I'd say, oh, the past month or so, I've been really getting into some of these mid 1950's Miles Davis quintet recordings with Prestige. So, we'll just consider this week's selection as being quasi-representative of all of these fantastic recordings. Which I suppose makes sense, since four albums (Relaxin', Workin', Cookin', and Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet) were all begat by two recording sessions in 1956.
First off, you look at the lineup on these albums, and your face should literally be melting. You have Miles on trumpet, some young hack named John Coltrane on tenor, Paul Chambers on bass, Philly Joe Jones on drums, and Red Garland on piano.
On a bit of a sidenote, these recordings have made me discover Red Garland's piano playing, and it has been freaking me right out. He plays with a particularly fantastic percussive tone, which is effective to the point of cardiac arrest, especially on the blues. Cross referencing, I'd particularly point to "Ahmad's Blues" on "Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet" for some absolutely killer Red Garland action. I think I've actually listened to that track about eight billion times in the past three weeks or so.
What I really like about this album, and these Prestige recordings in general, is that they capture what I would consider the Platonic form of so-called "modern jazz." You know, it's not like this stuff is particularly mind-bending, at least from a technical point of view. There are certainly some boppish type pieces, and most definitely bop influences, but nothing is blazingly fast. Conversely, nothing is really as chill as what you'll find 3 years later on "Kind of Blue." What's left is this middle ground, the sort of jazz people think of when they want something to play in the background at their cocktail party. I think maybe that's what's revelatory about this stuff; when you sit down and really listen, you realize how great it really is.
In a way, maybe it's this familiarity that makes this album so accessible. You don't have to be any sort of jazz scholar or music snob to enjoy this music. I wouldn't say anything is particularly complex, and there are actually some popular tunes reinterpreted ("If I Were a Bell", Guys and Dolls anyone?). What you have here is just some good, straightforward jazz, which I think at times is extremely refreshing.
For me, the real highlight is the incredibly tight rhythm section (see three paragraphs up for my mancrush on Red Garland). But of course, Miles has some killer solos too. What I find sort of curious is the fact that on this album, he almost exclusively plays with a harmon mute. In fact, I'm pretty sure he only plays open on the last track, "Woody'n You." I'm okay with this, I've always thought Miles was particularly expressive with a harmon mute. Go listen to this album, and then listen to "Blue in Green" on "Kind of Blue." You'll soon see my point.
As you can expect, it's also nice to have John Coltrane along for the ride. At least from a historic perspective, it's interesting to hear him play here, while he's still sort of a young guy on the rise. When you contrast this playing with his later stuff, it's pretty shocking.
So yes, this week's album is a good one, as all of my recommendations are. If you're in the mood for some quality, straight-forward jazz, go pick this up, or any of the other Prestige recordings. Great, solid stuff. I would highly recommend listening to it with a glass of good scotch. That's what I'm doing.
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