ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZAA
1
Miles Davis Chronological Studio Sessions Playlist info
2
3
4
Go to Spotify PlaylistSomething not accurate? Contact me: jazz@daniel-serra.com
5
6
Studio Sessions with Miles as BANDLEADER, chonologically sorted from oldest to newest based on the date the song was RECORDED (not when the album was released).
7
8
Live performances, bootlegs, mix tapes, radio broadcasts and minor recodings not included.
9
Based on Miles Wikipedia Discography and the extraordinary work done by Peter Losin. More info:
plosin.com
10
Still work in progress (Feb 2020): it goes from the very beginnings to Kind of Blue.
11
All original content is licensed under a Creative Commons License
12
13
Session DateLabelPersonel / Session Notes
Songs recorded (same chonological order as the Spotify Playlist)
More Session info:
14
August 14, 1947SavoyMiles Davis (tpt); Charlie Parker (ts); John Lewis (p); Nelson Boyd (b); Max Roach (d)Milestones (take 1 (fs) & take 2 (master)) (M. Davis)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=470814
15
Milestones (take 3) (M. Davis)
16
This was Davis's first recording session as a leader. Unlike the Parker-led Savoy sessions, this one was preceded by two rehearsal sessions. Parker begins a little tentatively on tenor saxophone, but by the end of the session he plays with his usual facility and inventiveness. All of the compositions are Davis's, though some early issues credit "Milestones" to Parker.Little Willie Leaps (take 1 (inc) & 2) (M. Davis)
17
Little Willie Leaps (take 3 (master)) (M. Davis)
18
Half Nelson (take 1) (M. Davis)
19
Half Nelson (take 2 (master)) (M. Davis)
20
Sippin' at Bells (take 1 (inc) & Master take) (M. Davis)
21
Sippin' at Bells (take 3 (fs) & take 4) (M. Davis)
22
January 21, 1949CapitolMiles Davis (tpt); Kai Winding (tb); Junior Collins (frh); Bill Barber (tuba); Lee Konitz (as); Gerry Mulligan (bs); Al Haig (p); Joe Shulman (b); Max Roach (d)Jeru (take 3) (G. Mulligan)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=490121
23
This is the first of three Capitol studio sessions with the Davis Nonet, which had long since stopped working as a regular group. Perhaps the group would have been recorded earlier if the American Federation of Musicians recording ban had not been in effect.Move (take 3) (D. Best)
24
"Budo" is Bud Powell's "Hallucinations," recorded for Mercury in 1951. For this session the title had changed to "Budo" and Davis was co-credited as composer.Godchild (take 2) (G. Wallington)
25
Hallucinations (take 1) [Budo] (B. Powell-M. Davis)
26
April 22, 1949CapitolMiles Davis (tpt); J.J. Johnson (tb); Sandy Siegelstein (frh); Bill Barber (tuba); Lee Konitz (as); Gerry Mulligan (bs); John Lewis (p); Nelson Boyd (b); Kenny Clarke (d)Venus de Milo (take 7) (G. Mulligan)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=490422
27
Rouge (J. Lewis)
28
Boplicity (take 2) (M. Davis-G. Evans)
29
Israel (take 2) (J. Carisi)
30
March 9, 1950CapitolMiles Davis (tpt); J.J. Johnson (tb); Gunther Schuller (frh); Bill Barber (tuba); Lee Konitz (as); Gerry Mulligan (bs); John Lewis (p); Al McKibbon (b); Max Roach (d); Kenny "Pancho" Hagood (voc)Deception [Conception] (M. Davis)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=500309
31
Rocker (G. Mulligan)
32
Moon Dreams (C. MacGregor-J. Mercer)
33
Darn That Dream (E. DeLange-J. Van Heusen)
34
January 17, 1951PrestigeMiles Davis (tpt); Bennie Green (tb); Sonny Rollins (ts); John Lewis (p); Percy Heath (b); Roy Haynes (d)Morpheus (J. Lewis)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=510117b
35
Down (M. Davis)
36
This is the second of three studio sessions that Davis participated in on this date. The arrangement of "Morpheus," with its contrapuntal theme and complex ensemble passages, evokes the Davis Nonet recordings of 1948-1949, but the execution is sloppy. Rollins has an excellent solo on "Down," but Davis misses several notes in his solo and in the closing ensemble. He plays particularly poorly on the two takes of "Blue Room" -- on the second take, he seems to lose his way and Lewis has to remind him where he with leading chords (e.g. at 1:23). "Whispering," based on the changes of Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High," contains another very good Rollins solo.Blue Room (take 1) (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)
