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Someday My Prince Will Come
Miles Davis
Someday My Prince Will Come
Genres: Jazz, Broadway & Vocalists
 
  •  Track Listings (8) - Disc #1

The session that produced Someday My Prince Will Come is finally restored and collected together on one CD, and the transitional nature of the Miles Davis band at that moment is now clearer than ever. Hank Mobley produces ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Miles Davis
Title: Someday My Prince Will Come
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Sony
Release Date: 7/1/1997
Genres: Jazz, Broadway & Vocalists
Styles: Cool Jazz, Bebop, Cabaret
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 074646533222

Synopsis

Amazon.com
The session that produced Someday My Prince Will Come is finally restored and collected together on one CD, and the transitional nature of the Miles Davis band at that moment is now clearer than ever. Hank Mobley produces some fine blues-inflected tenor solos, but when you hear guest John Coltrane (his last recording with Davis) on the alternate take of the title and on the modal "Teo," it's understandable why Davis was unhappy: Coltrane plays with a confidence and a bravado that no other saxophonist could have mustered at that time, and lifts the band from the first note on. And when Philly Joe Jones sits in on "Blues No. 2," playing with clarity and volatility, you know that Davis's working group was not quite up to his best. Still, Wynton Kelly is finely poised throughout; "Pfrancing" is one of Davis's most charming and durable works; and the muted trumpet on "Old Folks" and "I Thought About You" is vintage. Maybe not essential Davis, but very pleasurable nonetheless. --John F. Szwed
 

CD Reviews

Davis and Mobley were great together
rash67 | USA | 04/30/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)

"The underrated Hank Mobley spent so much of his life in the shadow of John Coltrane, who certainly blew more notes...



Mobley and Miles Davis should have been soul-mates, prior to '64, Davis often played solos close to the melodic line (see his solo on Round Midnight). John Coltrane thought so, he recommended Mobley to Davis as his replacement. Mobley has a wonderful lyric sound to his sax, despite the indifference of Miles Davis and much of the hardbop world to his work during his life. Thoughtful Mobley played complex music, occationally just behind the beat (like Billie Holiday).



In the song "Someday my Prince", Miles starts the solos and lays down the general tempo. Hank Mobley listens very carefully, comes in next, with a mirror image solo, similar structure, similar tempo, thoughtful lyrical, just like Davis. Then Coltrane comes in, much too hard and much too loud, with a solo completely unlike what anyone else in the group was playing. Like throwing battery acid over the whole recording...(Other reviewers have called Mobley "tentative" because he listened to what Davis was playing and didn't jump in, blowing as hard as he could. I disagree.)



For the rest of the album you hear the interplay of Mobley and Davis who fit together hand-in-glove, instead of fighting each other (in "Blackhawk - Live" - hear "Bye Bye Blackbird"). Coltrane was unhappy the MD group and soon to leave (it shows).



Davis and Mobley were great together. Mobley listened better than nearly anyone else, to Miles Davis and other trumpeters. Why they didn't play together more is a mystery to me. The only sense I can make of it is that Coltrane was a mustard-contrast to Davis honey. Mobley was his mirror/shadow; Davis prefered contrast.



This (underrated) album is one of the ten best by Miles Davis.



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