120772bk Miles2
5
9/6/05
12:13 PM
Page 2
1. Venus De Milo 3:12
(Gerry Mulligan)
Capitol 7-1221, mx 3764
Recorded 22 April 1949
9. Donna 3:10
(Miles Davis)
Blue Note 1595, mx BN 430-1
Recorded 9 May 1952
17. For Adults Only 5:30
(Al Cohn)
Prestige LP 154, mx 426
Recorded 19 February 1953
2. Rouge 3:14
(John Lewis)
Capitol H 459, mx 3765
Recorded 22 April 1949
10. Dear Old Stockholm 4:08
(Traditional)
Blue Note 1595, mx BN 428-1
Recorded 9 May 1952
18. Floppy 5:59
(Al Cohn)
Prestige LP 154, mx 425
Recorded 19 February 1953
3. Boplicity 3:00
(Cleo Henry, arr. Gil Evans)
Capitol 57-60011, mx 3766
Recorded 22 April 1949
11. Chance It 2:59
(Oscar Pettiford)
Blue Note 1596, mx BN 429-3
Recorded 9 May 1952
4. Israel 2:16
(John Carisi)
Capitol 57-60011, mx 3767
Recorded 22 April 1949
12. Woody’n You 3:21
(Dizzy Gillespie)
Blue Note 1596, mx BN 431-2
Recorded 9 May 1952
5. Deception 2:47
(Miles Davis)
Capitol H 459, mx 4346
Recorded 9 March 1950
13. Yesterdays 3:40
(Jerome Kern–Otto Harbach)
Blue Note 1597, mx BN 432
Recorded 9 May 1952
6. Rocker 3:05
(Gerry Mulligan)
Capitol H 459, mx 4347
Recorded 9 March 1950
14. How Deep is the Ocean 4:34
(Irving Berlin)
Blue Note 1597, mx BN 433
Recorded 9 May 1952
7. Moon Dreams 3:18
(Chummy MacGregor–Johnny Mercer)
Capitol H 459, mx 4348
Recorded 9 March 1950
15. Tasty Pudding 3:19
(Al Cohn)
Prestige 864, LP 154, mx 423
Recorded 19 February 1953
8. Darn That Dream 3:23
(Eddie deLange–Jimmy van Heusen)
Kenny Hagood, vocal
Capitol 7-1221, mx 4349
Recorded 9 March 1950
16. Willie The Wailer 4:24
(Al Cohn)
Prestige LP 154, mx 424
Recorded 19 February 1953
Tracks 1-8: Miles Davis & His Orchestra
Tracks 9-18: Miles Davis All Stars
Transfers & Production: David Lennick
Digital Restoration: Graham Newton
Discographical information courtesy of The Jazz
Discography by Tom Lord (www.lordisco.com)
Original monochrome photo of Miles Davis
from Gerrit Schilp / Redferns
The Naxos Historical labels aim to make available the greatest recordings of the history of recorded
music, in the best and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim,
Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to
produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings.
Also available in the Naxos Jazz Legends series ...
8.120607
8.120700
8.120708
These titles are not for retail sale in the USA
NAXOS RADIO
Over 70 Channels of Classical Music • Jazz, Folk/World, Nostalgia
www.naxosradio.com Accessible Anywhere, Anytime • Near-CD Quality
8.120772
6
8.120772
120772bk Miles2
9/6/05
12:13 PM
Page 1
MILES DAVIS Vol.2
‘Boplicity’ Original Recordings 1949-1953
One of the giants of 20th century music, Miles
Davis stands out as one of the most significant
jazz musicians of all time. Unlike most players
who develop their sound and style early in life
and then spend the rest of their careers polishing
their approach without making any major
changes, Davis was always looking ahead
towards new innovations and styles. While he
matured during the bebop era, he was at least
partly responsible for founding and popularizing
cool jazz, hard bop, modal music, his own brand
of avant-garde jazz and fusion. While his cool
melancholy sound on the trumpet remained the
same, his settings were always up to date and he
was a masterful talent scout, only equalled by
Fletcher Henderson and Art Blakey.
Miles Dewey Davis was born on 25 May
1926 in Alton, Illinois, growing up in East St
Louis, Illinois. While his mother had hoped that
he would play classical violin, Davis was given a
trumpet by his father for his thirteenth birthday.
