First TV footage of Miles... Paris 1957 (with Barney Wilen etc)

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

This is reputed to be the first TV film of Miles Davis, 1957
Paris, the "tour quintet" with Barney Wilen. Barney looking
very bank clerk at that age! The footage had apparently been lost for years, but now in the French sound and video archive. The tune is (I think) "Disorder at the Border" but I could be wrong. There is other concert footage from Amsterdam but I think this is the first TV studio footage.

http://youtu.be/Cdrjmm46YgY

BN.

[Serial_Apologist]

This is reputed to be the first TV film of Miles Davis, 1957
Paris, the "tour quintet" with Barney Wilen. Barney looking
very bank clerk at that age! The footage had apparently been lost for years, but now in the French sound and video archive. The tune is (I think) "Disorder at the Border" but I could be wrong. There is other concert footage from Amsterdam but I think this is the first TV studio footage.

http://youtu.be/Cdrjmm46YgY

BN.

At first, looking at the stage set, I was thinking of Buddy Rich on his opening night at the brand new Ronnie Scott's in Wardour St: "First time I was expected to perform in a building site".

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

At first, looking at the stage set, I was thinking of Buddy Rich on his opening night at the brand new Ronnie Scott's in Wardour St: "First time I was expected to perform in a building site".

Yes, I think the producer and the set guy got a bit carried away with the idea of "modern jazz" being space age! All that craggy cooking foil. Also, interesting to see what a minimal kit Kenny Clarke used then. Other drummers please note.

[Ian Thumwood]

It is quite strange listening to this clip from 1957 as, although really crisp and swinging, the music is almost redolent of something that could have been recorded 10 years earlier. By 1957 contrafacts on stuff like "Sweet Georgia Brown" must have seemed a bit passe. I saw Urtreger preform (with Dany Doris, I think) about 15 years ago but it was ok although not too startling.

The best thing about the group is the drumming of Kenny Clarke. He is one of those musicians from Be-bop who is seriously overlooked. The records I have of him on are always enhanced by his drumming and he was instrumental to making the Dexter Gordon album cut in France so incredible. When I was getting in to jazz it was the big band he led with Francy Boland which always impressed me. It is funny how prominent drummers from different eras fade from consciousness. Clarke is a good example but you could also add Shelly Manne from that generation as well as the host of great drummers who came to prominence during the swing era. Always felt that Clarke's fall from fan's consciousness was difficult to explain.