Session details: Columbia Studio E (November 19, 1969)

Miles Ahead session details

November 19, 1969 (4 items; TT = 50:19)

Columbia Studio E, New York NY

Commercial for Columbia

Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); Steve Grossman (ss); Bennie Maupin (bcl); Herbie Hancock (el-p); Chick Corea (el-p); John McLaughlin (g); Khalil Balakrishna (sitar); Bihari Sharma (tabla, tamboura); Ron Carter (b); Harvey Brooks (el-b); Billy Cobham (d, perc); Airto Moreira (perc)

1	Great Expectations (M. Davis)	13:44
	Edited (2:40) on Columbia 45090, CSK 41598 and CBS 450472. Splice at 4:38 of SRCS 9321/2 version (= 4:43 of C4K 65570 version)
2	Orange Lady (J. Zawinul)	13:47
	Davis can be heard saying "Teo, play the first part of that..." at 11:17 (= 11:23 of C4K 65570 version); and as the tune winds down he says "No, that's enough..."
3	Yaphet (J. Zawinul)	9:39
	As the tune winds down, Davis says, "We can use some of that, Teo... Some of it."
4	Corrado (M. Davis)	13:09
	Various noodling, then Macero: "OK, is this gonna be part two of..." Davis: "It's gonna be part nine. What difference does it make, motherfucker?" Macero: "OK, all right, here we go, stand by, part somethin'... Three..." As the tune winds down Davis asks, "Let's hear some of that, Teo," and Macero replies "OK."


1 Great Expectations 45 rpm: Columbia 4-45090 12" LP: Columbia PG 32866, CBS/Sony SOPW 5/6, CBS/Sony 20AP 1779/10, CBS/Sony 28AP 2159/60, CBS/Sony 36AP 1779/80, CBS (F) 450472, Mosaic MQ6-183 CD: Columbia CSK 41598, Columbia C4K 65570, Columbia C4K 90924, Columbia C2K 63973, CBS/Sony 50DP 705/6, Sony SRCS 5713/4, Sony SRCS 9321/2, Sony 8837/40, Sony SICP 669/72, Sony SRCS 9737/8, Sony SRCS 836/7, Sony SICJ 30080/1, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922
2 Orange Lady 12" LP: Columbia PG 32866, CBS/Sony SOPW 5/6, CBS/Sony 20AP 1779/10, CBS/Sony 28AP 2159/60, CBS/Sony 36AP 1779/80, Mosaic MQ6-183 CD: Columbia C4K 65570, Columbia C4K 90924, Columbia C2K 63973, CBS/Sony 50DP 705/6, Sony SRCS 5713/4, Sony SRCS 9321/2, Sony 8837/40, Sony SICP 669/72, Sony SRCS 9737/8, Sony SRCS 836/7, Sony SICJ 30080/1, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922
3 Yaphet 12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-183 CD: Columbia C4K 65570, Columbia C4K 90924, Columbia C2K 63973, Sony 8837/40, Sony SICP 669/72, Sony SRCS 9737/8, Sony SRCS 836/7, Sony SICJ 30080/1, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922
4 Corrado 12" LP: Mosaic MQ6-183 CD: Columbia C4K 65570, Columbia C4K 90924, Sony 8837/40, Sony SICP 669/72

The 1998 re-edited version of "Orange Lady" (C4K 65570) differs slightly from the original version released on Big Fun. The latter contains a splice at 11:23, and repeats a fragment (11:17-11:23); there is another splice at 12:23. The re-edited version does not contain the repeated fragment; it contains only one audible splice, at 12:22.

"Yaphet" is credited to Davis, but it's almost certainly a Joe Zawinul composition. Compare the melody at 0:02-1:32 of "Yaphet" with 1:39-2:19 of the version of "Orange Lady" from Weather Report's first album.

This is the first issued session in which Davis used a sitar player. He continued to use sitars off and on until early 1973, when Pete Cosey joined his band.

While larger groups were recording new compositions in the studio, the Davis Quintet (and, after the addition of Airto Moreira in mid-December, the Sextet) was booked at several venues on the east coast: Colonial Tavern, Toronto (December 1-6: Sonny Greenwich is alleged to have joined the Quintet on at least one of these nights!); Village Gate, New York (December 12-13, 19-20, January 2-3, 6-10); Cellar Door, Washington (January 12-17); Spectrum, Philadelphia (January 18).

Wayne Shorter did not make this date or the later one on November 28 (his daughter was born during the Quintet's European tour in October-November); Davis replaced him with Steve Grossman, who would join for good in early 1970.

Thanks to Pat Buzby and Alexander Keth for help with this session, and to Bob Elliot for sharing the advertisement from the Toronto Star.