Early on, he considered his early influences to be
Bobby Hackett (loving his lyrical solo on the
1938 recording of “Embraceable You”), Harry
James and Clark Terry.
Davis played with his high school band,
worked locally with Eddie Randall’s Blue Devils
during 1941-43 and had an opportunity to sit in
with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra in 1944, a
legendary big band that included Dizzy Gillespie
2
and Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker. Although his own
technique was faulty at this point, Davis worked
hard to master bebop, trying to play like
Gillespie.
After graduating from high school, he moved
to New York in September 1944 to study at
Juilliard but was soon spending more time in
clubs on 52nd Street and he dropped out of
school after a few months. He found Charlie
Parker, worked a bit with Coleman Hawkins and
made his recording debut on 24 April 1945,
sounding nervous on a date backing singerdancer Rubberlegs Williams. Although Davis
was not quite ready for the big time yet, Charlie
Parker saw his potential and used him on a
record date later in the year that included the
original versions of “Now’s The Time” and
“Billie’s Bounce”.
By then, Miles Davis was realizing that he
was never going to be another Dizzy Gillespie.
He sought to find his own way and came up
with a quieter cooler-toned variation of bebop.
He stripped the bebop vocabulary to its essential
and made every note count, using silence
effectively. This process took a couple years but
started becoming influential by 1947.
After Davis had had a stint with Benny
Carter’s Orchestra, he worked on the West
Coast with Parker. He became an official
member of Bird’s quintet during 1947-48, a
8.120772
group also including pianist Duke Jordan, bassist
Tommy Potter and drummer Max Roach. Davis’
quiet and thoughtful approach contrasted well
with Bird’s exciting virtuosity.
While he was still a member of the Parker
Quintet, Davis made his first serious stab at
leading his own band. He had become fond of
the sound of the Claude Thornhill Orchestra, a
big band that used French horn and tuba as part
of its tonal colours. Gil Evans was Thornhill’s
most adventurous arranger and, after they met,
Davis and Evans became best friends. Along
with baritonist Gerry Mulligan, they decided to
form a smaller version of the Thornhill band but
one that was more bop-oriented. The resulting
Nonet and its dozen recordings became known
as “The Birth Of The Cool.”
The ironic part is that the group was only
able to get one job during its existence, two weeks
as the intermission band for Count Basie at the
Royal Roost in the fall of 1948. Fortunately the
band was signed to Capitol and recorded three
four-song sessions during 1948-50 that made it
immortal. The second and third sessions are
reissued on this recording in full.
From the start of Gerry Mulligan’s Venus De
Milo, it is obvious that the Miles Davis Nonet
had an unusual sound of its own. The use of
French horn and tuba is part of the reason, but
so is having the cool vibratoless tones of Davis
and altoist Lee Konitz in the lead. The music
swings lightly with the main emphasis being on
the tone colours and the advanced harmonies.
John Lewis’ Rouge is quite cheerful and almost
3
exuberant while Gil Evans’ arrangement of Moon
Dreams is atmospheric, purposely dreamy and
haunting. Johnny Carisi’s one contribution to
the Nonet sessions is Israel, a straightforward
blues given all types of unusual twists and turns.
The third and final of the Nonet dates starts
with Davis’ Deception. It has a tricky
arrangement but swings hard and has the
trumpeter’s best solo of the session. Gerry
Mulligan’s Rocker came close to becoming a jazz
standard when Charlie Parker added it to his
repertoire. The catchy Boplicity was co-written
by Evans and Davis with the former contributing
the classic arrangement. Darn That Dream,
featuring the singing of Poncho Hagood, is a
lesser item but has some interesting harmonies
written by Mulligan.
By the time the “Birth Of The Cool”
recordings became very influential, inspiring
West Coast Jazz, Miles Davis had already moved
on. After leaving the Charlie Parker Quintet in
December 1948, Davis successfully appeared at
the 1949 Paris Jazz Festival. 1950-53 is
considered his lost period for the trumpeter had
become a scuffling heroin addict and was
overshadowed by other players. But although
he did not have much publicity during this time,
Davis was far from inactive and became one of
the founders of a new style of jazz called hard
bop that emphasized more passionate swinging
than cool jazz.
