Session details: Columbia 30th Street Studio (May 23, 1957)

Miles Ahead session details

May 23, 1957 (11 items; TT = 50:56)

Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York NY

Commercial for Columbia

Show chatter

Miles Davis (flh); Ernie Royal (tpt); Bernie Glow (tpt); Louis Mucci (tpt); Taft Jordan (tpt); Johnny Carisi (tpt); Frank Rehak (tb); Jimmy Cleveland (tb); Joe Bennett (tb); Tom Mitchell (tb); Willie Ruff (frh); Jimmy Buffington (frh); Bill Barber (tuba); Romeo Penque (fl, cl, bcl, oboe); Sid Cooper (fl, cl); Lee Konitz (as); Danny Bank (bcl); Paul Chambers (b); Arthur Taylor (d); Gil Evans (arr, cond)

1	New Rhumba (take 2) (A. Jamal)	4:38
2	New Rhumba (take 5) (A. Jamal)	4:40
3	New Rhumba (master (takes 11/12)) (A. Jamal)	4:37
4	Blues for Pablo (take 1) (G. Evans)	5:24
5	Blues for Pablo (master (take 4)) (G. Evans)	5:19
6	Blues for Pablo (rehearsal) (G. Evans)	5:55
	Evans: "The bar before F... Oh, there is no F?" Unkn: "F is two bars before the 6/4." Evans: "It's two before the 6/4... And make it three before that now, right? Three before the 6/4. Three, four..." They play (0:14-0:30). Evans: "Joe, there's a tie in letter F, a tie (sings) -- it's a triplet (sings). That's three before the 6/6, Paul, OK? Three, four..." They play (0:47-0:56). Evans: "All right. Joe, the triplet is tied (sings). Bennett: "What am I doin'?" Evans: "You're going da-da-da-dah. OK? Ready?" Unkn: Let's try it one time..." Unkn (control booth?): "It's gettin' pretty late." They play (1:12-1:19). Evans: "That's correct. And you delay it a little bit more that you're doing (sings). That kind of sound -- like you're in misery. OK." (Laughter.) Avakian: "Gil, let me get a call in here -- this is the third time, bar before F. Go ahead." Evans: "Three, four..." They play (1:39-3:05). Avakian: "Gil, can I get one before F again? There were a few minor mishaps along the way, nothing serious." Evans: "One before F again..." Unkn: "Is this for real, like, are we goin' through?" Unkn: "Yeah, it's the whole song." Evans: "That's right, that's right. Yeah..." (Splice) They play (3:31-4:03). Evans: "And you hold onto that note, see?" Avakian: "Gimme one more, Gil..." Unkn (to Evans): "You want me to hold it after you cut the band off?" Evans: "Yeah, I wish you would if you can. Can you? 'Cause it goes on to the next arrangement, that's a little before we... try New Rhumba." Unkn: "Yeah, well, I didn't quite know, but you cut the band off and I'll sustain it for a while." Evans: "Band, could you, would you mind getting out the New Rhumba and just playing the introduction, and we'll go right on from there..." False start (4:31-4:42) -- Davis fluffs the opening. (Laughter.) Unkn: "Say, Bernie, are you guys gonna start that thing in 6/4, or are you gonna start that... " Evans: "Hold that C a little longer, Miles" (sings). To band: "I think we'll take an attack on this one -- watch on this ending, all right? False start (4:56-5:06) -- Davis fluffs the opening again. They play (5:07-5:43). Evans: "That's all right..." Unkn: "Not very good." Davis: "Thought you had one good one, George, huh?"
7	Springsville (rehearsal) (J. Carisi)	6:58
	They play (0:00-1:15). Evans: "What was that?" Unkn: "That was nine, yeah?" Evans: "Oh, nine... I have to give you nine, huh? Everybody, letter G -- don't play it any louder than necessary -- ready? -- for the actual performance." They play (1:27-3:15). Evans: "Who's still left playing? Yeah, you're supposed to be off on five. (Laughter.) You see (sings) -- be sure you accent that fourth note." (Tpt section and bcl play.) "All right, all right, you can do it in your head, can't you? Ready? One, two, three, four..." They play (3:39-4:45). Evans: "All right, cut, cut. Accent the last note in the bar, too (sings). And that second note. The accent should be in your part (sings). Ready? One, two, three, four..." They play (3:57-4:24), Davis fluffs a few high notes. Evans: "OK..." Unkn: "What'd you say, Miles?" Evans: "A little faster now. Ready? One, two, three, four..." They play (4:30-4:53). Evans: "I could use a little more horn there at number 8. Four before 8, you know (sings) -- through that thing, I could use much more presence there. Everybody in... Play it four bars, Miles, and we'll start from the top..." (Splice) They play (5:15-6:58)
8	Springsville (master) (J. Carisi)	3:27
	Unknown pianist audible at beginning (Evans?). The issued version includes an overdubbed tpt solo from August 22
9	Studio chatter	0:05
	Avakian: "Yes, Miles." Davis: "So I'm gonna have another co-pilot..." (Only on Mosaic LP8, A1)
10	Springsville (take 5) (J. Carisi)	3:32
11	Springsville (rehearsal) (J. Carisi)	2:29
12	Studio chatter	0:19
	Various noodling and chatter. Davis: "Hey, George, I might leave out number, letter F, you know? In fact, I might leave out all this part..." (Laughs.)
13	Springsville (take 8) (J. Carisi)	3:33
	Without overdubs