37
Green is out on both takes of "Blue Room," and Rollins plays only on the first. There are no original take numbers for "Blue Room" -- they are numbered here as on Prestige PCD-012. The first take sounds like it's winding down at the end of Davis's statement of the melody (1:48), but a Rollins solo is spliced in. On the alternate version of this take Rollins's solo is spliced in before Davis's. The master tapes for these two versions must be lost -- all of the 12" LP and subsequent reissues are mastered from a vinyl source.Blue Room (take 1 (alternate version)) (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)
38
Blue Room (take 2) (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)
39
Whispering (M. Schonberger-R. Coburn-V. Rose)
40
October 5, 1951PrestigeMiles Davis (tpt); Jackie McLean (as); Sonny Rollins (ts); Walter Bishop, Jr. (p); Tommy Potter (b); Art Blakey (d)Conception (G. Shearing)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=511005
41
Out of the Blue (M. Davis)
42
This was the 19-year old McLean's first studio session. It must have been nerve-racking for McLean because Charlie Parker was in the studio for part of the session. McLean is out on "Conception," "My Old Flame," and "Paper Moon." Rollins has occasional reed problems but plays well, especially on the early numbers.Denial (M. Davis)
43
"Conception" is the same tune as "Deception," credited to Davis recorded by the Nonet in Capitol Studios on March 9, 1950. The arrangement here is similar to that of the Nonet recording.Bluing (M. Davis)
44
"Out of the Blue" is based on the changes of "Get Happy." Davis solos for two choruses; Rollins follows with one, quoting "Well, You Needn't" at 2:26-2:29; McLean follows with one chorus; and Davis returns for three more, quoting "Well, You Needn't" again at 4:04-4:05, before the closing theme.Dig (M. Davis)
45
"Denial" is based on Charlie Parker's "Confirmation"; again, Davis solos first (two choruses), then one chorus from Rollins (more reed problems) and two from McLean, followed by another solo by Davis in which he and Blakey trade fours for two choruses before the theme returns. In the closing chorus the tempo is too fast and Davis has trouble keeping up (listen especially at 5:20-5:36).My Old Flame (A. Johnston-S. Coslow)
46
"Bluing" contains an impressive three-and-a-half minute, six-chorus solo by Davis, followed by three each from Rollins and McLean; Davis returns for three more and the tune ends with Davis scolding Blakey for missing the ending.It's Only a Paper Moon (H. Arlen-B. Rose-E.Y. Harburg)
47
"Dig" is based on the changes of "Sweet Georgia Brown" -- it will be recorded for Blue Note in 1952 with the title "Donna" and credited to McLean. Rollins solos first (3x -- Davis cuts in at 1:34); then Davis (4x -- is that a splice at 6:00?), quoting Monk's "Rhythm-a-ning" briefly at 6:11-6:14; then McLean (4x); Davis returns for two closing choruses before the theme is re-stated.
48
McLean sits out the last two numbers. On "My Old Flame" Rollins has only 16 bars toward the end. On "Paper Moon" Davis has the first solo (4x), then Rollins (4x); Davis plays two more choruses before the closing theme.
49
This session was one of the first released by Prestige in its new 10" 33-1/3 rpm LP series. Note the length of several of the tunes -- the session produced enough music for two 10" LPs (PRLP 124 and 140). As Ira Gitler wrote in the notes to PRLP 124, "This album gives Miles more freedom than he has ever had on record for time limits were not strictly enforced. There is opportunity to build ideas into a definite cumulative effect. These ideas sound much more like air-shots than studio recordings... Here are New Sounds at greater length. Listen to them at great length." If Gitler's comments sound like a sales pitch, they probably were -- at the time, the new 10" LPs were almost three times the cost of the familiar 10" 78s.