The 8 May 1952 session features Davis with
an all-star group of young modernists. The
music performed, which includes Donna (also
8.120772
known as “Dig” and utilizing the chords of
“Sweet Georgia Brown”), Chance It and Dizzy
Gillespie’s Woody’n You, are among the earliest
examples of hard bop. The traditional Swedish
folk song Dear Old Stockholm would be
recorded again by Davis in 1956 when John
Coltrane was in his quintet. How Deep Is The
Ocean and Yesterdays are superb early
examples of Davis’ ballad style.
The other session reissued on this recording
is one of the more unusual ones that Miles
Davis had during this period, teaming him with
the swinging Lester Young-influenced tenors of
Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. Cohn provided all four
originals and arrangements. Each song is both
obscure and well worth reviving, particularly the
joyful Floppy and the catchy For Adults Only.
Miles Davis’s ‘comeback’ began at the 1954
Newport Jazz Festival when his solo on “’Round
Midnight,” played with backing by its composer
Thelonious Monk, alerted East Coast music
critics that he was ‘back’. Soon he would
record the hard bop gem “Walkin’” and form
his first classic quintet with John Coltrane. For
the next 37 years until his death on
28 September 1991, Miles was the most famous
and continually intriguing musician in jazz.
But as the music on Boplicity shows, Miles
Davis was a major force even earlier.
Scott Yanow
– author of 9 jazz books including Jazz On Film,
Swing, Bebop, Trumpet Kings and Jazz On Record
1917-76
Personnel
Tracks 1–4: MILES DAVIS & HIS ORCHESTRA.
Miles Davis, trumpet; J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Sandy Siegelstein, fluegelhorn; Bill Barber,
tuba; Lee Konitz, alto sax; Gerry Mulligan,
baritone sax; John Lewis, piano; Nelson Boyd,
bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
Tracks 5-8: MILES DAVIS & HIS ORCHESTRA.
Miles Davis, trumpet; J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Gunther Schuller, fluegelhorn; Bill Barber, tuba;
Lee Konitz, alto sax; Gerry Mulligan, baritone
sax; Al McKibbon, bass; Max Roach, drums
4
Tracks 9-12: MILES DAVIS ALL STARS.
Miles Davis, trumpet; J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Jackie McLean, alto sax; Gil Coggins, piano;
Oscar Pettiford, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
Tracks 13-14: MILES DAVIS ALL STARS.
Miles Davis, trumpet; Gil Coggins, piano;
Oscar Pettiford, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
Tracks 15-18: MILES DAVIS ALL STARS.
Miles Davis, trumpet; Sonny Truitt, trombone
(track 18 only); Al Cohn, tenor sax; Zoot
Sims, tenor sax; John Lewis, piano; Leonard
Gaskin, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
8.120772
120772bk Miles2
9/6/05
12:13 PM
Page 1
MILES DAVIS Vol.2
‘Boplicity’ Original Recordings 1949-1953
One of the giants of 20th century music, Miles
Davis stands out as one of the most significant
jazz musicians of all time. Unlike most players
who develop their sound and style early in life
and then spend the rest of their careers polishing
their approach without making any major
changes, Davis was always looking ahead
towards new innovations and styles. While he
matured during the bebop era, he was at least
partly responsible for founding and popularizing
cool jazz, hard bop, modal music, his own brand
of avant-garde jazz and fusion. While his cool
melancholy sound on the trumpet remained the
same, his settings were always up to date and he
was a masterful talent scout, only equalled by
Fletcher Henderson and Art Blakey.
Miles Dewey Davis was born on 25 May
1926 in Alton, Illinois, growing up in East St
Louis, Illinois. While his mother had hoped that
he would play classical violin, Davis was given a
trumpet by his father for his thirteenth birthday.
Early on, he considered his early influences to be
Bobby Hackett (loving his lyrical solo on the
1938 recording of “Embraceable You”), Harry
James and Clark Terry.
Davis played with his high school band,
worked locally with Eddie Randall’s Blue Devils
during 1941-43 and had an opportunity to sit in
with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra in 1944, a
legendary big band that included Dizzy Gillespie
2
and Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker. Although his own
technique was faulty at this point, Davis worked
hard to master bebop, trying to play like
Gillespie.
After graduating from high school, he moved
to New York in September 1944 to study at
Juilliard but was soon spending more time in
clubs on 52nd Street and he dropped out of
school after a few months. He found Charlie
Parker, worked a bit with Coleman Hawkins and
made his recording debut on 24 April 1945,
sounding nervous on a date backing singerdancer Rubberlegs Williams. Although Davis
was not quite ready for the big time yet, Charlie
Parker saw his potential and used him on a
record date later in the year that included the
original versions of “Now’s The Time” and
“Billie’s Bounce”.