1 New Rhumba (take 2) 12" LP: Columbia CJ 40784, Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia CK 40784, Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62
2 New Rhumba (take 5) 12" LP: Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62
3 New Rhumba (master (takes 11/12)) 12" LP: Columbia CL 1041 (= CS 8633), Sony 88765 41386-1, Nippon Columbia YS-304, CBS/Sony SONP 50147, CBS/Sony SOPL 152, CBS/Sony 18AP 2053, CBS/Sony 23AP 2553, CBS/Sony 25AP 752, Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia CK 53225, Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Columbia Legacy C2K 85475, Columbia Legacy 88883 75664, CBS/Sony 32DP 511, Sony SRCS 5697, Sony SRCS 9106, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62, Sony SRCS 9703, Sony SRCS 2493/4, Sony SRGS 4543, Sony SICP 811, Sony SICP 1202, Sony SICP 20052, Sony SICJ 12, Sony SICP 30521/9, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 4)
4 Blues for Pablo (take 1) 12" LP: Columbia CJ 40784, Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia CK 40784, Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62, Sony SRCS 9703, Sony SRGS 4543, Sony SICP 811, Sony SICP 30212, Sony SICJ 30039, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 4)
5 Blues for Pablo (master (take 4)) 12" LP: Columbia CL 1041 (= CS 8633), Sony 88765 41386-1, Columbia C5X 45000, Nippon Columbia YS-304, CBS/Sony SONP 50147, CBS/Sony SOPL 152, CBS/Sony 18AP 2053, CBS/Sony 23AP 2553, CBS/Sony 25AP 752, Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia CK 53225, Columbia Legacy C4K 45000, Columbia Legacy C4K 86569, Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Columbia CK 61405, Columbia Legacy 88883 75664, CBS/Sony 32DP 511, CBS/Sony 80DP 5430/3, Sony SICP 5037/40, Sony SRCS 5697, Sony SRCS 6841, Sony SRCS 7218, Sony SRCS 9106, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62, Sony SRCS 9703, Sony SRGS 4543, Sony SICP 811, Sony SICP 1202, Sony SICP 20052, Sony SICP 30212, Sony SICJ 30039, Sony SICJ 12, Sony SICP 30521/9, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 4)
6 Blues for Pablo (rehearsal) 12" LP: Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62
7 Springsville (rehearsal) 12" LP: Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62
8 Springsville (master) 12" LP: Columbia CL 1041 (= CS 8633), Sony 88765 41386-1, Nippon Columbia YS-304, CBS/Sony SONP 50147, CBS/Sony SOPL 152, CBS/Sony 18AP 2053, CBS/Sony 23AP 2553, CBS/Sony 25AP 752, Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia CK 53225, Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Columbia Legacy CK 64616, Columbia Legacy 88883 75664, CBS/Sony 32DP 511, Sony SRCS 5697, Sony SRCS 9106, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62, Sony SRCS 9703, Sony SRGS 4543, Sony SICP 811, Sony SICP 1202, Sony SICP 20052, Sony SICP 30212, Sony SICJ 30039, Sony SICJ 12, Sony SICP 30521/9, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 4)
9 Studio chatter 12" LP: Mosaic MQ11-164
10 Springsville (take 5) 12" LP: Columbia CJ 40784, Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia CK 40784, Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62
11 Springsville (rehearsal) 12" LP: Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62
12 Studio chatter 12" LP: Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62
13 Springsville (take 8) 12" LP: Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62

This is the third of four studio sessions scheduled for the recording of Miles Ahead.

The issued versions of "Springsville" and "New Rhumba" include overdubbed parts recorded during another session on August 22, 1957. All of these tunes involve some kind of post-production.

The brief snippet of an exchange between Davis and Avakian that precedes take 5 of "Springsville" is included at the very beginning of side A of LP 8 in the Mosaic set. It is not included in the Sony/Columbia CD versions of this music. It's not clear that it belongs here, but since it isn't mentioned in the Mosaic notes, I've just left it here with "Springsville."