Session details: Columbia Studio A (August 21, 1962)

Miles Ahead session details

August 21, 1962 (30 items; TT = 59:22)

Columbia Studio A, New York NY

Commercial for Columbia

Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); Frank Rehak (tb); Wayne Shorter (ts); Paul Chambers (b); Jimmy Cobb (d); Willie Bobo [William Correa] (bgo); Bob Dorough (p, voc)

1	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (rehearsal) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	0:36
	Brief run-through (0:23). Macero "All right, we'll play that back... Wait, wait, wait, one second, one second..."
2	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 1) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	1:15
	"OK, this is CO 75734, 'Blue Xmas', one..."
3	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 2) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	2:48
	"Two..." Afterward "All right, let's play that back." Davis practicing
4	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 3) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	0:11
	"Take three..."
5	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 4) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	1:46
	Afterward Shorter practicing, someone says, "...order some beer." Macero: "OK, here we go. Stand by, please..."
6	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 5) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	3:07
	"Yeah, this is take five..." Chambers: "Hey Miles, you got us some, uh... Hey Teo?" Macero: "Yeah, Paul." Chambers: "Why don't you order us some beer or somethin'?" Macero: "Like UP? You want UP?" Dorough: "What?" Macero: "Your P pops." Dorough: "OK..." Macero: "All right, stand by, this is still take five..."
7	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 6) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	0:59
	"Let's do one more. Ah, take six..." False start (0:07), then incomplete take (0:44)
8	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 7) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	0:47
	Macero: "We're still rolling. Take seven. Bob, watch your Ps" Dorough: "OK... I gotta say 'em." False start (0:10), then incomplete take (0:21)
9	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 8) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	0:49
	"Eight..." Davis sings the rhythm. False start (0:05), then incomplete take (0:19)
10	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 9) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	2:05
	"OK, here we go. This is nine..." Incomplete (0:35), false start (0:05), then another incomplete take (1:05)
11	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 10) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	2:59
	"Here we go. Ten..."
12	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 11) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	0:41
13	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 12 (fs)) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	0:33
	"Twelve..." Dorough plays the opening notes. Short discussion follows. Davis: "...and when you come in, you go [undecipherable]". False start (0:19)
14	Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 12) (M. Davis-B. Dorough)	2:41
15	Nothing Like You (rehearsal) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	8:27
	"Ain't nothin' but the blues, take one..." After a brief false start (0:05), Dorough plays the opening ascending progression; two more false starts (0:19, 0:11); Dorough plays the passage again, then says "you got a wrong note in there, Miles." They run through the opening passage: Dorough plays, Davis follows. Davis: "All right, sing..." Another incomplete take (1:20). Davis: "Teo, play that back, willya?" Macero: "We'll play that back..." Another run-through (2:03). At the end Cobb says, "There's one part in there (demonstrates) I think I messed up." Dorough, in response to Davis: "what, just the rhythm? Wha... One, one-two..."; a slow-tempo run through the changes without soloists (0:27). At the breakdown Dorough asks, "Third bar?" Cobb playing with sticks; Davis says "play the brushes, Jimmy... Here we go, from the top, slow..." Slow run-through of whole song (2:21). Shorter: "...second ending I got some chords." Davis pays a few notes, then asks, "Hey Bob? Hey, Bob?" Dorough: "Yeah?"
16	Nothing Like You (take 1) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	0:40
	"CO 75735, Nothing Like You Before, take one..." Breakdown at 0:20. Davis: "OK Bob, just me and you... Came in late..."
17	Nothing Like You (take 2) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	0:32
	"Two..." Dorough alone (0:08). Davis: "Just me and Bob and the rhythm..." Breakdown after 0:15. Davis: "Do it again..."
18	Nothing Like You (rehearsal) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	6:12
	They play, but that the breakdown (0:21) Davis complains "you fuckin' lost me!" Dorough: "I was playin'... [undecipherable exchange] OK." Davis: "OK, now think -- ba-ba-bah, bah." Dorough: "OK... we're in A-flat, isn't it?" Davis: "G-flat." Dorough: "Huh..." Macero: "You wanna take this from the top?" Dorough: "No." Davis: "Take it from your cock." (Laughter) Dorough begins the opening ascending progresssion, and Davis sings, "ba-ba-bah, bah..." Dorough: "It's A-flat" (plays). Davis sings "bap-bap-bap-baba... (Dorough plays) It's G-flat major seventh..." Short take (0:21), brief discussion, another short take (0:56). Davis complains, "If you play the fuckin' chords then I could hear it... [undecipherable]" Dorough, Chamber, and Correa demontrate chord changes (0:08). Dorough: "What?" Davis: "You have to play the chords so I can hear -- I can't hear you, and I can't hear the chords." Dorough: "It ain't loud enough?" They play (0:11). Davis: "Five bars after the introduction, all right?" Dorough: "OK, Right there." Davis: "One, two, three, four..." False start (0:03). Davis interrupts: "Jimmy, some time! One, two, three, four..." They begin. "Come on, Paul, 4/4. One, two, three, four..." Rhythm section only (0:24); Davis interrupts: "Try it again, try it again. OK? Five... five bars, uh, right on the same