By then, Miles Davis was realizing that he
was never going to be another Dizzy Gillespie.
He sought to find his own way and came up
with a quieter cooler-toned variation of bebop.
He stripped the bebop vocabulary to its essential
and made every note count, using silence
effectively. This process took a couple years but
started becoming influential by 1947.
After Davis had had a stint with Benny
Carter’s Orchestra, he worked on the West
Coast with Parker. He became an official
member of Bird’s quintet during 1947-48, a
8.120772
group also including pianist Duke Jordan, bassist
Tommy Potter and drummer Max Roach. Davis’
quiet and thoughtful approach contrasted well
with Bird’s exciting virtuosity.
While he was still a member of the Parker
Quintet, Davis made his first serious stab at
leading his own band. He had become fond of
the sound of the Claude Thornhill Orchestra, a
big band that used French horn and tuba as part
of its tonal colours. Gil Evans was Thornhill’s
most adventurous arranger and, after they met,
Davis and Evans became best friends. Along
with baritonist Gerry Mulligan, they decided to
form a smaller version of the Thornhill band but
one that was more bop-oriented. The resulting
Nonet and its dozen recordings became known
as “The Birth Of The Cool.”
The ironic part is that the group was only
able to get one job during its existence, two weeks
as the intermission band for Count Basie at the
Royal Roost in the fall of 1948. Fortunately the
band was signed to Capitol and recorded three
four-song sessions during 1948-50 that made it
immortal. The second and third sessions are
reissued on this recording in full.
From the start of Gerry Mulligan’s Venus De
Milo, it is obvious that the Miles Davis Nonet
had an unusual sound of its own. The use of
French horn and tuba is part of the reason, but
so is having the cool vibratoless tones of Davis
and altoist Lee Konitz in the lead. The music
swings lightly with the main emphasis being on
the tone colours and the advanced harmonies.
John Lewis’ Rouge is quite cheerful and almost
3
exuberant while Gil Evans’ arrangement of Moon
Dreams is atmospheric, purposely dreamy and
haunting. Johnny Carisi’s one contribution to
the Nonet sessions is Israel, a straightforward
blues given all types of unusual twists and turns.
The third and final of the Nonet dates starts
with Davis’ Deception. It has a tricky
arrangement but swings hard and has the
trumpeter’s best solo of the session. Gerry
Mulligan’s Rocker came close to becoming a jazz
standard when Charlie Parker added it to his
repertoire. The catchy Boplicity was co-written
by Evans and Davis with the former contributing
the classic arrangement. Darn That Dream,
featuring the singing of Poncho Hagood, is a
lesser item but has some interesting harmonies
written by Mulligan.
By the time the “Birth Of The Cool”
recordings became very influential, inspiring
West Coast Jazz, Miles Davis had already moved
on. After leaving the Charlie Parker Quintet in
December 1948, Davis successfully appeared at
the 1949 Paris Jazz Festival. 1950-53 is
considered his lost period for the trumpeter had
become a scuffling heroin addict and was
overshadowed by other players. But although
he did not have much publicity during this time,
Davis was far from inactive and became one of
the founders of a new style of jazz called hard
bop that emphasized more passionate swinging
than cool jazz.
The 8 May 1952 session features Davis with
an all-star group of young modernists. The
music performed, which includes Donna (also
8.120772
known as “Dig” and utilizing the chords of
“Sweet Georgia Brown”), Chance It and Dizzy
Gillespie’s Woody’n You, are among the earliest
examples of hard bop. The traditional Swedish
folk song Dear Old Stockholm would be
recorded again by Davis in 1956 when John
Coltrane was in his quintet. How Deep Is The
Ocean and Yesterdays are superb early
examples of Davis’ ballad style.
The other session reissued on this recording
is one of the more unusual ones that Miles
Davis had during this period, teaming him with
the swinging Lester Young-influenced tenors of
Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. Cohn provided all four
originals and arrangements. Each song is both
obscure and well worth reviving, particularly the
joyful Floppy and the catchy For Adults Only.
