Around Midnight, Now's the Time, All of You and a second version of Four. And then George Wein had an All-Star band that had Zoot Sims, Gerry Mulligan, Monk, Percy Heath, Connie Kay; he later added me. They played a couple of tunes without me and then I joined them on Now's the Time, which was a tribute to Bird's memo. And then we played Round Midnight, Monk s tune. I played it with a mute and everybody went crazy. It was something. I got a standing ovation. When I got off the bandstand, everybody was looking at me, offering me record deals. All the musicians there were treating me like I was a God, and all for a solo that I had trouble learning a long time ago. It was something else, man, looking up and applauding for what I had done." Miles Davis (From the liner notes). Discon.2006
 

CD Reviews

Miles on the brink
Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 06/20/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD offers Miles Davis in 4 different live settings, from his 1955 appearance at Newport with an all star pick-up group to a date at Birdland in October 1957 with tenor saxophonist Bobby Jaspar. In between are 2 broadcasts from Germany and Switzerland in November 1956 where Miles appeared with the MJQ and an aging and not very healthy Lester Young.



The Newport sides, despite their historical significance for Miles's career and his generally excellent playing, are rather raggedy, mainly because the musicians (Miles, Zoot Sims, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan) seem not to be that compatible and that rehearsal time together probably amounted to no more than a minute or two just before performing if any occurred at all. (Miles appeared unannounced, a walk-on.) Miles's playing wowed the critics, however, and sparked a renewed interest in him by record producers. In my opinion, though, much better are the 2 tunes from the Birdland session; Jaspar had an affinity for Miles's playing and they work well together.



The European dates are generally very good, despite the sadness produced by Lester's diminished tenor playing which definitely shows a decline in inventiveness and execution. Miles is in good form, though the highlight of the performances is the unidentified baritone sax solo on LESTER LEAPS IN (either Helmut Brandt or Johnny Freigl, members of the accompanying Kurt Edelhagen big band). The live sound is excellent, considering the time period. These live dates capture Miles at the beginning of his first rise to fame and set the table for his modal approach and a guy named Coltrane.

"