50
may 9, 1952Blue NoteMiles Davis (tpt); J.J. Johnson (tb); Jackie McLean (as); Gil Coggins (p); Oscar Pettiford (b); Kenny Clarke (d)Dear Old Stockholm (take 2) (Traditional, arr. S. Getz)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=520509
51
Chance It (take 4) [Max is Making Wax] (O. Pettiford)
52
This is Davis's first Blue Note session, and the only studio session from 1952. His addiction made him unreliable, and his contract with Prestige had not been renewed. He had no working band. On the few live performances dating from this period he is a guest soloist.Donna (take 1) [Dig] (M. Davis)
53
Donna (take 2) [Dig] (M. Davis)
54
Woody 'n' You (take 1) (D. Gillespie)
55
Woody 'n' You (take 2) (D. Gillespie)
56
Yesterdays (J. Kern-O. Harbach)
57
How Deep is the Ocean? (I. Berlin)
58
January 30, 1953PrestigeMiles Davis (tpt); Sonny Rollins (ts); Charlie Parker (ts); Walter Bishop, Jr. (p); Percy Heath (b); Philly Joe Jones (d)Compulsion (M. Davis)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=530130
59
The Serpent's Tooth (take 1) (M. Davis)
60
Davis, still a heroin addict but somewhat less unreliable than in previous years, had recently been offered a new Prestige contract. Parker was under exclusive contract with Mercury Records, so he is listed as "Charlie Chan" and plays tenor alongside Rollins. Parker had recently switched from heroin to alcohol -- his trumpet player, Red Rodney, had been arrested for possession of heroin and incarcerated in federal prison. According to producer Ira Gitler, Parker consumed a fifth of gin while familiarizing himself with his new horn, and promptly fell asleep. The group was able to get through only two titles as the end of the chaotic session approached, and after several unsuccessful tries at "Well, You Needn't," managed to record one take of "'Round Midnight."The Serpent's Tooth (take 2) (M. Davis)
61
"Compulsion" is sometimes credited to Jimmy Heath. Everyone gets two choruses (is that a splice at 0:22 in the opening chorus?): Davis (0:53-1:57), Parker (1:57-3:00), Rollins (3:00-4:02), and Bishop (4:02-5:03).Round Midnight (B. Hanighen-C. Williams-T. Monk)
62
The first take of "Serpent's Tooth" is slightly slower than the second. Davis solos first (4x -- there is a splice at 0:53, after the first eight measures of the solo), followed by Rollins, Parker, and Bishop (3x each). Toward the end of his solo (3:24) Rollins quotes "I Can Do Anything You Can Do Better." The second take preserves the same order of solos, but Davis takes only three choruses. He quotes "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie" at 1:20-1:30. Parker fails to come in at the end of Rollins's solo (3:11), and after a reminder by Rollins and a few measures of Bishop's comping, he plays a good solo.
63
Ira Gitler's liner notes suggest that Davis and Parker are the only soloists on "'Round Midnight," but this is wrong. Rollins plays the bridge (1:27-1:55) before Davis's solo; after the trumpet solo, Parker solos for two choruses (2:24-4:23), and Rollins plays the bridge after another Davis interlude (5:24-5:57). Both saxophones are audible during the out chorus.
64
This was Philly Joe Jones's first recording session with Davis.
65
February 19, 1953PrestigeMiles Davis (tpt); Sonny Truitt (tb); Al Cohn (ts); Zoot Sims [John Haley] (ts); John Lewis (p); Leonard Gaskin (b); Kenny Clarke (d)Tasty Pudding (A. Cohn)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=530219
66
Willie the Wailer (A. Cohn)
67
All compositions and arrangements are by Al Cohn. Rather than a relying on a Davis-led group, or a collection of sidemen selected by Davis himself, Bob Weinstock seems to have chosen this group himself. Given the chaos of the January session with Sonny Rollins and "Charlie Chan," this seems like a wise choice. Cohn and Sims were both rising stars who had played with Woody Herman in the late 1940s; like most white tenor saxophonists of their day, they were identified with the Lester Young sound. Davis may have chafed at being put in this company, but he was not really in a position to complain.Floppy (A. Cohn)
68
"Tasty Pudding" includes a two-chorus Davis solo backed with nice unison passages by the saxophones; Lewis has a half-chorus solo before the theme is re-stated.For Adults Only (A. Cohn)
69
On "Willie the Wailer," after the elaborately-arranged melody is stated a couple times, the solos are by Davis and Cohn (two pairs of one chorus each).
70
The "Floppy" theme is much simpler, and the solo order is Davis (4x), Lewis (1x), Truitt (1x), Sims (1x), Cohn (1x); after the solos there's a chorus of eights and another of fours involving the saxophonists.
71
"For Adults Only" is a catchy medium-tempo number, with solos by Sims (2x), Cohn (2x), and Davis (4x).
