Session details: Columbia 30th Street Studio (May 14, 1963)

Miles Ahead session details

May 14, 1963 (20 items; TT = 50:12)

Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York NY

Commercial for Columbia

Show chatter

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

1	Seven Steps to Heaven (rehearsal) (V. Feldman-M. Davis)	1:06
	Carter starts off with "So Near, So Far," but after laughter Hancock plays the first few notes of "Seven Steps to Heaven." Davis (to Carter): "Let Herbie try it, man." Carter gets the notes from Hancock; Davis counts off. False start. Davis: "OK. One, two, three, four..." False start. Davis (undecipherable)
2	Seven Steps to Heaven (rehearsal take) (V. Feldman-M. Davis)	7:51
	As the tune ends Davis says, "That's the way it it goes, Teo."
3	Seven Steps to Heaven (remake take 1 (nc)) (V. Feldman-M. Davis)	0:28
	"CO 78341, remake, take one." At the breakdown Davis says, "Try it like..."
4	Seven Steps to Heaven (remake take 2 (nc)) (V. Feldman-M. Davis)	0:35
	"Two..."
5	Seven Steps to Heaven (remake take 3 (nc)) (V. Feldman-M. Davis)	0:20
	"Three..." Coleman muffs the opening theme
6	Seven Steps to Heaven (remake take 3) (V. Feldman-M. Davis)	6:32
	Edited (2:57) on Columbia 42853
	As the tune ends Davis asks, "How's that, Teo?" (Splice.) Coleman: "Yeah. let's try it. Let me see what I got here..." Davis: "OK."
7	So Near, So Far (rehearsal take) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	7:16
	Macero: "Rehearsal..." Carter starts; Davis interrupts and counts off. At the end Macero says, "We're taking..." Davis interrupts, "Hey, Teo..."
8	So Near, So Far (take 1 (nc)) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	1:19
	"Ah, this is 'So Near, So Far', CO 78343, take one..."
9	So Near, So Far (take 2) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	7:26
	"Take two..."
10	So Near, So Far (insert 1 take 1) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	0:29
	"Insert one, take one..." At the end Macero says, "That seemed a little fast here, but maybe..."
11	So Near, So Far (insert 1 take 2) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	0:40
	"Insert one, take two..." False start. Coleman: "...either B natural or C-sharp." Davis: "B natural." False start, then a good insert
12	So Near, So Far (insert 1 take 3) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	0:29
	"One more. Insert one, take three..." At the end Davis exclaims, "No, I do that..." Coleman: "He said what?" Davis: "OK, take it again..."
13	So Near, So Far (insert 1 take 4) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	0:35
	Macero: "Insert one, take four." False start, then a usable insert. At the end Macero says, "OK, we'll splice that up, ah, before..." Davis: "Right on it..."
14	So Near, So Far (insert 2 take 1) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	1:04
	Macero: "All right, this is, um, insert two, take one..." Hancock: "The intro, too, right?" Davis: "No, right on it." Two false starts. Davis: "No, which way now, man?" They play (0:21-0:57). Davis: "George, don't play that F. No..."
15	So Near, So Far (insert 2 take 2) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	1:30
	Macero: "Insert two, take two..." Macero: "Insert two, take two." (Someone sings.) Coleman: "There's one down there?" Davis: "Yeah, well, man, ain't you got one written there?" Hancock: "There's a G minor seventh." Davis: "Yeah." Coleman: "Say Miles, goin' out, though, we play the whole thing, on the turnback, on the second ending... But goin' out..." Macero: "This is still insert two, take two." They play (0:21-1:23). Macero: "We'll play that back..."
16	So Near, So Far (insert 2 take 3) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	1:06
	At the end Davis says, "Hey Teo, I wanna hear that, I wanna hear how that sounds, y'know?"
17	So Near, So Far (intro take 1) (T. Crombie-B. Green)	1:32
	Macero: "Oh, this is, uh, Intro, take one..." They play (0:05-1:18). At the end Davis says, "That's the first chorus..." Macero: "OK." Davis: "...you know, down to the last part, y'know, then you go to that first rehearsal take, Teo." Macero: "And then use this last, uh, take three for the ending." Davis: "Yeah."
18	Joshua (remake take 1 (fs)) (V. Feldman)	0:24
	"'Joshua' remake, CO 78344, take one..." False start. Davis (sounds irritated): "EIGHT bars... One, two, three..."
19	Joshua (remake take 2 (nc)) (V. Feldman)	1:57
	Davis coughs, much laughter
20	Joshua (remake take 3) (V. Feldman)	7:33
	"Three..." At the end Davis says, "Play it." Macero: "OK." The issued version contains two edits: at 3:59 and 4:20 -- each removes eight bars of Coleman's solo (3:59-4:11 and 4:32-4:44 of original)


