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Miles Ahead session details

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May 2, 1952 (2 items; TT = 11:28)
Birdland, New York NY
WNEW-AM radio broadcast (B-)

Miles Davis (tpt); Jackie McLean (as); Don Elliott (vb, mellophone); Gil Coggins (p); Connie Henry (b); Connie Kay (d)

1 Confirmation (C. Parker) 5:47
2 Out of the Blue (M. Davis) 5:41

Issued as "Evans" on Ozone


1 Confirmation
12" LP: Ozone 8
CD: Fresh Sound FSCD-1000, Charly/Le Jazz CD 23, Definitive Records DRCD 11164, FAP 001/3

2 Out of the Blue
12" LP: Ozone 8
CD: Fresh Sound FSCD-1000, Charly/Le Jazz CD 23, Definitive Records DRCD 11164, FAP 001/3


This is Davis' first live date as a leader since the October Birdland broadcast. His All-Star group was booked at Birdland for one week, May 1-7. These tunes were broadcast on WNEW, as part of Al "Jazzbo" Collins' "The Purple Grotto" show. Presumably there was more from this night, but so far this is all that has surfaced. I am grateful to James Accardi for identifying the source of this recording.

On May 31 a "gala affair" took place at the Union Park Temple in Chicago, where the "new king of the trumpet," Miles Davis, performed "with 2 bands." (No mention of the personnel, unfortunately.) An All-Star group comprising J.J. Johnson, Milds Davis [sic], Milt Jackson, Zoot Sims, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke, along with Symphony Sid Torin, "New York's Greatest Disc Jockey," was booked for a week (June 30-July 6) at Cleveland's Ebony Club.

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