Session details: Peacock Alley Lounge (February 23, 1957)

Miles Ahead session details

February 23, 1957 (13 items; TT = 47:10)

Peacock Alley Lounge, St. Louis MO

KSTL-AM radio broadcast (B)

Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); John Coltrane (ts); William "Red" Garland (p); Paul Chambers (b); Philly Joe Jones (d); Jesse "Spider" Burks (ann)

1	Introduction (Spider Burks)	0:04
	"'Two Bass Hit', Miles Davis and the Quintet..."
2	Two Bass Hit (J. Lewis-D. Gillespie)	5:15
3	Introduction (Spider Burks)	0:06
	"Boy, that's a rousing way to open a show." (splice) "... 'You Needn't'. Miles Davis and the Quintet..."
4	Well, You Needn't (inc) (T. Monk)	8:09
	Splice at 5:21 excises end of tenor solo and beginning of piano solo. Soulard and Jazz Factory include another splice (at 6:26) where about 20 seconds of bass solo is excised
5	Introduction (Spider Burks)	0:11
	"'Well, You Needn't', ladies (cut off) All right, we're gonna feature the trio. Now what are we gonna do this afternoon? You did 'Foggy Day' last week, what are you gonna do this week? 'Billy Boy'. Paul Chambers, Joe, and Red..."
6	Billy Boy (Traditional)	8:46
	Rhythm section only
7	Introduction (Spider Burks)	0:10
	"'Billy Boy', ladies and gentlemen. Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philadelphia Joe Jones swinging like crazy over here on the drums. This is..."
8	All of You (C. Porter)	11:11
	Incomplete (4:07) on Soulard and Jazz Factory -- part of bass solo, all of drum solo, and part of closing theme excised
9	Introduction (Spider Burks)	0:05
	"Here's one called 'Airegon' by Miles Davis and the Quintet. Is that good, huh? All right..."
10	Oleo (S. Rollins)	6:04
11	Introduction (Spider Burks)	0:14
	"Miles Davis and the Quintet, ladies and gentlemen, huh?" (splice) "...wrap it up in grand style. What you like? 'Blues Number', ah 'Newk's Number 2'? Here's one called 'Newk's Number 2'..."
12	Airegin (S. Rollins)	5:46
13	The Theme (inc) (M. Davis)	1:09
	Faded at 1:09


1 Introduction (Spider Burks) CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
2 Two Bass Hit CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
3 Introduction (Spider Burks) CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
4 Well, You Needn't (inc) CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
5 Introduction (Spider Burks) CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
6 Billy Boy CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
7 Introduction (Spider Burks) CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
8 All of You CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
9 Introduction (Spider Burks) CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
10 Oleo CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
11 Introduction (Spider Burks) CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
12 Airegin CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770
13 The Theme (inc) CD: Soulard VGM-SOU 1997, Jazz Factory JFCD 22879, Rare Live Records RLR 88770

The Soulard CD lists the date for this performance as July 14, 1956, but this seems to be wrong. Spider Burks was fired by KXLW-AM on July 11, 1956, two days before the Davis Quintet opened a nine-day stop at Peacock Alley (July 13-21, Friday-Saturday). He was hired by KSTL-AM in August 1956 and quickly began live Saturday matinée broadcasts from Peacock Alley. The Davis Quintet returned to Peacock Alley in February 1957 for another nine-day engagement (Friday, February 15 through Saturday, February 23). In all likelihood, then, the Soulard material comes from broadcasts on February 16 and 23, and the correct station is KSTL-AM. Thanks to Chris DeVito for careful research here.

In the first few months of 1957 the Davis Quintet spent very little time in New York: Jazz City, Hollywood (January 4-17); Blackhawk Supper Club, San Francisco (January 22-February 10); Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh (Wednesday, February 13, two shows); Peacock Alley, St. Louis (February 15-23); Preview's Modern Jazz Room, Chicago (February 27-March 10); Comedy Club, Baltimore (March 26-31); Café Bohemia, New York (April 5-28, last 2+ wks canceled). The Quintet was disbanded during the Café Bohemia engagement -- Davis fired Coltrane and Philly Joe Jones for increasingly erratic behavior. Curtis Fuller may have participated in some of the performances at the Bohemia.