Davis, Miles Quintet / Live At The 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival
Album: Live At The 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Davis, Miles Quintet   Added:Sep 2007
Label:Mjf Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2007-10-28 Pull Date: 2007-12-30 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Dec 30 Dec 16 Nov 25 Nov 18 Nov 11 Nov 4
Airplays: 1 3 3 1 4 4

Recent Airplay
1. Nov 29, 2018: No Cover, No Minimum
Walkin'
4. Sep 18, 2009: No Cover, No Minimum: Monterey Jazz Edition
So What
2. Sep 14, 2017: No Cover, No Minimum
So What
5. Jan 18, 2008: "In Your Ear ..." with Daavid Bug, after a piece of art hit me in the face
Autumn Leaves, Waiting For Miles
3. Sep 16, 2014: Jump, Jive, & Jazz
Autumn Leaves
6. Dec 28, 2007: No Cover, No Minimum
Stella By Starlight

Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2007-10-27
MILES DAVIS: Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival
MJF, 2007

This is an excellent set of modern jazz from one of the biggest figures in modern music history. It adds little to Davis’ legacy, but man is it a joy to listen to. Just play it, you can read the rest while you listen!

In 1963, Miles Davis was in a period of transition. Despite being immensely popular after a string of brilliant albums, Davis had trouble keeping a band together. The group heard here would become the basis for his great mid-60s quintet, but at this point everyone was new: drummer Tony Williams (age 17!) and pianist Herbie Hancock had only been with Miles a few months, while sax man George Coleman and bassist Ron Carter had joined at the start of the year. [Coleman would eventually be replaced by Wayne Shorter]

There are at least three other live albums documenting this same tour. Miles tended to play the same tunes every night, so this disc may sound familiar to a collector. The audio quality is very good (all things considered), and the musicians are all in great form. Some of the best moments here come from Coleman and Hancock, who each get as much time in the spotlight as Davis himself.

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Fo’s Picks: ALL. Heck, play the whole album!

1. 0:41 – warm-up & chatter
2. 11:24 – relaxed tempo: Miles is laid-back and sour-toned. Congenial sax solo, lightly boppin’ piano, creakily melodic bowed bass
3. 11:20 – speedy take on “So What”: trumpet skitters and soars, sax starts easy then really gets rolling, agile upper-register piano solo.
4. 14:35 – slow, wide-open ballad. Miles is both tender and archly ironic, soulful sax perks it up, gentle piano, great bass support throughout.
5. 12:48 – bright & brisk, almost rushed: chugging trumpet, great rolling drum solo, straight-up bebop sax (whee!), bright piano, under-miked bass
6. 1:16 – brief, swinging theme song

[ Fo ] 27-Oct-07

Track Listing
1. Waiting For Miles   4. Stella By Starlight
2. Autumn Leaves   5. Walkin'
3. So What   6. The Theme