Miles Davis’s ‘comeback’ began at the 1954
Newport Jazz Festival when his solo on “’Round
Midnight,” played with backing by its composer
Thelonious Monk, alerted East Coast music
critics that he was ‘back’. Soon he would
record the hard bop gem “Walkin’” and form
his first classic quintet with John Coltrane. For
the next 37 years until his death on
28 September 1991, Miles was the most famous
and continually intriguing musician in jazz.
But as the music on Boplicity shows, Miles
Davis was a major force even earlier.
Scott Yanow
– author of 9 jazz books including Jazz On Film,
Swing, Bebop, Trumpet Kings and Jazz On Record
1917-76
Personnel
Tracks 1–4: MILES DAVIS & HIS ORCHESTRA.
Miles Davis, trumpet; J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Sandy Siegelstein, fluegelhorn; Bill Barber,
tuba; Lee Konitz, alto sax; Gerry Mulligan,
baritone sax; John Lewis, piano; Nelson Boyd,
bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
Tracks 5-8: MILES DAVIS & HIS ORCHESTRA.
Miles Davis, trumpet; J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Gunther Schuller, fluegelhorn; Bill Barber, tuba;
Lee Konitz, alto sax; Gerry Mulligan, baritone
sax; Al McKibbon, bass; Max Roach, drums
4
Tracks 9-12: MILES DAVIS ALL STARS.
Miles Davis, trumpet; J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Jackie McLean, alto sax; Gil Coggins, piano;
Oscar Pettiford, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
Tracks 13-14: MILES DAVIS ALL STARS.
Miles Davis, trumpet; Gil Coggins, piano;
Oscar Pettiford, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
Tracks 15-18: MILES DAVIS ALL STARS.
Miles Davis, trumpet; Sonny Truitt, trombone
(track 18 only); Al Cohn, tenor sax; Zoot
Sims, tenor sax; John Lewis, piano; Leonard
Gaskin, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
8.120772
120772bk Miles2
9/6/05
12:13 PM
Page 1
MILES DAVIS Vol.2
‘Boplicity’ Original Recordings 1949-1953
One of the giants of 20th century music, Miles
Davis stands out as one of the most significant
jazz musicians of all time. Unlike most players
who develop their sound and style early in life
and then spend the rest of their careers polishing
their approach without making any major
changes, Davis was always looking ahead
towards new innovations and styles. While he
matured during the bebop era, he was at least
partly responsible for founding and popularizing
cool jazz, hard bop, modal music, his own brand
of avant-garde jazz and fusion. While his cool
melancholy sound on the trumpet remained the
same, his settings were always up to date and he
was a masterful talent scout, only equalled by
Fletcher Henderson and Art Blakey.
Miles Dewey Davis was born on 25 May
1926 in Alton, Illinois, growing up in East St
Louis, Illinois. While his mother had hoped that
he would play classical violin, Davis was given a
trumpet by his father for his thirteenth birthday.
Early on, he considered his early influences to be
Bobby Hackett (loving his lyrical solo on the
1938 recording of “Embraceable You”), Harry
James and Clark Terry.
Davis played with his high school band,
worked locally with Eddie Randall’s Blue Devils
during 1941-43 and had an opportunity to sit in
with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra in 1944, a
legendary big band that included Dizzy Gillespie
2
and Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker. Although his own
technique was faulty at this point, Davis worked
hard to master bebop, trying to play like
Gillespie.
After graduating from high school, he moved
to New York in September 1944 to study at
Juilliard but was soon spending more time in
clubs on 52nd Street and he dropped out of
school after a few months. He found Charlie
Parker, worked a bit with Coleman Hawkins and
made his recording debut on 24 April 1945,
sounding nervous on a date backing singerdancer Rubberlegs Williams. Although Davis
was not quite ready for the big time yet, Charlie
Parker saw his potential and used him on a
record date later in the year that included the
original versions of “Now’s The Time” and
“Billie’s Bounce”.
By then, Miles Davis was realizing that he
was never going to be another Dizzy Gillespie.
He sought to find his own way and came up
with a quieter cooler-toned variation of bebop.
He stripped the bebop vocabulary to its essential
and made every note count, using silence
effectively. This process took a couple years but
started becoming influential by 1947.
After Davis had had a stint with Benny
Carter’s Orchestra, he worked on the West
Coast with Parker. He became an official
member of Bird’s quintet during 1947-48, a
8.120772
group also including pianist Duke Jordan, bassist
Tommy Potter and drummer Max Roach. Davis’
quiet and thoughtful approach contrasted well
with Bird’s exciting virtuosity.