6 Seven Steps to Heaven (remake take 3) 45 rpm: Columbia 4-42853 12" LP: Columbia CL 2051 (= CS 8851), Columbia C5X 45000, Nippon Columbia YS-292, CBS/Sony SONP 50214, CBS/Sony SOPL 158, CBS/Sony 18AP 2060, CBS/Sony 23AP 2560, CBS/Sony 25AP 758, CBS/Sony 00AP 2076/81, Mosaic MQ10-226 CD: Columbia CK 48827, Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93592, CBS/Sony 32DP 527, Sony SRCS 5704, Sony SRCS 9109, Sony SRCS 9755, Sony SIGP 14, Sony SICP 820, Sony SICP 1209, Sony SICP 30059, Sony SICP 620/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 18)
7 So Near, So Far (rehearsal take) 12" LP: Columbia CL 2051 (= CS 8851), Nippon Columbia YS-292, CBS/Sony SONP 50214, CBS/Sony SOPL 158, CBS/Sony 18AP 2060, CBS/Sony 23AP 2560, CBS/Sony 25AP 758, Mosaic MQ10-226 CD: Columbia CK 48827, Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93592, CBS/Sony 32DP 527, Sony SRCS 5704, Sony SRCS 9109, Sony SRCS 9755, Sony SIGP 14, Sony SICP 820, Sony SICP 1209, Sony SICP 30059, Sony SICP 620/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 18)
20 Joshua (remake take 3) 12" LP: Columbia CL 2051 (= CS 8851), Nippon Columbia YS-292, CBS/Sony SONP 50214, CBS/Sony SOPL 158, CBS/Sony 18AP 2060, CBS/Sony 23AP 2560, CBS/Sony 25AP 758, Mosaic MQ10-226 CD: Columbia CK 48827, Columbia Legacy C7K 90840, Columbia CK 93592, CBS/Sony 32DP 527, Sony SRCS 5704, Sony SRCS 9109, Sony SRCS 9755, Sony SIGP 14, Sony SICP 820, Sony SICP 1209, Sony SICP 30059, Sony SICP 620/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 18)

The issued version of "So Near, So Far" is a composite:

Issued version	Source
0:00 - 1:08	Intro take 1 (0:05-1:13)
1:08 - 5:53	middle of rehearsal take (1:19-6:04)
5:53 - 6:25	the first 15 measures of insert 2 take 3 (0:00-0:32)
6:25 - 6:58	the end of insert 2 take 2 (0:53-1:31)

Davis must have liked the sound of this new group, since two of the titles recorded here are remakes of tunes recorded in Columbia's Hollywood studios less than a month before.

The problems Davis had throughout 1962 with keeping a working group continued into 1963. His quintet was booked at Philadelphia's Uptown Theatre from December 25, 1962 through January 1, 1963 (Wednesday-Tuesday); in addition to missing one of the sets on December 25, Davis walked out and missed the last two nights (and was later ordered by the musicians' union to pay the promoter $8000). A two-week engagement at Chicago's Sutherland Hotel Lounge, January 30-February 10 (Wednesday-Sunday) was followed by the sudden departure of Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers. Davis was forced to cancel an eight-day engagement at Gino's Club in St. Louis, February 15-23 (Friday-Saturday). He was booked for two weeks at the Blackhawk Supper Club in San Francisco, March 5-17 (Tuesday-Sunday), but the opening was delayed for a week while Davis recruited some West Coast players. In addition to Jimmy Cobb, he ended up with Frank Strozier on alto, George Coleman on tenor, Victor Feldman or Harold Mabern on piano, and Ron Carter on bass (at the time Carter was playing with Art Farmer). The sextet played a ten-day gig at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Los Angeles, April 5-14 (Friday-Sunday). Cobb, who was planning to leave the Davis group later in the summer, left in mid-April after a dispute about money. He returned to New York and joined Wes Montogomery in the studio on April 22. Before leaving, he recommended Frank Butler, and the quintet -- Feldman on piano, Butler on drums and without Strozier -- went into Columbia's Hollywood studios for these sessions. Butler remained in Los Angeles and the rest of the group returned to the East Coast, where they were booked for one night at the Lyric Theatre in Baltimore (May 9; "The Miles Davis Quintette" was listed as Davis, George Coleman, Frank Strozier, Harold Maybern [sic], Jim Cobb. I can't believe that Carter didn't play with the group, so either it was not a "quintette" or else one of the horns, probably Strozier, didn't play).

Davis fired Strozier and Mabern soon afterward, hiring Hancock and Williams; and the new Miles Davis Quintet -- Davis, Coleman, Hancock, Carter, Williams -- went into Columbia's 30th Street Studio on May 14, then hit the road: Bowdoin College, Brunswick ME (May 17 -- listed as the Miles Davis Sestet); Jazz Villa, St. Louis (May 27-June 4); Sutherland Hotel Lounge, Chicago (June 5-16); Jazz Temple, Cleveland (June 20-23 -- listed as the Miles Davis Sextet); Village Vanguard, New York (July 2-14).

Much of this material has been issued on The Sessions of Seven Steps (Mega Disc Legendary 041617 and 0514).

I am grateful to Tommaso Urbano, Bill White, and Fernando Ortiz de Urbina for help with this session.