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Miles Ahead session details

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May 8, 1949 (8 items; TT = 19:35)
Salle Pleyel, Paris (France)
Commercial for Columbia
Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); James Moody (ts); Tadd Dameron (p); Barney Spieler (b); Kenny Clarke (d)

1 Introduction 0:25
2 Rifftide (C. Hawkins) 4:08

Announcements continue until 0:46. Davis quotes "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie" at 1:17, and uses "Country Gardens" at the beginning of his exchanges with Clarke (2:59-3:03). Listed as "Lady Be Good (unissued)" on Philology 849
3 Introduction 0:04
4 Good Bait (T. Dameron-C. Basie) 5:32

Voiceover announcement 0:18-0:42
5 Introduction 0:13
6 Don't Blame Me (D. Fields-J. McHugh) 4:16

Moody out. Voiceover announcement 0:01-0:05
7 Introduction 0:04
8 Lady Bird (T. Dameron) 4:53


1 Introduction
12" LP: Columbia JC 34804, CBS/Sony 18AP 2051, CBS/Sony 23AP 2551, CBS/Sony 25AP 91
CD: CBS/Sony 32DP 721, Sony SRCS 5695, Sony SRCS 9301, Sony SRCS 9724, Sony SICP 3965, Sony SICJ 30037, Philology Volume 19 (W 849), Jazz Door JD 12110, Jazz Factory JFCD 22831, Jazz Factory JFCD 22882, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 1)

2 Rifftide
12" LP: Columbia JC 34804, CBS/Sony 18AP 2051, CBS/Sony 23AP 2551, CBS/Sony 25AP 91
CD: CBS/Sony 32DP 721, Sony SRCS 5695, Sony SRCS 9301, Sony SRCS 9724, Sony SICP 3965, Sony SICJ 30037, Philology Volume 19 (W 849), Jazz Door JD 12110, Jazz Factory JFCD 22831, Jazz Factory JFCD 22882, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 1)

3 Introduction
12" LP: Columbia JC 34804, CBS/Sony 18AP 2051, CBS/Sony 23AP 2551, CBS/Sony 25AP 91
CD: CBS/Sony 32DP 721, Sony SRCS 5695, Sony SRCS 9301, Sony SRCS 9724, Sony SICP 3965, Sony SICJ 30037, Philology Volume 19 (W 849), Jazz Door JD 12110, Jazz Factory JFCD 22831, Jazz Factory JFCD 22882, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 1)

4 Good Bait
12" LP: Columbia JC 34804, CBS/Sony 18AP 2051, CBS/Sony 23AP 2551, CBS/Sony 25AP 91
CD: CBS/Sony 32DP 721, Sony SRCS 5695, Sony SRCS 9301, Sony SRCS 9724, Sony SICP 3965, Sony SICJ 30037, Jazz Door JD 12110, Jazz Factory JFCD 22831, Jazz Factory JFCD 22882, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 1)

5 Introduction
12" LP: Columbia JC 34804, CBS/Sony 18AP 2051, CBS/Sony 23AP 2551, CBS/Sony 25AP 91
CD: CBS/Sony 32DP 721, Sony SRCS 5695, Sony SRCS 9301, Sony SRCS 9724, Sony SICP 3965, Sony SICJ 30037, Jazz Door JD 12110, Jazz Factory JFCD 22831, Jazz Factory JFCD 22882, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 1)

6 Don't Blame Me
12" LP: Columbia JC 34804, CBS/Sony 18AP 2051, CBS/Sony 23AP 2551, CBS/Sony 25AP 91
CD: CBS/Sony 32DP 721, Sony SRCS 5695, Sony SRCS 9301, Sony SRCS 9724, Sony SICP 3965, Sony SICJ 30037, Jazz Door JD 12110, Jazz Factory JFCD 22831, Jazz Factory JFCD 22882, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 1)

7 Introduction
12" LP: Columbia JC 34804, CBS/Sony 18AP 2051, CBS/Sony 23AP 2551, CBS/Sony 25AP 91
CD: CBS/Sony 32DP 721, Sony SRCS 5695, Sony SRCS 9301, Sony SRCS 9724, Sony SICP 3965, Sony SICJ 30037, Jazz Door JD 12110, Jazz Factory JFCD 22831, Jazz Factory JFCD 22882, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 1)

8 Lady Bird
12" LP: Columbia JC 34804, CBS/Sony 18AP 2051, CBS/Sony 23AP 2551, CBS/Sony 25AP 91
CD: CBS/Sony 32DP 721, Sony SRCS 5695, Sony SRCS 9301, Sony SRCS 9724, Sony SICP 3965, Sony SICJ 30037, Jazz Door JD 12110, Jazz Factory JFCD 22831, Jazz Factory JFCD 22882, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 1)


"Rifftide" is based on the changes of "Lady Be Good" and was first recorded in December 1944 by Mary Lou Williams. It was credited to Coleman Hawkins when he recorded it in February 1945 for Capitol. Substantially the same tune (albeit with a different bridge) was recorded in May 1954 by Thelonious Monk, with a new title, "Hackensack," and credited to Monk.

This was a broadcast recording from the Festival International 1949 de Jazz . The festival included many traditional acts from the United States -- Sidney Bechet, Russell Moore, Oran "Hot Lips" Paige -- but it also introduced bebop groups like the Charlie Parker Quintet and the Davis-Dameron quintet. Also on the bill were musicians from England (Vic Lewis' big band), Belgium (Toots Thielemans Trio), Switzerland (Hazy Osterwald's quintet), Italy (Armando Trovajoli), and of course many from France (including Aimé Barelli, Hubert Rostang, the Django Reinhardt Quintet). [roster front] [roster back] [program cover] [Jazz Hot Nr. 22 (Mai 1949)]

The Davis-Dameron Quintet were in Paris for eight days (May 8-15). During this period they performed at the Salle Pleyel on the 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th (two concerts), 14th, and 15th (two concerts). In addition, according to André Hodeir -- "Le Festival 1949" in Jazz Hot No. 34 (Juin 1949), pp. 7-10 -- the group played at the Lyon Opera on May 11 and the Alhambra in Bordeaux on May 13.

Ken Vail (Miles' Diary) claims that Paris Festival recordings were made on the following days:

  • May 8 (Sunday): Don't Blame Me; Rifftide; The Squirrel; Embraceable You; Ornithology; Good Bait; Lady Bird; Perdido; All the Things You Are; Crazy Rhythm
  • May 9 (Monday): Wahoo; Allen's Alley; Embraceable You; Ornithology; All the Things You Are
  • May 14 (Saturday): Lady Be Good; Don't Blame Me; Allen's Alley; Crazy Rhythm; All the Things You Are
  • May 15 (Sunday): Farewell Blues (jam session)

This is much more than has been issued commercially and on private recordings, and unfortunately Vail includes no documentation for his claims, so it's hard to know whether to hope for more from this important festival. In any case, I have followed the customary dating of the material in circulation.

I am grateful to Pascal Garnier for providing me with a copy of the 1949 Jazz Hot essay.

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