72
April 20, 1953Blue NoteMiles Davis (tpt); J.J. Johnson (tb); Jimmy Heath (ts); Gil Coggins (p); Percy Heath (b); Art Blakey (d)Kelo (take 2) (J.J. Johnson)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=530420
73
Enigma (take 2) (J.J. Johnson)
74
Davis, still in the throes of heroin addiction, participated in four desultory studio sessions in the first half of 1953. He was working very little, usually as a guest with people like Charlie Parker (February) or Dizzy Gillespie (May). The group assembled here is similar to that used for Davis's 1952 Blue Note session -- Johnson and Coggins are included again; Jimmy and Percy Heath replace Jackie McLean and Oscar Pettiford; and Kenny Clarke is replaced by Art Blakey.Ray's Idea (take 1) (R. Brown-W.G. Fuller)
75
The solos on "Kelo" are by Davis (2x), Heath (1x), Johnson (1x), and Coggins (eight measures). The ensemble is tight on both takes, and Davis's staccato phrasing is striking.Tempus Fugit (take 1) (B. Powell)
76
Both takes of "Enigma," a tune based on the chord changes of "Conception," are nicely arranged, with horn figures behind Davis's sensitive solo. He takes a full chorus, and Coggins and Davis split the next one. Davis has more control of his tone and phrasing on this date than on the Prestige sessions from this period.C.T.A. (take 2) (J. Heath)
77
"Ray's Idea" was written by Walter "Gil" Fuller for Ray Brown. Its angular opening, reminiscent of "Salt Peanuts," reminds us of this tune's roots in the Gillespie Big Bands of the mid-1940s. Davis's two-chorus solo ends with a trumpet/saxophone interlude, and Jimmy Heath follows with two choruses of his own. Coggins, with solid support from Percy Heath, solos briefly before Davis enters to finish the out chorus. Coggins's solo turn is much more active on the master take.C.T.A. (take 3) (J. Heath)
78
Bud Powell's "Tempus Fugit" was already in Davis's live repertoire in the early 1950s -- it's included in a WJZ radio broadcast from Birdland in February 1951. Here it is a showcase for Art Blakey, the drummer on the earlier live version. The first of the two full takes preserved is the master. Davis takes two choruses (note again his staccato phrasing), Heath one, Johnson two; Blakey's effervescent drumming is especially effective during Johnson's solo, and he has a half-chorus with Percy Heath before Davis rejoins for the rest of the closing chorus. The structure is the same for the alternate. Davis's solo runs over into Heath's space, and Blakey's accompaniment is a slightly less rambunctious than the master.I Waited for You (W.G. Fuller)
79
Jimmy Heath's "C.T.A." presented some challenges for the group, and the alternate take is ragged in places (listen at 2:47 during the closing chorus); the master is much tighter. On both takes the solos are by Johnson (1x), Heath (1x) followed by a short staccato interlude, then Davis (2x).
80
Davis is the only soloist on "I Waited for You," and his solo does not stray far from the very pretty melody. He seems unsure of himself.
81
may 19 1953PrestigeMiles Davis (tpt); John Lewis (p); Charles Mingus (p); Percy Heath (b); Max Roach (d)When Lights Are Low (B. Carter-C. Williams)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=530519
82
Tune Up (M. Davis)
83
This is Davis's third Prestige session of the year, and the first with a quartet. More quartet dates were to follow for Prestige and Blue Note. At the time Davis was a guest with Dizzy Gillespie at Birdland (there are recordings from May 16 and 23). There is still no working group, however; Lewis and Heath were now firmly ensconced in the Modern Jazz Quartet, and Roach occupies the drum chair here only because Kenny Clarke failed to show up. According to producer Ira Gitler, the session ran very smoothly: "Miles was in a humor to match the beautiful spring day outside, and the entire session went down in four takes."Miles Ahead (M. Davis-G. Evans)
84
"When Lights Are Low" contains an elegant two-chorus solo by Davis followed by a restrained chorus by Lewis. The performance here is much more restrained than the one recorded by the Davis Quintet in October 1956.Smooch (M. Davis-C. Mingus)
85
"Tune Up," also re-done in October 1956 by the Quintet, is often credited to Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, who also claimed "Four" as his. ("Tune Up" is credited to Vinson on Max Roach's Mercury LP from the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, Mercury 80080.) Davis has another good two-chorus solo, followed by a Lewis chorus and a chorus of trumpet/drums eight-bar exchanges.
86
"Miles Ahead" -- not to be confused with the Gil Evans composition from 1957 -- is based on the changes of "Milestones," recorded for Savoy in August 1947. Two Davis choruses, one by Lewis, one chorus of Davis/Roach eights, and a closing Davis chorus.
87
"Smooch" features Mingus on piano, who stepped in when John Lewis was called away on an emergency; the tune is an early version of Mingus's "Weird Nightmare" and Davis is the only soloist.
