Session details: Columbia 30th Street Studio (January 25, 1968)

Miles Ahead session details

January 25, 1968 (2 items; TT = 9:07)

Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York NY

Commercial for Columbia

Show chatter

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

1	I Have a Dream (rehearsal) (H. Hancock)	6:42
	Begins with Hancock counting off tempo. They play (0:03-1:06), and some brief chatter. (Splice) They play (quicker tempo, 1:10-2:46); at the beginning Davis says to Hancock, who's laying out, "Herbie, you can play it slower, or faster." At 2:46 Davis says, "Hey, play a little bit of that back, Teo..." (Splice) They play (2:49-3:52); when Williams changes pattern, Hancock: "No, no, no, keep that up. Yeah, that was it, though. You know what I mean, Tony? Yeah, keep it up, like... And just let Ron and me change. Wanna take it at the vamp, before goin' into the three?" Williams: "OK..." (Splice) They play (4:08-6:42)
2	Speak Like a Child (rehearsal) (H. Hancock)	2:25
	Begins with Hancock counting off; there are several breakdowns; at the end Davis says "That's all."


1 I Have a Dream (rehearsal) 12" LP: Mosaic MQ10-177 CD: Columbia Legacy C6K 67398, Columbia Legacy C6K 90925, Sony SRCS 8575/80, Sony SICP 663/8
2 Speak Like a Child (rehearsal) 12" LP: Mosaic MQ10-177 CD: Columbia Legacy C6K 67398, Columbia Legacy C6K 90925, Sony SRCS 8575/80, Sony SICP 663/8

The playing on both of these tunes is tentative and exploratory, as if Hancock were trying to interest Davis in the compositions. Benson and Davis play only on "I Have a Dream," on which Davis has a nice solo.

"Speak Like a Child" was recorded for Blue Note by Hancock and a sextet in March 1968 at a session which also included "Riot" and "The Sorcerer"; they were released 1n 1969 on Speak Like a Child (Blue Note BST 84279). "I Have a Dream" was not recorded until April 1969 for Hancock's album The Prisoner (Blue Note BST 84321), released in 1970.

In the first six weeks of 1968 Davis spent a lot of time in the studio with the Quintet and several guests. He was interviewed on January 22 by Art Taylor for his book Notes and Tones (quoted above). The frenetic studio activity continued until mid-February, at which point the Quintet resumed an active touring schedule.