Prestige Meets …   ... ... ... ... ... ...


REVIEW    DownBeat  /  September 14, 1961


Miles Davis
Steamin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet

Prestige 7200

★★★★½

Rudy Van Gelder Remasters


This album is from the memorable 1956 recording dates by the Davis quintet. It is the last in the series that included Cookin’, Relaxin’ and Workin’. This release takes its place with the other three as examples of free blowing at its most stimulating. Theme and variation, though it has been lamented and disparaged by critics and musicians, is still the heart of jazz, the proving ground.

The two horn men have, of course, become two of the strongest influences in contemporary jazz. At the time of these recording sessions, Davis had almost perfected his laconic, wistful manner of playing, but Coltrane had not yet found his direction. Though he plays well on this album, Coltrane tends to jump from idea to idea, seldom finishing what he has started. His solo on “Diane” is his most erratic in the album. On the other hand, when Coltrane follows through on ideas, his playing, as on “Well, You Needn’t,” is exceptional.

The aspect of Miles’ playing that struck me the hardest was not his variations so much as his theme statements. There have been few jazzmen who played the melody as if it were anything but a chore to go through before getting to the blowing passages. Lester Young, Charlie Parker, young Louis Armstrong and Stan Getz are among these few who were and are able to express themselves through more-or-less straight melody passages. Davis must be included. His first chorus theme statements on “Surrey With The Fringe On Top” (he does the bridge, but it’s an improvement on the original), “Something I Dreamed,” “Diane” and “When I Fall In Love,” if transcribed for another instrument would retain the Davis stamp. While it is easy to recognize any number of jazzmen as they state the melody, the recognition is more the result of the player’s overall sound than his phrasing, his expansion and compressing of the original note values, or his editing of the melody. And these are the characteristics of Davis — and Bird, Pres, Louis and Getz. The only negative points of Miles’ performance of melody is his dependence on the mute-in-mike device and his intonation — he’s usually about that far flat.

His playing on the non-ballads, “Salt Peanuts” and “Needn’t,” should not be overlooked. Sometimes we get too taken with Miles’ way with ballads and forget that he can be extremely fiery on up tempos. On these non-ballads in this album, his approach to each is different. His solo on “Peanuts” combines his earlier bop style with his latterday lyricism. On “Needn’t” his solo is straightahead melodic improvisation.

The ensemble on these two tracks should be noted. Instead of stating the theme the same way [Charlie] Parker and Dizzy Gillespie did (“Peanuts”) or as Thelonious Monk does (“Needn’t”), Davis and Coltrane play abstractions of these two themes: Note values are extended in some cases, shortened in others, and on “Needn’t” the two horns intertwine in a sort of round.

Garland’s solos come as a letdown after Davis’ or Coltrane’s. Only on “Peanuts” and “Needn’t,” the album’s best track, does he abandon his sometimes-nagging, splashing playing and dig in. The difference between romanticism and sentimentalism and the difference between tart and sugary playing is clearly defined when Davis’ beautiful — the only word for it — solo on “Something I Dreamed Last Night” is compared with Garland’s effort on the same track.

Jones is tasteful throughout and has a long solo on “Peanuts,” in which he acquits himself admirably. Chambers is Chambers, strong in section, excellent in solo.

This album is a must for anyone seriously interested in jazz. —Don DeMichael


Steamin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet: Surrey With The Fringe On Top; Salt Peanuts; Something I Dreamed Last Night; Diane; Well, You Needn’t; When I Fall In Love.
Personnel: Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, tenor saxophone; Red Garland, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums.


ENTER TO WIN!


CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

The Prestige Sweepstakes entry period is officially over.

Thanks to everyone who participated.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER THIS SWEEPSTAKES

The sweepstakes will begin on June 1, 2014.

All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on November 30, 2014.

To enter this sweepstakes, complete the required fields on the entry form located online at downbeat.com.

Entrants are limited to one entry per person.