While he was still a member of the Parker
Quintet, Davis made his first serious stab at
leading his own band. He had become fond of
the sound of the Claude Thornhill Orchestra, a
big band that used French horn and tuba as part
of its tonal colours. Gil Evans was Thornhill’s
most adventurous arranger and, after they met,
Davis and Evans became best friends. Along
with baritonist Gerry Mulligan, they decided to
form a smaller version of the Thornhill band but
one that was more bop-oriented. The resulting
Nonet and its dozen recordings became known
as “The Birth Of The Cool.”
The ironic part is that the group was only
able to get one job during its existence, two weeks
as the intermission band for Count Basie at the
Royal Roost in the fall of 1948. Fortunately the
band was signed to Capitol and recorded three
four-song sessions during 1948-50 that made it
immortal. The second and third sessions are
reissued on this recording in full.
From the start of Gerry Mulligan’s Venus De
Milo, it is obvious that the Miles Davis Nonet
had an unusual sound of its own. The use of
French horn and tuba is part of the reason, but
so is having the cool vibratoless tones of Davis
and altoist Lee Konitz in the lead. The music
swings lightly with the main emphasis being on
the tone colours and the advanced harmonies.
John Lewis’ Rouge is quite cheerful and almost
3
exuberant while Gil Evans’ arrangement of Moon
Dreams is atmospheric, purposely dreamy and
haunting. Johnny Carisi’s one contribution to
the Nonet sessions is Israel, a straightforward
blues given all types of unusual twists and turns.
The third and final of the Nonet dates starts
with Davis’ Deception. It has a tricky
arrangement but swings hard and has the
trumpeter’s best solo of the session. Gerry
Mulligan’s Rocker came close to becoming a jazz
standard when Charlie Parker added it to his
repertoire. The catchy Boplicity was co-written
by Evans and Davis with the former contributing
the classic arrangement. Darn That Dream,
featuring the singing of Poncho Hagood, is a
lesser item but has some interesting harmonies
written by Mulligan.
By the time the “Birth Of The Cool”
recordings became very influential, inspiring
West Coast Jazz, Miles Davis had already moved
on. After leaving the Charlie Parker Quintet in
December 1948, Davis successfully appeared at
the 1949 Paris Jazz Festival. 1950-53 is
considered his lost period for the trumpeter had
become a scuffling heroin addict and was
overshadowed by other players. But although
he did not have much publicity during this time,
Davis was far from inactive and became one of
the founders of a new style of jazz called hard
bop that emphasized more passionate swinging
than cool jazz.
The 8 May 1952 session features Davis with
an all-star group of young modernists. The
music performed, which includes Donna (also
8.120772
known as “Dig” and utilizing the chords of
“Sweet Georgia Brown”), Chance It and Dizzy
Gillespie’s Woody’n You, are among the earliest
examples of hard bop. The traditional Swedish
folk song Dear Old Stockholm would be
recorded again by Davis in 1956 when John
Coltrane was in his quintet. How Deep Is The
Ocean and Yesterdays are superb early
examples of Davis’ ballad style.
The other session reissued on this recording
is one of the more unusual ones that Miles
Davis had during this period, teaming him with
the swinging Lester Young-influenced tenors of
Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. Cohn provided all four
originals and arrangements. Each song is both
obscure and well worth reviving, particularly the
joyful Floppy and the catchy For Adults Only.
Miles Davis’s ‘comeback’ began at the 1954
Newport Jazz Festival when his solo on “’Round
Midnight,” played with backing by its composer
Thelonious Monk, alerted East Coast music
critics that he was ‘back’. Soon he would
record the hard bop gem “Walkin’” and form
his first classic quintet with John Coltrane. For
the next 37 years until his death on
28 September 1991, Miles was the most famous
and continually intriguing musician in jazz.
But as the music on Boplicity shows, Miles
Davis was a major force even earlier.
Scott Yanow
– author of 9 jazz books including Jazz On Film,
Swing, Bebop, Trumpet Kings and Jazz On Record
1917-76
Personnel
Tracks 1–4: MILES DAVIS & HIS ORCHESTRA.
