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Miles Ahead session details

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November 29, 1972 (5 items; TT = 69:04)
Columbia Studio E, New York NY
Commercial for Columbia
Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); Carlos Garnett (ss); Cedric Lawson (keyb); Reggie Lucas (g); Khalil Balakrishna (sitar); Michael Henderson (el-b); Al Foster (d); James Mtume Forman (cga, perc); Badal Roy (tabla)

1 Untitled Original 721129 (M. Davis) 30:20
2 Turnaround (take 9) [Agharta Prelude] (M. Davis) 7:56
3 Turnaround (take 14) [Agharta Prelude] (M. Davis) 17:19
4 U-Turnaround (take 15) [Agharta Prelude] (M. Davis) 9:09
5 Michael's Tune (take 4) (M. Henderson) 4:20


3 Turnaround (take 14)
CD: Columbia Legacy C6K 06239, Sony SICP 1581/6, Kind of Blue KOB 003

4 U-Turnaround (take 15)
12" LP: Columbia 19658749181
CD: Columbia Legacy C6K 06239, Sony SICP 1581/6, Kind of Blue KOB 003


Soon after returning to New York in October, Davis broke both legs in an automobile accident ( October 19 ). This kept him off the road until January, but there were several studio sessions in November-December.

Apparently all of these tunes were recorded in a single session on November 29; sometimes they are listed as spread over three sessions, November 29 ("Turnaround" and "U-Turnaround"), November 30 (Untitled original), and December 1 ("Michael's Tune").

The first appearance of the tune called "Turnaround"/"U-Turnaround" was as part 2 of the medley "Prelude" on Agharta (CBS/Sony SOPJ 92/3), and so it is sometimes listed in earlier discographies as "Prelude, part 2" or just "Agharta Prelude." Bill Laswell's Panthalassa (Columbia CK 67909, Sony SRCS 8457) includes a 4:09 remix of some of this material, "Agharta Prelude Dub."

The choice of "Turnaround" as a title for this tune is unfortunate because it invites confusion with "Turnaroundphrase," a staple of live performances from April 1973 until July 1975. For this reason I've stuck with the title "Agharta Prelude" on subsequent dates where this tune was performed.

On "Michael's Tune" only Lawson (keyb), Henderson (el-b, voc), and Foster (d) are audible. Several vocal tracks are overdubbed.

Thanks to Jan Lohmann for help with this session.

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