88
September 13, 1953ContemporaryMiles Davis (tpt); Rolf Ericson (tpt); Bud Shank (as, bs); Bob Cooper (ts); Lorraine Geller (p); Howard Rumsey (b); Max Roach (d)Infinity Promenade (S. Rogers)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=530913
89
Round Midnight (B. Hanighen-C. Williams-T. Monk)
90
After participating in several Charles Mingus-led Jazz Workshops in August, including an August 21 performance at the Putnam Central in Brooklyn, Davis and Roach took a few months away from the New York scene and played occasionally at the Lighthouse Club in Hermosa Beach. Soon after this session, Davis returned to the midwest and finally kicked his heroin habit.A Night in Tunisia (D. Gillespie-F. Paparelli)
91
This material was first issued in the mid-1980s on Contemporary. Also issued on the Contemporary LP is a Roach drum solo and a tune featuring Chet Baker backed by Russ Freeman, Rumsey, and Roach. The incomplete "Get Happy" was not released; it was included in a 2019 documentary on the Lighthouse, and I am grateful to Craig Neilson for sharing it with me. Davis's and Shank's solos are intact, and the tape ends as Ericson begins his solo.
92
March 6, 1954Blue NoteMiles Davis (tpt); Horace Silver (p); Percy Heath (b); Art Blakey (d)Take Off (take 3) [Conception] (M. Davis)
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=540306
93
Lazy Susan (take ?) (M. Davis)
94
This is Davis's first recording session since returning from a several-month stay in the Midwest during which he finally overcame his heroin addiction. In the remaining months of the year he made some of the most memorable recordings of his career. And while the tunes performed here do not compare to the likes of "Solar," "Walkin'," or "Bags' Groove," they reveal a Davis well on the way toward his mature style and command of his instrument. This is also Davis's first collaboration with Horace Silver, who was to participate in several of the landmark Prestige sessions later this year. This same quartet recorded for Prestige on March 15.The Leap (take ?) (M. Davis)
95
"Take Off" uses the same chord changes as "Deception" and "Conception" from 1950-1951. There's no real melody here, but the repeated suspended-rhythm passages during the changes are effective and memorable. Davis takes two choruses, followed by Heath and Silver (Silver enters after the first eight); Davis returns for two more at the end.Well, You Needn't (take ?) (T. Monk)
96
"Lazy Susan" is based on the changes of Tadd Dameron's "Lady Bird," which Davis had used as the basis of "Half Nelson" for his first session as a leader in August 1947, and which he performed with Dameron several times in 1949. Davis takes two choruses, Silver one, followed by one of eight-measure trumpet/drums exchanges, and Davis takes it out.Weirdo (take ?) [Sid's Ahead] (M. Davis)
97
"The Leap" is based on the changes of "Get Happy," but this tune adds a sixteen-measure suspension that overlaps the first eight bars of the next chorus. The structure is unusual but Davis and Silver both navigate it without difficulty. The solos are by Davis (0:41-1:36), followed by the eight-bar suspension; Silver (1:50-2:44), followed by the suspension; and Davis returns for the closing chorus. There is a splice at 1:16 during Davis's solo. Early on he quotes Monk's "Rhythm-a-ning" (0:21-0:25); Silver returns to that theme twice during his solo (listen at 1:52 and 2:05).It Never Entered My Mind (take 1) (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)
98
Davis performed Monk's "Well, You Needn't" many times in the 1950s -- perhaps the canonical version is the one recorded by the Quintet for Prestige in October 1956. Here it is taken at an usually slow tempo. Davis takes two choruses, Silver one (sounding very Monkish); Davis and Blakey play a half-chorus of eight-measure trumpet/drums exchanges, and Davis plays the remainder of the closing chorus.
99
Davis would return to the theme of "Weirdo" later under the title "Sid's Ahead." Both versions -- and also "Walkin'," credited to Richard Carpenter, which Davis would record for Prestige in 1954 -- are based on "Gravy," recorded by Gene Ammons in 1950. This an abstracted blues in F, with altered changes and masterful solos by Davis (2x), Silver (1x), and Davis again (1x) before the closing theme is re-stated.
100
This is Davis's earliest recording of "It Never Entered My Mind," a ballad he would perform many times throughout the 1950s, including the definitive version recorded for Prestige in May 1956. Here he plays with a cup mute, and the sound is less intimate than what he achieved with the Harmon mute he discovered soon afterward and introduced on "Oleo" recorded for Prestige in June. His solo is pretty, and Silver takes a short turn before Davis returns to re-state the melody.