Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4

by Miles Davis

Overview

The fourth volume in the ongoing Miles Davis live Bootleg Series, 2015's Miles Davis at Newport: 1955-1975 is a four-disc anthology that brings together all of the legendary trumpeter's live recordings captured at the storied Newport Jazz Festival. Founded by organizer George Wein in 1954, the Newport Jazz Festival grew into one of the premier music festivals in the world, thanks in no small part to Wein's longstanding association with Davis. With Wein's support and famous dedication to encouraging artistic experimentation, Davis would return to the festival throughout the most creatively vital years of his career. Although he first appeared at the festival in 1955, unbilled, ostensibly as part of an all-star group featuring pianist Thelonious Monk and saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, it was his star-making rendition of "'Round Midnight" (the microphone buried deep in his trumpet to overcome sound-system issues) that landed him a record deal with Columbia and marked his ascent as one of the most innovative and important figures in music history. Miles Davis at Newport details the association between Davis and the festival, each performance serendipitously documenting his ever-morphing sound, from swinging cool jazz in the '50s to aggressive, free jazz-influenced modal bop in the '60s and finally to funky, acid-soaked fusion in the '70s. As with the previous Bootleg Series sets, many of the tracks on Miles Davis at Newport have been available either officially or unofficially in some configuration for decades. Nonetheless, this collection does contain several previously unreleased cuts, including an epic 1966 version of "Stella by Starlight." Showcasing Davis' transformative second great quintet with pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams, the track begins as an atmospheric rubato ballad and ends with Davis and his group having blown out the walls of the song's form with frenetic glee, a move that foreshadows the darker, psych-rock-infused sound Davis would debut with his next appearance. Captured just six weeks before the recording sessions for his landmark fusion album Bitches Brew, Davis' 1969 Newport date is a roiling, funky performance, marked by Chick Corea's dewy Fender Rhodes and Jack DeJohnette's whirlwind percussion. By this time, Davis had eschewed the jazz standards-based lyricism of his 1958 appearance, favoring instead an open-ended, groove-oriented sound punctuated by the outward squelch of his horn. The collection ends with three of Davis' post-Bitches Brew performances, two recorded in Europe in 1971 and 1973 and one at New York's Avery Fisher Hall in 1975. With Davis' trumpet slathered in the sticky swell of his wah-wah pedal and his group featuring saxophonist Dave Liebman and others, including not one but two electric guitarists with Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas, these performances mark the apotheosis of a creative journey that began at Newport two decades earlier. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	08/30/2024
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	8719262035744

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Miles Davis   Primary Artist,Organ,Trumpet
Paul Chambers   Bass
Bill Evans   Piano
Tony Williams   Drums
Don Alias   Percussion
Keith Jarrett   Organ,Piano (Electric)
Jack DeJohnette   Drums
Chick Corea   Piano (Electric)
Michael Henderson   Bass (Electric)
Herbie Hancock   Piano
Sam Morrison   Sax (Tenor)
Connie Kay   Drums
James Mtume   Percussion
David Liebman   Flute,Sax (Tenor),Sax (Soprano)
John Coltrane   Sax (Tenor)
Zoot Sims   Sax (Tenor)
Wayne Shorter   Sax (Tenor)
Percy Heath   Bass
Pete Cosey   Guitar,Percussion
Ron Carter   Bass
Jimmy Cobb   Drums
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler   Drums
Thelonious Monk   Piano
Gerry Mulligan   Sax (Baritone)
Cannonball Adderley   Sax (Alto)
Dave Holland   Bass
Al Foster   Drums
Reggie Lucas   Guitar
Gary Bartz   Sax (Alto),Sax (Soprano)

Technical Credits

Cootie Williams   Composer
Jeffrey Schulberg   Music Business Affairs,Music Clearance
Cheryl Davis   Executive Producer
Buddy Graham   Engineer
Vernon Smith   Photography
Mike Kull   Research
Klaus Koenig   Engineer
Tara Master   Project Director
Teo Macero   Producer
Bernie Hanighen   Composer
Victor Young   Composer
Victor Feldman   Composer
Nell Mulderry   Direction
Erin Davis   Executive Producer
Vince Wilburn, Jr.   Executive Producer
Adjutor Theroux   Engineer
David Redfern   Back Cover
Josh Cheuse   Design,Art Direction
Heinz Wehrle   Producer
Steve Berkowitz   Producer
Jimmy Heath   Composer
Mort Dixon   Composer
Dizzy Gillespie   Composer
Charlie Parker   Composer
Wayne Shorter   Composer
Ron Carter   Composer
Richard Seidel   Producer
Ned Washington   Composer
Mark Wilder   Mixing,Mastering
Michael Cuscuna   Producer
Matthew Kelly   Research
Ray Henderson   Composer
Miles Davis   Composer
John Lewis   Composer
Reice Hamel   Engineer
Thelonious Monk   Composer
George Wein   Producer
Ashley Kahn   Liner Notes