Miles Davis, trumpet; J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Sandy Siegelstein, fluegelhorn; Bill Barber,
tuba; Lee Konitz, alto sax; Gerry Mulligan,
baritone sax; John Lewis, piano; Nelson Boyd,
bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
Tracks 5-8: MILES DAVIS & HIS ORCHESTRA.
Miles Davis, trumpet; J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Gunther Schuller, fluegelhorn; Bill Barber, tuba;
Lee Konitz, alto sax; Gerry Mulligan, baritone
sax; Al McKibbon, bass; Max Roach, drums
4
Tracks 9-12: MILES DAVIS ALL STARS.
Miles Davis, trumpet; J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Jackie McLean, alto sax; Gil Coggins, piano;
Oscar Pettiford, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
Tracks 13-14: MILES DAVIS ALL STARS.
Miles Davis, trumpet; Gil Coggins, piano;
Oscar Pettiford, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
Tracks 15-18: MILES DAVIS ALL STARS.
Miles Davis, trumpet; Sonny Truitt, trombone
(track 18 only); Al Cohn, tenor sax; Zoot
Sims, tenor sax; John Lewis, piano; Leonard
Gaskin, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
8.120772
120772bk Miles2
5
9/6/05
12:13 PM
Page 2
1. Venus De Milo 3:12
(Gerry Mulligan)
Capitol 7-1221, mx 3764
Recorded 22 April 1949
9. Donna 3:10
(Miles Davis)
Blue Note 1595, mx BN 430-1
Recorded 9 May 1952
17. For Adults Only 5:30
(Al Cohn)
Prestige LP 154, mx 426
Recorded 19 February 1953
2. Rouge 3:14
(John Lewis)
Capitol H 459, mx 3765
Recorded 22 April 1949
10. Dear Old Stockholm 4:08
(Traditional)
Blue Note 1595, mx BN 428-1
Recorded 9 May 1952
18. Floppy 5:59
(Al Cohn)
Prestige LP 154, mx 425
Recorded 19 February 1953
3. Boplicity 3:00
(Cleo Henry, arr. Gil Evans)
Capitol 57-60011, mx 3766
Recorded 22 April 1949
11. Chance It 2:59
(Oscar Pettiford)
Blue Note 1596, mx BN 429-3
Recorded 9 May 1952
4. Israel 2:16
(John Carisi)
Capitol 57-60011, mx 3767
Recorded 22 April 1949
12. Woody’n You 3:21
(Dizzy Gillespie)
Blue Note 1596, mx BN 431-2
Recorded 9 May 1952
5. Deception 2:47
(Miles Davis)
Capitol H 459, mx 4346
Recorded 9 March 1950
13. Yesterdays 3:40
(Jerome Kern–Otto Harbach)
Blue Note 1597, mx BN 432
Recorded 9 May 1952
6. Rocker 3:05
(Gerry Mulligan)
Capitol H 459, mx 4347
Recorded 9 March 1950
14. How Deep is the Ocean 4:34
(Irving Berlin)
Blue Note 1597, mx BN 433
Recorded 9 May 1952
7. Moon Dreams 3:18
(Chummy MacGregor–Johnny Mercer)
Capitol H 459, mx 4348
Recorded 9 March 1950
15. Tasty Pudding 3:19
(Al Cohn)
Prestige 864, LP 154, mx 423
Recorded 19 February 1953
8. Darn That Dream 3:23
(Eddie deLange–Jimmy van Heusen)
Kenny Hagood, vocal
Capitol 7-1221, mx 4349
Recorded 9 March 1950
16. Willie The Wailer 4:24
(Al Cohn)
Prestige LP 154, mx 424
Recorded 19 February 1953
Tracks 1-8: Miles Davis & His Orchestra
Tracks 9-18: Miles Davis All Stars
Transfers & Production: David Lennick
Digital Restoration: Graham Newton
Discographical information courtesy of The Jazz
Discography by Tom Lord (www.lordisco.com)
Original monochrome photo of Miles Davis
from Gerrit Schilp / Redferns
The Naxos Historical labels aim to make available the greatest recordings of the history of recorded
music, in the best and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim,
Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to
produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings.
Also available in the Naxos Jazz Legends series ...
