Session details: Columbia Studio C (March 17, 1970)

Miles Ahead session details

March 17, 1970 (7 items; TT = 25:23)

Columbia Studio C, New York NY

Commercial for Columbia

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Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ss); Bennie Maupin (bcl); John McLaughlin (g); Dave Holland (el-b); Billy Cobham (d)

1	Duran (rehearsal) (M. Davis)	0:17
	False start (0:14), then Davis: "Go ahead, do it -- keep on. That's nice..."
2	Duran (take 1) (M. Davis)	3:33
	Macero: "This is CO 103786, take one..." McLaughlin: "Well, after we play with that for a while, we better go to D-flat [undecipherable] to E diminished, and then go through that and land on the part (plays chord)..." Davis: "It's one-two-three-four-five-six you're playin' -- bop, mm, bop, mm, bop -- go ahead. One, two, three..." Short rhythm section run through, slow tempo (1:03), interrupted by Davis: "Wait to -- go back to the first again... Well you gotta tighten that... Hey look, John, go back to the first again." McLaughlin (plays chords): "Right, right, right." Davis: "And then play it again, and land on that F, and then c minor..." Short run-through (0:39), then McLaughlin and Holland work on the rhythm (0:24), then another short rhythm section run-through (0:16). Davis: "So on..." McLaughlin interrupts: "The F, then we return back to the other one (plays)..." Davis: "YEAH! Go ahead..."
3	Duran (take 2) (M. Davis)	0:50
	Macero: "Two." False start (0:13) interrupted by Davis: "What -- what you play, Billy? You gonna play in six, right?" Cobham: "You want me to play in six?" Davis: "You playing one, two, three, FOUR, five, bop-bum-too-poo-bah. Use that -- bop (snaps fingers), mm-mm-bop (snap), mm-mm-bop (snap)... One, two..." Macero: "Two..." False start (0:14), interrupted by Davis: "Yeah, but it has to [undecipherable] -- it's rushed."
4	Duran (take 3) (M. Davis)	2:31
	Macero: "Three." Short run-through (2:12) with rhythm section and trumpet. Breaks down, then the group plays the bridge (0:15). Davis: "Start it first..."
5	Duran (take 4) (M. Davis)	5:44
	Macero: "Four." Davis counts off. Long run-through (5:34) with trumpet and guitar solos. Afterward Davis: "That's some raunchy shit, John..."
6	Duran (take 5) (M. Davis)	0:23
	Macero: "Five." Davis counts off. Short run-through (1:23) interrupted by Davis: "No, in between [undecipherable] -- you know, dia -- ah, check -- no, don't do that. Play the figure again."
7	Duran (take 6) (M. Davis)	12:05
	McLaughlin, Holland, Cobham work on rhythm (0:41), then Cobham on his own, with Davis coaching (2:04): "Right... Da-dum, da-dum... Just do it once, just somethin' on the bass drum. Go ahead -- one, two, three, four.. Just play it once..." Another run-through (4:05), with trumpet, guitar, and bass clarinet solos. Aftward Macero: "OK, we'll play it from the..." [cut off]


5 Duran (take 4) 12" LP: CMG 19439860581 CD: Columbia Legacy C5K 86359, Columbia Legacy C5K 90926, Sony SICP 431/5
7 Duran (take 6) 12" LP: Columbia KC2 36474, CBS/Sony 38AP 2017/8 CD: Columbia Legacy C5K 86359, Columbia Legacy C5K 90926, CBS/Sony CSCS 5135/6, Sony SRCS 9310/1, Sony SRCS 9761/62, Sony SICJ 30113/4, Sony SICP 431/5, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 12)

The issued versions of "Duran" are edited from the material listed above:

Issued version	Source
Take 4 (Columbia Legacy C5K 86359)	Take 4, 0:03-5:41
Take 6 (Columbia KC2 36474)	Take 6, 0:44-12:04

This is Wayne Shorter's last studio session; Steve Grossman, who had already participated in several studio sessions (November 19 and 28, 1969; February 27 and March 3, 1970), was quickly hired as Shorter's replacement. He joined the group in the studio on March 20.

Davis had various groups in the studio throughout the first half of 1970 -- fourteen dates in the first half of the year! Some of the music recorded in the studio during this period -- e.g. "Willie Nelson," "Honky Tonk," "The Mask" -- was immediately added to the live book.

The Davis Sextet maintained a busy touring schedule throughout this period: Schwab Auditorium, Pennsylvania State University (February 14); Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor (February 21); Fillmore East, New York (March 6-7); Fillmore West, San Francisco (April 9-12); Shelly's Manne-Hole (April 14-26); Both/And Club, San Francisco (April 28).