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Miles Ahead session details

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October 27, 1971 (16 items; TT = 178:07)
Théâtre Nationale Populaire, Paris (France)
Soundboard recording (B+)

Miles Davis (tpt); Gary Bartz (ss, as); Keith Jarrett (el-p, org); Michael Henderson (el-b); Ndugu Leon Chancler (d); Charles Don Alias (cga, perc); James Mtume Forman (cga, perc)

First concert
1 Directions (J. Zawinul) 14:48

Stage introduction 0:00-0:14. Theme stated at 3:12, 5:05
2 Honky Tonk (M. Davis) 10:16
3 What I Say (inc) (M. Davis) 13:05
4 Sanctuary (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 4:01
5 It's About That Time (M. Davis) 15:21
6 Yesternow (M. Davis) 12:49
7 Funky Tonk (M. Davis) 19:53
8 Sanctuary (closing theme, applause, announcement) (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 1:29

Second concert
9 Directions (J. Zawinul) 11:24

Theme stated at 2:26, 3:45
10 Honky Tonk (M. Davis) 9:46
11 What I Say (M. Davis) 12:38
12 Sanctuary (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 3:38
13 It's About That Time (M. Davis) 13:29
14 Yesternow (M. Davis) 13:51
15 Funky Tonk (M. Davis) 19:39
16 Sanctuary (closing theme, applause, announcement) (W. Shorter-M. Davis) 2:00


1 Directions
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

2 Honky Tonk
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

3 What I Say (inc)
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

4 Sanctuary
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

5 It's About That Time
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

6 Yesternow
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

7 Funky Tonk
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

8 Sanctuary (closing theme, applause, announcement)
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

9 Directions
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

10 Honky Tonk
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

11 What I Say
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

12 Sanctuary
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

13 It's About That Time
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

14 Yesternow
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

15 Funky Tonk
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025

16 Sanctuary (closing theme, applause, announcement)
CD: Premier no number, Voodoo Down VDD 2023-025


The music listed above as the second concert has circulated widely as "Unknown November 1971," but I am convinced that it is the second concert on this date. Most of the tapes purporting to contain the second Paris concert are spliced and include the first three tunes listed here plus the last 53 minutes from the first concert (from "Sanctuary" until the end).

Mega Disc includes the second concert only and lists the venue and date as Bologna, November 15, but this is wrong. (If it were from mid-November, the tunes would be in a different order: compare Venice, November 14 and Turin, November 16.) In any case, the music is the same as what has circulated as "Unknown November 1971."

All three of the performances at Théâtre Nationale Populaire were broadcast by ORTF. The masters are on 1/2" BASF tape. Produced by André Francis, they are listed in the archives as "Newport à Paris: premier concert de Miles Davis," "Newport à Paris: deuxième concert de Miles Davis," and "Newport à Paris: troisième concert de Miles Davis." Titles are not included in either the archive or in Francis' introductions. The music for the first broadcast (116 min) is listed as "Miles in Paris"; the second (80 min) is listed as "Open Rock Music"; the third (88 min) is listed as "Superfly in the sphere conditioned jungle."

Jack De Johnette left the Davis Sextet late in the summer, and Davis hired Leon Chancler as his replacement. The Sextet was booked for one night at the Saratoga (NY) Performing Arts Center (September 19), and made an extensive European tour in October-November with George Wein's "Newport Jazz Festival in Europe." The itinerary was as follows:

October 17: Kongress-Saal, Deutsches Museum, Munich (two concerts)
October 18: Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst, Frankfurt (two concerts)
October 19 (?) Stuttgart: Beethoven-Saal (two concerts)
October 21: Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi, Milan
October 22: Neue Stadthalle, Dietikon (two concerts)
October 23: Théâtre Nationale Populaire, Paris
October 26: Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels
October 27: Théâtre Nationale Populaire, Paris (two concerts)
October 29: De Doelen, Rotterdam
November 3: Dom Sindikata, Belgrade
November 5: Wiener Konzerthaus, Vienna
November 6: Philharmonie, Berlin
November 7: Universitets Aula, Uppsala
November 8: Tivoli Konsertsal, Copenhagen
November 9: Chateau Neuf, Oslo
November 12: Sartory Festsaal, Cologne
November 13: Royal Festival Hall, London (two concerts)
November 14: Teatro della Fenice, Venice
November 15: Palazzo dello Sport, Bologna
November 16: Palazzo dello Sport, Turin
November 18: Théâtre Alhambra, Bordeaux
November 20: Sports Pavilion, Cascais

Many of these concerts were recorded, though some are not complete. Thanks to Hans-Dieter Klinger for information about the concerts in West Germany at the beginning of the tour, and to Alexander Keth for information about the Bordeaux concert.

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