More miles of Miles....New Session Box.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

"Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums. Along with master takes of familiar tracks like “Footprints,” the set will include more than two hours of previously unreleased material — including the full session reels for the 1967 album “Miles Smiles.”

The behind-the-scenes totality of this approach, which includes studio dialogue and false starts along with finished and alternate takes, will be of principal interest to connoisseurs. In some instances, the newly issued material captures a decisive moment of creation.

“Nefertiti,” a Shorter composition, is a choice example: Released as the title track of a Davis album from 1968, it’s famous for not including a single solo, functioning instead as a kind of flowing drum concerto for Mr. Williams. On the session reel for the track you hear Davis halt the band and suggest this approach, to the giddy delight of the players.

Among the other highlights of the set — produced by Steve Berkowitz, Michael Cuscuna and Richard Seidel — are the complete session reels for “Water Babies” and “Fall,” and a curio titled “Blues in F (My Ding),” a home recording of Davis on piano, illustrating an idea for Mr. Shorter." - NYT

Soon, the tapes of Miles sleeping...

BN.

[Serial_Apologist]

"the 1967 album “Miles Smiles.”

1966 - October 24/25, according to Ian Carr.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

1966 - October 24/25, according to Ian Carr.

"Miles Smiles is an album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in January 1967 on Columbia Records. It was recorded by Davis and his second quintet at Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City on October 24 and October 25, 1966" - Wiki

Yes, I thought that date looked odd but it must refer to the release. That's my favorite album by the Quintet and possible of Miles' career. I bought it on UK release and played it to death. Whether I'd fork out for the entire box now is another thing though. They are certainly milking his catalogue. Again.

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

I think that this is totally disrespectful. The music produced by this quintet is probably the apogee of small group jazz and, in a record like "Miles Smiles", Davis produced his crowning achievement in the recording studio. I always thought that this record was produced in one take and it would ultimately be a disappointment to learnt that this is not the case.

The same malaise hit the Blue Note re-issues in the 2000s and the alternative takes bolted on to the albums both detracted from the original disc as well and revealed to a wider audience often inferior takes which were not meant to see the light of day.

[Serial_Apologist]

I think that this is totally disrespectful. The music produced by this quintet is probably the apogee of small group jazz and, in a record like "Miles Smiles", Davis produced his crowning achievement in the recording studio. I always thought that this record was produced in one take and it would ultimately be a disappointment to learnt that this is not the case.

The same malaise hit the Blue Note re-issues in the 2000s and the alternative takes bolted on to the albums both detracted from the original disc as well and revealed to a wider audience often inferior takes which were not meant to see the light of day.

You may well be right, although many a top band can maintain its standards longer than for one take; but otoh a lot of people are completists and will probably take the line that any Miles D is better than none, however worthy of the bottom drawer.

[Ian Thumwood]

There is something of a vogue for this but the record companies seem only to want to cash in on the major names. For me, the whole process somewhat diminishes accepted masterpieces and I feel it is rare that alternative takes really have anything new to say. I think that we should respect any artist's integrity and not issue this material.

Back in the 1980s there was a similar vogue for issuing LPs of radio broadcasts made in the 30-s - 50s and even bootleg concert recordings of bands where either the audio quality was atrocious or the performances diminished the reputation of the bands. I made the mistake of snapping up a Woody Herman broadcast from about 1943 which including Dizzy's "Down under" which was terrific but also featured quite a bit of sub-par material. The records were often issued as limited edition and I know of people who eagerly snapped up these discs at the time. My Dad acquired a Goodman disc which had such poor audio quality is was a very hard listen even if the music was pretty good.

Studio performances from the 1950's onwards were often produced by extensive editing and I was told a story of one pianist (Horowitz?) who recorded a piece of Chopin almost bar by bar. With Miles, he is not exactly under-recorded anyway and I cannot see how incomplete takes will add to our understanding of a musician who is already comprehensively documented. The best "Obscure" Miles has been the Bootleg series which is pretty terrific but I would much rather hear something like the big band session he did around 1960 (not with Gil) which was supposed to be superb but have never seen the light of day.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

I remember Michael Cuscuna saying that when he was given access to the full Bluenote vault, the possibility he was most excited by was the reels for the "Out to Lunch" date. Possible new takes if not additional tunes. In fact what he found was the group desperately trying to get to grip with the material, with goofs and false starts aplenty. None of it releasable. Some things are better left as was.

I know when Horace Silver was alive he had an absolute veto on any "reconstructions".

BN.