One Reason Why the ‘50s Were Fabulous

The late 1950s were years of change and transition for many jazz artists, none more so than Miles Davis and John Coltrane. And it was all the more remarkable that their individual transformations--different as they were--largely took place within the common universe of the Davis groups of the period.

Their alliance resulted in nine studio recording sessions that produced three complete albums (“ ‘Round Midnight,” “Milestones” and “Kind of Blue”), as well as several miscellaneous titles (for “Jazz Track” and “Someday My Prince Will Come”), anthologies and two live sets. All of that material, including a dozen previously unissued alternate takes, is included in “The Complete Miles Davis Featuring John Coltrane” (Columbia Legacy)--the latest collection in what appears to be a determined effort to chronicle virtually every note Davis recorded for the company. (Already released: “Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings”; “Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68: Complete Columbia Studio Recordings” and “The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions.”)

That, obviously, is a lot of Miles. And there is some overlapping between the Davis-Coltrane collection and the Davis quintet collection. Nonetheless, from both a collector’s perspective and the viewpoint of serious jazz fans, it is extremely useful to be able to hear the Davis-Coltrane relationship unfolding in chronological order. Davis was obviously very pleased with the group--which included Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones--that he organized in September 1955.

“Faster than I could have imagined,” Davis noted in “Miles: The Autobiography” (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster), “the music that we were playing together was just unbelievable. . . . It used to send chills through me at night, and it did the same thing to the audiences, too.”

Not much doubt about that, as the recordings make amply clear. The very first session, in October 1955, produced “Two Bass Hit” and “Ah-Leu-Cha” (both represented in the album with alternate takes, as well). Sessions in June and September 1956 produced “Bye Bye Blackbird” and “ ‘Round Midnight.” (These sessions, it should be noted, were done around the time Davis was concluding his obligations to Prestige Records with “Cookin’,” “Workin’,” “Relaxin’,” “Steamin’ ” and “Miles/The New Miles Davis Quintet”--clearly a busy and productive period.)

In 1958, the group was considerably altered by the addition of Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and the replacement of Garland by Bill Evans and Jones by Jimmy Cobb. By this time, Coltrane had begun to establish himself as one of the vital new voices in jazz. And the opportunity to hear his solos in this collection from track to track, sometimes from take to take, is like watching a master sculptor chip away at a block of marble in search of unattainable perfection.

“ ‘Trane . . . was phenomenal,” Davis marveled in his autobiography. “It was like he was possessed when he put that horn in his mouth. He was so passionate--fierce--and yet so gentle and quiet when he wasn’t playing.”

But Davis too was breaking through. As Coltrane’s improvising became more expansive, Davis’ trumpet work became more spare and concise. Stretching his compositional (and improvisational) vision by reducing the peripheral elements, he moved into modal-based jazz in much of the “Kind of Blue” album. Almost at the same time, he was working with Gil Evans to create the rich-textured sequence of trumpet and orchestra performances that began with “Miles Ahead.”

Like the rest of the Davis reissues on the Columbia Legacy label, the Davis-Coltrane boxed set--six CDs with nearly 3 1/2 hours of music and commentary on 58 tracks--is superbly packaged. There are complete track listings and session information, a reminiscence from George Avakian (Davis’ producer during 1955-58), a timeline by Davis expert Bob Belden and a session analysis by jazz writer Bob Blumenthal.

Festival Track: The next two months are looking good for fans with some available frequent-flier miles. Here are a few of the more scintillating opportunities:

*

* The Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival. Produced by Michael Dorf’s KnitMedia, it is billed as “the largest, most connected jazz festival in the world,” and there’s no doubt that, hyperbole aside, it has a tremendous amount of programming in four East Coast cities: Washington (May 4-7), Philadelphia (May 11-14), Boston (May 17-21) and New York (June 1-11).

Among some of the more extraordinary events, the New York schedule opens with Ornette Coleman, reunited with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins and premiering three compositions. Also featured: the unusual pairing of Max Roach and Cecil Taylor for the first time since 1979. The Washington headliners include Indian sarod artist Ali Akbar Khan, the Paul Bley Trio, the Ravi Coltrane Quintet, the Sun Ra Arkestra and Chico Hamilton & Euphoria.

The Philadelphia lineup includes the David Grisman Quintet, Mickey Hart, Dave Liebman, Jeff “Tain” Watts, the Charlie Hunter Band and the David Sanchez Sextet. In Boston, Medeski Martin & Wood, the Greg Osby Quintet, the Dave Douglas Sextet, the David S. Ware Quartet and the Sonny Fortune & Rashied Ali Duo head the bill. Information: https://www.jazfest.com.

*

* The 28th annual JVC Jazz Festival, June 12-24, New York City. JVC is loaded with such major names as Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Ruben Blades, Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves and Aretha Franklin. But there is an equal appeal in the many thematically organized concerts.

Some of the high points: an appearance by Brazilian singer-guitarist Joa~o Gilberto; a re-creation of the Miles Davis-Gil Evans collaborations on “Porgy and Bess” and “Sketches of Spain,” featuring Jon Faddis; “Tango: Passion and Swing” with Pablo Ziegler, Joe Lovano, Gary Burton and Paquito D’Rivera; a celebration of the 1938 and 1939 “From Spirituals to Swing” concerts with the Count Basie Orchestra, Dianne Reeves, Angelique Kidjo, Allen Toussaint and Don Byron; a series of duo concerts pairing Ray Charles and Regina Carter, Cassandra Wilson and Cesaria Evora, Aretha Franklin and the Stanley Turrentine Quintet, and Dianne Reeves and the Herbie Hancock Group. Information: (212) 501-1390 or https://www.festivalproductions.net.