place. One, two, three, four..." Rhythm section only (0:41); Davis begins whistling the trumpet part at 0:24, then adds, "Don't play no motherfuckin' chords there..." Fred Plaut: "All right, go ahead." Macero: "You gotta put that in another hole... Freddy, put that in another hole." Davis: "I know a hole you can put it in." (Laughter) Macero: "Freddy's been trying to do that to me for a long time... OK, Bob, you wanna just say a few words?" Dorough: "Nothing like you... Nothing like you has ever been seen before..." Davis: "That's right." Dorough: "Nothing like you... existed in days..." Plaut: "No, no, it's [undecipherable] of an elephant." Macero: "You couldn't hear?" (Dorough noodling on piano.) Davis: "It's made from an elephant hand, man..." Macero: "No, we got those from leftover bombers..." Davis: "See, he ain't never thinkin' about it..." Plaut: "Put it in the back." Unknown: "There you go..." Davis: "Bring me a wig and I can wear it..." (Much laughter) Macero: "Play it."
19	Nothing Like You (take 3) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	0:14
	Macero: "Take three..."
20	Nothing Like You (take 4) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	0:28
	"Four..."
21	Nothing Like You (rehearsal) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	4:37
	False start (0:14). Davis: "E-flat major chord." Davis and Dorough work out a chord progression. Another short take (0:14). Davis: "OK, just me and you on the chords. The introduction, then the chords..." Another short take (0:14). Davis: "How many, how many beats you all are playin' before..." Dorough: "Bar, four beats." Plays (0:08-0:14). Davis: "Try it again. Uh, that fifth bar..." Dorough: "At the fifth bar?" Davis: "Yeah." They play (0:11). Davis: "You put A-flat in the chord?" Dorough: "Yeah." Davis: "I'm not hearin' it." Dorough plays. Davis: "You gotta play it, man. You're not playing nothin' in it." Dorough: "I got everything in it." Davis: "Well, play it up high so I can hear it." Dorough play the chords. They play (0:10); Davis interrupts: "What was that right there, man?" Dorough: "A-flat minor seventh." Davis: "Yeah, G-flat?" Dorough: "Yeah." Davis: "Now play G-flat." (Dorough plays.) "Now play it again, fifth bar..." They play (0:14). Davis: "Again, man, play 'em again." They play (0:09). Davis: "Try again." They play (0:17). Davis: "Play it again..." They play (0:12). Davis: "How are you comin' out of there?" Dorough: "Fifth bar?" Davis: "Yeah." They play (0:11). Davis: "You ain't playin' that right there, you know." Dorough: "Huh?" Davis plays a progression, Dorough plays chord changes (0:12). Davis: "How many beats you play, uh, B-flat major after that?" Dorough: "Another bar." Davis: "And then, ah, two beats... A-flat?" Dorough: "A-flat and B-flat." Davis: "G-flat -- a bar?" Dorough: "A bar, yeah." Davis: "Then G-flat to..." Dorough: "F-sharp minor, then B." (Plays changes)
22	Nothing Like You (take 5) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	1:05
	Macero: "Five." Davis: "We're gonna try it out for practice, Teo." Macero: "OK." Davis: "Hey, do you think I should play this in the mute -- the introduction -- or play it all open?" Macero and Dorough: "In the mute, I like it in the mute." Davis: "You mean all the background? OK, I'll play the whole thing with the mute." Macero: "OK, very nice. We're rolling..." False start (0:12). Davis: "Hey Bob, can you sing it without playin'?" Dorough: "Yeah." Davis: "OK, just, just we'll, the band will just play." Dorough: "OK." Davis: "But don't you sing... I mean, don't you play. You know what I mean?" Dorough: "Just sing, OK."
23	Nothing Like You (take 6) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	2:28
	Macero: "OK, here we go, six..." At the end Davis says, "Hey Teo, I wanna hear it, but I just wanna [undecipherable]" Macero: "OK, we'll play it back..." Davis: "It should swing..."
24	Nothing Like You (take 7) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	0:54
	"Take seven..." False start (0:04), then incomplete take (0:41). Davis [undecipherable]. Macero" Yeah."
25	Nothing Like You (take 8) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	1:06
	"Eight..." False start (0:03), then another incomplete take (0:40)
26	Nothing Like You (take 9) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	2:15
	Macero: "Nine..." Davis: "OK, try it again..." At the end Davis says, "make another one..."
27	Nothing Like You (take 10) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	4:58
	"Ten..." False start (0:03), then a complete take (2:05). Dorough: "I goofed, Miles... Uh, hit the wrong note or somethin', wrong word." Davis: "Where?" Dorough: "Near the end..." Davis: "Uh, let's take it from the middle." Dorough: "Where's that? Your solo? (He scats) And then go back? Nothing like you has ever been seen... No-thing like you, no-thing like you, nothing like you has ever been seen before... You're like a dream come true..." Someone whistles the tune. Davis: "Babalaba-ba-ba... You go all the way down in the..." Dorough: "OK, yeah, G-flat, right?" They play (0:42). Davis plays the ascending passage of the theme, then says "Let's start the same right here. We recording this, Teo?" Macero: "Yeah, we'll record this. Ah, Bob, is that last babala-babala-babala-babala-ba -- that high note, is that right?" Dorough: "Is that high note right?" Macero: "Yeah." Dorough: "Sure." Macero: "Shouldn't that be in unison?" Dorough: "Ah, no, I went up above him." Macero: "Yeah, a third above?" Dorough: "If I want... No, um, a second. It's all right if I want to, ain't it?" Macero: "Yeah, sure, I don't care." They play, beginning with "You're like a dream come true..." (0:43). Davis: "That should be it, Teo. Play that..."
28	Nothing Like You (take 11) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	1:41
	Macero: "Could we do one all the way from the top? Yeah, let's do one from the top. Hold it one second..." False start (0:06), then incomplete take (1:13)
29	Nothing Like You (take 12 (fs)) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	0:32
	"Twelve..." Three false starts (0:04, 0:04, 0:05)
30	Nothing Like You (take 12) (F. Landesman-B. Dorough)	1:56


