Over two one-day sessions in 1956 he recorded Cookin’, Relaxin’, Workin’ and Steamin’ with the same quintet. However, before it could be released there was the matter of his existing contract with Prestige, who Miles still owed four albums. Miles Davis’ first album for Columbia, Round About Midnight, contains the definitive rendition of the Monk ballad, and features his First Great Quintet: John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on double bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. His haunting rendition of Thelonious Monk’s ‘‘ Round Midnight’ was witnessed by George Avakian of Columbia Records, who was impressed enough to hand Davis a major recording contract. ‘Round About Midnight, Columbia Records & the First Great QuintetĪs his reputation grew, Miles performed at the 1955 edition of the Newport Jazz Festival. Gil Evans would deploy his distinctive arranging style on a number of later large ensemble Miles Davis albums, including Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain. With contrapuntal arrangements that were inspired by impressionist classical music, the nonet was an important part of the Cool jazz movement, which saw softer, more relaxed sounding music marketed as an alternative to the ‘hotter’, more frantic sounds of bebop. Miles, with his newfound fame as a result of his work with Parker, was the perfect front man for this new project, which came together as a nine-piece band to record Birth of the Cool in 19.
Gil Evans had begun to make a name for himself for his arrangements for the Claude Thornhill Orchestra in the mid-1940s.Īlong with other forward-thinking musicians and composers/arrangers – like baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and pianist John Lewis – he began to host workshops in his basement apartment on 55 th Street. Birth of the Cool and work with Gil Evans On classic tracks for Savoy and Dial Records like ‘ Now’s The Time’, ‘ Moose The Mooche’ and ‘ Yardbird Suite’, Miles’ measured approach, placing great emphasis on the use of space, provides a stark but highly effective contrast with Parker’s more overtly virtuosic alto style.
Miles could not compete with Gillespie’s high trumpet range, so he found his own cooler improvisational voice, mostly remaining within the mid-register. Parker was already a big star, and Davis was replacing the great Dizzy Gillespie in the band.
Joining Charlie Parker’s quintet in the mid 1940s was a huge break for the young trumpeter. Meanwhile, he immersed himself in the city’s nascent bebop scene focused around 52 nd Street in Manhattan, eventually dropping out of Juilliard as his jazz career took off. Louis, where his family were wealthy landowners, to move to New York City and attend the prestigious Juilliard School of Music. In his late teens Miles Davis left East St. Moving to New York City and recording with Charlie Parker