1 Introduction (Willis Conover)
CD: Domino 891209

2 Gingerbread Boy
CD: Columbia Legacy 88875 08195, Sony SICJ 30001/4, Domino 891209

3 All Blues
CD: Columbia Legacy 88875 08195, Sony SICJ 30001/4, Domino 891209

4 Stella by Starlight
CD: Columbia Legacy 88875 08195, Sony SICJ 30001/4, Domino 891209

5 R.J.
CD: Columbia Legacy 88875 08195, Sony SICJ 30001/4

6 Seven Steps to Heaven
CD: Columbia Legacy 88875 08195, Sony SICJ 30001/4

7 The Theme (with applause, closing announcement)
CD: Columbia Legacy 88875 08195, Sony SICJ 30001/4

This is the only extant live recording of "R.J.," which was recorded in the studio in January 1965 and released on E.S.P. in August. The introduction by Willis Conover and the closing announcement by Leonard Feather are almost certainly from different recordings. The version of "Gingerbread Boy" included on Columbia Legacy 88875 08195 is faded in at the beginning and is missing the first several seconds of Conover's introduction.

There has been some confusion about the date of this performance (the recording in the Library of Congress collection is dated July 2), but July 4 seems to be correct. The date is listed in a pre-festival advertisement in the New York Amsterdam News (June 25); and a review of the festival in Down Beat (August 11) confirms that the Quintet played on July 4.

After the Newport Festival, the Quintet performed at Lewisohn Stadium in New York (July 15) and Chicago's Plugged Nickel Club (July 20-31; Eddie Gomez has replaced Carter on bass), then played in Cleveland at the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival (August 6; Carter is back on bass). They were booked for an encore in Detroit's Cobo Arena on August 7: "George Wein Presents Festival Encore" -- scheduled along with the Quintet were Sarah Vaughan, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the Horace Silver Quintet, the Jimmy Smith Trio, and Joe Williams. The Quintet was booked for three weeks at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco (August 9-21, with Gomez back on bass; Davis was stranded in Chicago and missed the first three nights). The group returned to New York and was booked at the Village Vanguard (September 6-11 and September 27-October 2). The Quintet, with Carter back on bass, played at the Pacific Jazz Festival at the New Orange County Fairground in Costa Mesa CA (October 9).

I am grateful to Chris DeVito and Jan Lohmann for help with this session.