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Miles Ahead session details

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September 25, 1964 (6 items; TT = 57:17)
Philharmonie, Berlin (West Germany)
Commercial for Columbia

Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ts); Herbie Hancock (p); Ron Carter (b); Tony Williams (d)

1 Milestones (M. Davis) 8:57

Begins with Davis counting off the tempo (0:03)
2 Autumn Leaves (J. Prevert-J. Mercer-J. Kosma) 12:37

Begins with stage chatter (0:05)
3 So What (M. Davis) 10:27
4 Stella by Starlight (N. Washington-V. Young) 12:53
5 Walkin' (R. Carpenter) 10:39
6 The Theme (M. Davis) 1:44


1 Milestones
12" LP: CBS (G) SBPG 62976, CBS/Sony SONP 50127, CBS/Sony SOPL 163, CBS/Sony 18AP 2065, CBS/Sony 23AP 2565, CBS/Sony 25AP 763, Columbia C2 38506, Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93594, Jazz Door JD 12113/4, CBS/Sony 35DP 68, CBS/Sony 32DP 519, CBS/Sony CSCS 5147, Sony SRCS 9304, Sony SRCS 9708, Sony SICP 620/5, Sony SICP 825, Sony SICP 1214, Sony SICP 20080, Sony SICP 30221, Sony SICJ 30064/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 23)

2 Autumn Leaves
12" LP: CBS (G) SBPG 62976, CBS/Sony SONP 50127, CBS/Sony SOPL 163, CBS/Sony 18AP 2065, CBS/Sony 23AP 2565, CBS/Sony 25AP 763, Columbia C2 38506, Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93594, Jazz Door JD 12113/4, CBS/Sony 35DP 68, CBS/Sony 32DP 519, CBS/Sony CSCS 5147, Sony SRCS 9304, Sony SRCS 9708, Sony SICP 620/5, Sony SICP 825, Sony SICP 1214, Sony SICP 20080, Sony SICP 30221, Sony SICJ 30064/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 23)

3 So What
12" LP: CBS (G) SBPG 62976, CBS/Sony SONP 50127, CBS/Sony SOPL 163, CBS/Sony 18AP 2065, CBS/Sony 23AP 2565, CBS/Sony 25AP 763, Columbia C2 38506, Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93594, CBS/Sony 35DP 68, CBS/Sony 32DP 519, CBS/Sony CSCS 5147, Sony SRCS 9304, Sony SRCS 9708, Sony SICP 620/5, Sony SICP 825, Sony SICP 1214, Sony SICP 20080, Sony SICP 30221, Sony SICJ 30064/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 23)

4 Stella by Starlight
12" LP: Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93594, Sony SICP 620/5, Sony SICP 825, Sony SICP 30221, Sony SICJ 30064/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 23)

5 Walkin'
12" LP: CBS (G) SBPG 62976, CBS/Sony SONP 50127, CBS/Sony SOPL 163, CBS/Sony 18AP 2065, CBS/Sony 23AP 2565, CBS/Sony 25AP 763, Columbia C2 38506, Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93594, Columbia CK 93585, CBS/Sony 35DP 68, CBS/Sony 32DP 519, CBS/Sony CSCS 5147, Sony SRCS 9304, Sony SRCS 9708, Sony SICP 620/5, Sony SICP 825, Sony SICP 1214, Sony SICP 853, Sony SICP 20080, Sony SICP 30221, Sony SICJ 30064/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 23)

6 The Theme
12" LP: CBS (G) SBPG 62976, CBS/Sony SONP 50127, CBS/Sony SOPL 163, CBS/Sony 18AP 2065, CBS/Sony 23AP 2565, CBS/Sony 25AP 763, Columbia C2 38506, Mosaic MQ10-226
CD: Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93594, Jazz Door JD 12113/4, CBS/Sony 35DP 68, CBS/Sony 32DP 519, CBS/Sony CSCS 5147, Sony SRCS 9304, Sony SRCS 9708, Sony SICP 620/5, Sony SICP 825, Sony SICP 1214, Sony SICP 20080, Sony SICP 30221, Sony SICJ 30064/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 23)


This recording from the Berliner Jazztage 1964 was broadcast by Südwestfunk radio. "Stella by Starlight" was unissued until Mosaic and Sony released the boxed set of the 1963-64 quintet recordings.

The Davis Quintet embarked on a European tour, the USA Jazz Festival, in late September. In addition to the Davis Quintet, several other groups were involved, though I don't know if they all performed at every stop on the tour. The itinerary (with several gaps) was as follows:

September 25: Philharmonie, Berlin, West Germany
September 26: Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Holland
September 29: Le Théâtre Municipal, Lausanne, Switzerland
September 30: Kongresshaus, Zürich
October 1: Salle Pleyel, Paris, France (two concerts)
October 3: Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
October 4: KB-Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark
October 5: Mässhallen, Gothenburg, Sweden
October 6: Messuhalli, Helsinki, Finland
October 8: Stadthalle, Sindelfingen, Germany (two concerts)
October 10: unknown venue, Marseilles, France (two concerts)
October 11: Teatro dell' Arte, Milan, Italy

The Quintet was booked in other cities as well -- e.g. Vichy, Barcelona, and Frankfurt -- but I have been unable to find dates or confirm that these concerts occurred. Thanks to Flurin Casura for the advertisement for the Zürich concert, and to Frederik Adlers for providing the festival poster and for telling me about the Gothenburg date. Apparently the drummer for Papa Celestine's Original Tuxedo Jazz Band was sick that day and Tony Williams stepped in to take his place. He brought the house down!

Davis' deteriorating hip joint caused him trouble and led him to cancel an engagement at Birdland (ca. October 14-22). The Quintet was booked for four nights at the Casa Loma Club in Montréal (November 4-7); and for two weeks at the Plugged Nickel, Chicago (November 11-22). A week-long engagement at the Penthouse in Cincinnati in early December may have been canceled. The Quintet closed the year with two weeks at the Bohemian Caverns in Washington DC (December 4-17) and a three-week stay at Basin Street West in San Francisco (December 30-January 19).

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