8.120607
8.120700
8.120708
These titles are not for retail sale in the USA
NAXOS RADIO
Over 70 Channels of Classical Music • Jazz, Folk/World, Nostalgia
www.naxosradio.com Accessible Anywhere, Anytime • Near-CD Quality
8.120772
6
8.120772
120772bk Miles2
5
9/6/05
12:13 PM
Page 2
1. Venus De Milo 3:12
(Gerry Mulligan)
Capitol 7-1221, mx 3764
Recorded 22 April 1949
9. Donna 3:10
(Miles Davis)
Blue Note 1595, mx BN 430-1
Recorded 9 May 1952
17. For Adults Only 5:30
(Al Cohn)
Prestige LP 154, mx 426
Recorded 19 February 1953
2. Rouge 3:14
(John Lewis)
Capitol H 459, mx 3765
Recorded 22 April 1949
10. Dear Old Stockholm 4:08
(Traditional)
Blue Note 1595, mx BN 428-1
Recorded 9 May 1952
18. Floppy 5:59
(Al Cohn)
Prestige LP 154, mx 425
Recorded 19 February 1953
3. Boplicity 3:00
(Cleo Henry, arr. Gil Evans)
Capitol 57-60011, mx 3766
Recorded 22 April 1949
11. Chance It 2:59
(Oscar Pettiford)
Blue Note 1596, mx BN 429-3
Recorded 9 May 1952
4. Israel 2:16
(John Carisi)
Capitol 57-60011, mx 3767
Recorded 22 April 1949
12. Woody’n You 3:21
(Dizzy Gillespie)
Blue Note 1596, mx BN 431-2
Recorded 9 May 1952
5. Deception 2:47
(Miles Davis)
Capitol H 459, mx 4346
Recorded 9 March 1950
13. Yesterdays 3:40
(Jerome Kern–Otto Harbach)
Blue Note 1597, mx BN 432
Recorded 9 May 1952
6. Rocker 3:05
(Gerry Mulligan)
Capitol H 459, mx 4347
Recorded 9 March 1950
14. How Deep is the Ocean 4:34
(Irving Berlin)
Blue Note 1597, mx BN 433
Recorded 9 May 1952
7. Moon Dreams 3:18
(Chummy MacGregor–Johnny Mercer)
Capitol H 459, mx 4348
Recorded 9 March 1950
15. Tasty Pudding 3:19
(Al Cohn)
Prestige 864, LP 154, mx 423
Recorded 19 February 1953
8. Darn That Dream 3:23
(Eddie deLange–Jimmy van Heusen)
Kenny Hagood, vocal
Capitol 7-1221, mx 4349
Recorded 9 March 1950
16. Willie The Wailer 4:24
(Al Cohn)
Prestige LP 154, mx 424
Recorded 19 February 1953
Tracks 1-8: Miles Davis & His Orchestra
Tracks 9-18: Miles Davis All Stars
Transfers & Production: David Lennick
Digital Restoration: Graham Newton
Discographical information courtesy of The Jazz
Discography by Tom Lord (www.lordisco.com)
Original monochrome photo of Miles Davis
from Gerrit Schilp / Redferns
The Naxos Historical labels aim to make available the greatest recordings of the history of recorded
music, in the best and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim,
Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to
produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings.
Also available in the Naxos Jazz Legends series ...
8.120607
8.120700
8.120708
These titles are not for retail sale in the USA
NAXOS RADIO
Over 70 Channels of Classical Music • Jazz, Folk/World, Nostalgia
www.naxosradio.com Accessible Anywhere, Anytime • Near-CD Quality
8.120772
6
8.120772
8.120772
“Boplicity”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
Vol.2
Original 1949-1953 Recordings
Venus De Milo 3:12
Rouge 3:14
Boplicity 3:00
Israel 2:16
Deception 2:47
Rocker 3:05
Moon Dreams 3:18
Darn That Dream 3:23
Donna 3:10
Dear Old Stockholm 4:08
Chance It 2:59
Woody’n You 3:21
Yesterdays 3:40
How Deep Is The Ocean 4:34
Tasty Pudding 3:19
Willie The Wailer 4:24
For Adults Only 5:30
Floppy 5:59
NOTES AND FULL RECORDING DETAILS INCLUDED
h & g 2005 Naxos Rights International Ltd
Made in Canada
Design: Ron Hoares
Total
Time
66:14
ADD
8.120772
Transfers and Production by David Lennick
Digital Restoration by Graham Newton
www.naxos.com
8.120772
MILES DAVIS Boplicity
MILES DAVIS Boplicity
MILES DAVIS