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Miles Ahead session details

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November 15, 1970 (8 items; TT = 86:19)
Electric Factory, Philadelphia PA
Audience recording (B-)

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

1 Band warming up 0:12
2 Directions (incomplete) (J. Zawinul) 12:42

Theme stated at 2:55, 3:59, 7:41. There is a 2:54 gap (at 8:41-11:35) in the Godnoes video. The two audible fragments run 8:41 and 1:07. Incomplete (10:10) on Mega Disc
3 Honky Tonk (M. Davis) 19:50
4 What I Say (M. Davis) 13:03
5 Sanctuary (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 2:48
6 It's About That Time (M. Davis) 16:06

Incomplete (4:57) on Mega Disc
7 Funky Tonk (M. Davis) 20:38

Incomplete (11:53) on Mega Disc
8 The Theme (with applause) (M. Davis) 1:00


2 Directions (incomplete)
CD: Mega Disc Legendary Collection no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016
Video: Godnoes Productions Volume 6 (DVD-R), Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016

3 Honky Tonk
CD: Mega Disc Legendary Collection no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016
Video: Godnoes Productions Volume 6 (DVD-R), Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016

4 What I Say
CD: Mega Disc Legendary Collection no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016
Video: Godnoes Productions Volume 6 (DVD-R), Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016

5 Sanctuary
CD: Mega Disc Legendary Collection no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016
Video: Godnoes Productions Volume 6 (DVD-R), Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016

6 It's About That Time
CD: Mega Disc Legendary Collection no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016
Video: Godnoes Productions Volume 6 (DVD-R), Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016

7 Funky Tonk
CD: Mega Disc Legendary Collection no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016
Video: Godnoes Productions Volume 6 (DVD-R), Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016

8 The Theme (with applause)
CD: Mega Disc Legendary Collection no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016
Video: Godnoes Productions Volume 6 (DVD-R), Voodoo Down VDD 2022-016


The original videotape consists of four fragments, not in the correct playing order. The first consists of the first 8:44 of "Directions." The second begins with the remainder of "Directions," but the audio track is missing from the first 2:54; also included are "Honky Tonk" and the first 9:30 or so of "What I Say." The third fragment on the videotape is actually the conclusion of the show -- the last 11:52 of "Funky Tonk" and the closing "The Theme" with applause. The fourth fragment (which belongs between the second and third) consists of the last 2:58 of "What I Say" followed by "Sanctuary," "It's About That Time," and the first 13:30 of "Funky Tonk."

There is some debate about the venue for this performance. The Electric Factory opened on February 2, 1968, and quickly became a premier venue for rock acts. Owner and proprietor Larry Magid reminisced, "It changed my life and the lives of many people and became a symbol of the new age of values, consciousness and morality. Opened with the Chambers Brothers, then played Jimi Hendrix, Big Brother and the Holding Co. with a young Janis Joplin and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in the first month. My personal favorites were the Band and Miles Davis shows." (Philadelphia Weekly December 26, 2007). In addition, Magid managed a concert promotion agency called Electric Factory Concerts that put on shows in a variety of Philadelphia venues, including the Tower Theatre and the Spectrum. Around this time the Davis group opened for Santana at the Spectrum, but from the grainy, poorly-lit video of this performance, the venue looks and sounds like a small venue rather than an auditorium. Thanks to Jeff Zeitz and Kirk Tennant for discussion about the venue, Enrico Merlin for supplying the date, and to Jan Lohmann for discussion about the details of the performance. See this poster for confirmation of the date and venue.

Around this time the Davis ensemble performed at Princeton University's Alexander Hall (November 14), and at Suffolk Community College's Brookhaven Gym (two shows on November 25).

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