14 Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (take 12) 45 rpm: Columbia Legacy 88875024357-1 12" LP: Columbia CL 1893 (= CS 8693), Mosaic MQ11-164, CBS (F) BPG 62637, CBS/Sony SONP 50199 CD: Columbia CK 40166, Sony Special Products RCAB 59970, CBS/Sony CSCS 5030, Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 17)
30 Nothing Like You (take 12) 12" LP: Columbia CL 2732 (= CS 9532), Mobile Fidelity Sound Laboratory MFSL 2-45435, Nippon Columbia YS-952, CBS/Sony SONP 50185, CBS/Sony SOPL 166, CBS/Sony 18AP 2070, CBS/Sony 23AP 2570, CBS/Sony 25AP 766, Mosaic MQ11-164 CD: Columbia CK 52974, Columbia CK 65680, Columbia Legacy CXK 67397, Columbia Legacy CXK 90923, Mobile Fidelity Sound Laboratory UDSACD 2145, CBS/Sony 32DP 725, Sony SRCS 5708, Sony SRCS 9115, Sony SRCS 7945/50, Sony SICP 657/62, Sony SRCS 9735, Sony SIGP 27, Sony SICP 828, Sony SICP 1217, Sony SICP 20081, Sony SICP 30264, Sony SICJ 30070, Columbia Legacy 86975 24922 [= Columbia (F) 86975 52492] (CD 27)

