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Miles Ahead session details

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June 4-14, 1969 (4 items; TT = 59:02)
Plugged Nickel Club, Chicago IL
Audience recording (B-)

Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ss, ts); Chick Corea (el-p); Dave Holland (b); Jack De Johnette (d)

1 Gingerbread Boy (J. Heath) 13:29
2 Masqualero (W. Shorter) 13:39
3 Agitation (inc) (M. Davis) 16:34

Splice at 0:18
4 Milestones (inc) (M. Davis) 15:20

Cut off at 15:20


The date of this set is uncertain. The Davis Quintet was booked at the Plugged Nickel from June 4-14 (Wednesday-Saturday), with a break on Monday-Tuesday, June 9-10. One of the concerts was reviewed in Down Beat (August 7, 1969), where reviewer Larry Kart remarked, "Outside of Charlie Parker's best units, I don't think there's ever been a group so at ease at up tempos as Miles Davis' current quintet. Their relaxation at top speed enables them to move at will from the 'hotness' up-tempo playing usually implies to a serene lyricism in the midst of turmoil."

Davis was interviewed by Don De Michael during this stay at the Plugged Nickel, and parts of the interview were published in Down Beat (December 11, 1969) and in Rolling Stone (No. 48, December 13, 1969). Topics include boxing and the importance of being in good shape for playing trumpet.

The Quintet was busy throughout the spring and summer of 1969, including three appearances at the Village Gate: April 25-26, May 23-24, and July 29-August 10. Other dates include: Lennie's on the Turnpike, West Peabody MA (May 5-11); Spectrum, Philadelphia (May 11); Plugged Nickel Club, Chicago (June 4-14); Blue Coronet Club, Brooklyn (June 21-29); Morgan State Jazz Festival, Baltimore (June 22); Miami Jai-Alai (Miami Jazz Festival) (June 27); Armstrong Stadium, Hampton VA (Hampton Jazz Festival) (June 28); Festival Field, Newport RI (Newport Jazz Festival) (July 5); Central Park, New York (Schaefer Music Festival) (July 7); Olympia Stadium, Detroit (Detroit Jazz Festival) (July 13); Memorial Auditorium, Dallas (Longhorn Jazz Festival) (July 18); Municipal Auditorium, Austin (Longhorn Jazz Festival) (July 19); Coliseum, Houston (Longhorn Jazz Festival) (July 20); Juan-les-Pins Festival, Antibes (July 25-26); Rutgers University Stadium, New Brunswick (Rutgers Jazz Festival) (July 27); Sheraton Park Hotel, French Lick (French Lick Jazz Festival) (July 31); Spectrum, Philadelphia (August 15); Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis (St. Louis Jazz Festival) (August 16); Grant Park Auditorium Theatre, Chicago (August 22); Crosley Field, Cincinnati (Ohio Jazz Festival) (August 23); Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis (Memphis Jazz Festival) (August 24).

Columbia had planned to record the Quintet live at the Village Gate on August 6-7, and at the Spectrum in Philadelphia (August 15), but those plans were canceled.

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