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Miles Ahead session details

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March 11-14, 1971 (12 items; TT = 85:04)
Lennie's on the Turnpike, Peabody MA
Audience recording (B-)
Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); Gary Bartz (ss, as); Keith Jarrett (el-p, org); Michael Henderson (el-b); Jack De Johnette (d); Airto Moreira (perc)

First fragment
1 Directions (J. Zawinul) 12:38

Theme stated at 2:32
2 What I Say (M. Davis) 16:28
3 Honky Tonk (incomplete) (M. Davis) 4:42

Second fragment
4 What I Say (incomplete) (M. Davis) 12:20
5 Sanctuary (closing theme, applause) (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 0:26

Third fragment
6 Funky Tonk (incomplete) (M. Davis) 11:17
7 Announcement 0:28

Fourth fragment
8 Funky Tonk (incomplete) (M. Davis) 12:22

Begins in the middle of Bartz solo
9 Sanctuary (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 3:01
10 It's About That Time (incomplete) (M. Davis) 3:46

Fifth fragment
11 It's About That Time (incomplete) (M. Davis) 7:04
12 Sanctuary (closing theme, applause) (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 0:32


1 Directions
CD: Jazz Masters JM 001, Minotauro CD 1

2 What I Say
CD: Jazz Masters JM 001, Minotauro CD 1

3 Honky Tonk (incomplete)
CD: Jazz Masters JM 001, Minotauro CD 1

4 What I Say (incomplete)
CD: Jazz Masters JM 001

5 Sanctuary (closing theme, applause)
CD: Jazz Masters JM 001

6 Funky Tonk (incomplete)
CD: Jazz Masters JM 001

7 Announcement
CD: Jazz Masters JM 001

11 It's About That Time (incomplete)
CD: Jazz Masters JM 001

12 Sanctuary (closing theme, applause)
CD: Jazz Masters JM 001


Given the two versions of "What I Say," this music is probably from more than one night. Fragment 5 picks up at the end of fragment 4 (not included on Jazz Masters), which follows immediately after fragment 3.

Titles listed on Jazz Masters as:

  1. Inamorata (7:40) [= fifth fragment]
  2. Funky Tonk (33:41) [= first fragment]
  3. What I Say (13:04) [= second fragment]
  4. Inamorata (11:25) [third fragment]

John McLaughlin is sometimes wrongly listed among the musicians. Maybe this is based on a confusion of this date with that of the Hill Auditorium performance (February 21, 1970), where McLaughlin did join the Davis Sextet for one night.

Prior to the stretch at Lennie's on the Turnpike, the Sextet was booked for one night at Painter's Mill in Owings Mill (January 10: the show was canceled) and also for one night at the Fairfield University Gymnasium (February 27). In addition to the four nights at Lennie's (March 11-14), the Sextet played at the Memorial Student Union, University of Wisconsin-Madison (March 18); Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis (March 19; two shows); The Scene, Washington DC (March 20-21) and Constitution Hall, Washington DC (March 28), and four nights at the Gaslight Club in Greenwich Village (April 8-11). Soon afterward the group headed west: Shrine Auditorium, LA (April 23); Fresno City College Theatre (April 28); Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver BC (April 30); Hollywood Bowl and Shelly's Manne-Hole, Los Angeles (dates unknown); Fillmore West, San Francisco (May 6-9). It was during this tour of the west coast that Jarrett and De Johnette recorded Ruta and Daitya (ECM 1021) in Sunset Studios, Hollywood. Later in the summer the Sextet performed at the Newport Jazz Festival (July 5); and the Beacon Theater, New York (July 20-21). During the summer De Johnette left the Sextet to form his own group, Compost.

Thanks to William Day for sharing the March 19, 1971 program with me.

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