Davis, Columbia's best-selling jazz artist, was cajoled into contributing a title to a Christmas compilation album to be in the stores in December 1962. According to Jack Chambers (Milestones), Davis complained to Dorough, "What the fuck am I supposed to play for them? 'White Christmas'?" The lyrics are by Dorough and the arrangement is by Gil Evans. Davis plays some very tasty obbligatos behind Dorough's vocals, and Wayne Shorter -- taking a break from the Jazz Messengers -- has an excellent one-chorus solo on the issued take.

There are no instrumental breaks in "Nothing Like You," but there are some nice Davis/Rehak unison passages, Davis again plays very nice obbligatos, and the arrangement is vintage Evans. Many listeners dismiss these titles as fluff in the Davis catalog, but Davis and Macero took these tunes seriously enough to devote nearly an hour of studio time to getting them right -- twelve takes and several rehearsals apiece!

After the flurry of Columbia studio activity and live recording in the spring of 1961, Davis was relatively inactive during 1961-1962. He was evidently unhappy with Hank Mobley, though he did not replace him until sometime the following year. Davis added J.J. Johnson to the group in May-June 1961, and the Sextet was booked for a week at Philadelphia's Show Boat Lounge (June 5-10) and for two weeks at the Village Vanguard (June 27-July 9). They played at the Randall's Island Jazz Festival (August 26), and returned to the Village Vanguard for two weeks (September 12-24). Johnson performed with the group at The Birdhouse in Chicago (September 27-October 8), as evidenced by wonderful photographs taken by Laird Scott, and in Los Angeles at Club Renaissance (October 12-19). The year closed out with engagements at the Minor Key Club, Detroit (December 7-10) and the Jazz Gallery, New York (December 21, 1961-January 3, 1962). Saxophonist Rocky Boyd is sometimes said to have joined the group for some of these shows.

Touring continued in 1962: Howard Theatre, Washington (January 12-18 -- Philly Joe Jones on drums, and Johnson apparently did not make this gig); Regal Theatre, Chicago (February 23-March 1); and Sutherland Hotel Lounge, Chicago (March 7-18). A two-week engagement at Club Renaissance in Los Angeles (March 20-April 3) was canceled. On to Indiana University Auditorium (March 24 -- a benefit for the Indiana NAACP for which Davis did not show!). The group was booked for two stretches at the Village Vanguard (April 3-9 and April 17-29), between which they played a week at the Minor Key Club, Detroit (April 12-15). A two-week engagement at the Sutherland in Chicago (May 1-13) was canceled, but the group performed at Kansas City's Mardi Gras Club (May 18-28). Davis' father died during this engagement, and Davis attended the funeral in St. Louis. In June the group traveled west: Music Box Theatre, Los Angeles (June 1-10); Blackhawk Supper Club, San Francisco (June 12-July 1); Penthouse Theatre, Seattle (July 4-10); Minor Key, Detroit (August 16-19); La Comédie Canadienne, Montréal (August 24-25; Davis filled in for an ailing Sonny Rollins for the August 25 matinée); Showboat Club, Philadelphia (September 17-22); Village Vanguard, New York (November 13-19); Old Brown Theatre, Louisville KY (December 1). A four-night engagement at the Music Box Club, Cleveland (December 6-9) was canceled and rescheduled for December 27-30. The group was booked for a week at the Uptown Theatre, Philadelphia (December 25-January 1) -- Davis missed one of the shows on the 25th, played until the 30th, and walked out on the 31st, leaving his trumpet behind and missing the last two days of the gig. Mobley is still listed as the saxophonist at the end of 1962.