George Coleman left the Davis Quintet in March or April 1964, leaving Davis once
again without a saxophone player. In April Gary Peacock replaced Carter, who took
a job with Sonny Rollins. By June Peacock left to join the Bill Evans Trio, and
Carter returned. That month Ralph J. Gleason wrote that "Miles Davis has broken
up his group and is keeping only drummer Tony Williams and pianist Herbie Hancock.
He has hired guitarist Grant Green and probably will work without a tenor saxophone
in the future." ("Rhythm Section," The Milwaukee Journal June 27, p. A3).
Meanwhile, the Quintet -- with varying personnel -- continued to perform: e.g. the
It Club, Los Angeles (March 26-April 5); Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles (with Count
Basie, April 3); Jazz Workshop, San Francisco (April 7-19); Village Vanguard, New
York (May 5-14).
Since Coleman's departure Tony Williams had been trying to convince Davis to hire
Sam Rivers, a fellow Bostonian with whom Williams had played for years. Rivers joined
the Quintet, probably in June. The new group was booked at the Showboat Lounge in
Philadelphia (June 22-28) and at Birdland in New York (June 30-July 1).
Additional Japanese concerts may have been booked; the Quintet apparently performed
only three, possibly four: there are recordings from Hibaya Yagai Ongaku-do Hall,
Tokyo (July 12), Shinjuku Kohseinenkin Hall, Tokyo (July 14), and Maruyama Ongaku-do
Hall, Kyoto (July 15). There may have been a performance at Osaka Festival Hall
on July 13 -- Davis mentions one in his autobiography -- but in the notes to Domino
891212, Japanese critic Tosiyuki Nomoto is quoted as saying that "the tape on the
13th has still slept in the warehouse of a broadcasting station. There is not a
person who heard it." In any case, Rivers left the Quintet as soon as the group
returned to the United States. Wayne Shorter was hired as his replacement, and joined
the Quintet at the Hollywood Bowl on September 4.
I am grateful to Rick Lopez for help with this session.
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