Miles, Introducing Trane, On eBay, In Metronome
I was perusing eBay early this morning and came across this beautiful item: Miles, The New Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige 7014. I’ve always loved this LP, not just for the music and the great cover, but for the historic value as well: The introduction of the great Miles Quintet of the ’50s and, in particular, the introduction of John Coltrane. So, I put this item on my watch list and took a further look and it turns out to be a listing from Rudolf, our faithful friend and commentator. So we are happy to help Rudolf publicize this listing on the Jazz Collector site, but we also noticed a nice teaser in the listing, which notes that they album will be offered with a copy of Metronome’s July 1956 review of the album. Furthermore, the listing notes that the Metronome review is
quite amusing. But there are no details on what is amusing about the review, so I am hoping that Rudolf will see this post and share a tidbit from the review. I don’t have many Metronome’s from that era. I do have a lot of Downbeat magazines, more from the late 1950s and just about all of them from the 1960s. I occasionally pore through them — at least the ones that aren’t sitting in storage — and find out interesting tidbits to post here. You can find some of them if you just do a search on Downbeat, using the search feature at the top right of the page.
Al: thanks for the coverage.
The review is by Bill Coss:
quote “The cover reads “The New Miles Davis Quintet”. Fortunately, it has the same ‘old’ Miles Davis, because everything else is much below par. There is too much echo on all the soloists, the tenor, on the Rollins-Stitt kick is even more out of tune; Paul Chambers plays well though with some intonation trouble; Philly Joe Jones is often too busy; Red Garland’s piano is a nice ‘single’ line, though the two-handed bit is too close to Garner for comfort. Miles on the ballads is worth the price of the album. ‘Theme’ will be the track to receive the most notice. But none of it would have any real value except for Miles who seems, almost in spite of himself, to be building to a new maturity.” unquote.
No comments needed.
It’s amazing to go back sometimes and look at the original reviews for some of the records we know and love. I remember coming across the Downbeat with the review for one of my favorite LPs, the Cannonball Adderley/Bill Evans collaboration Know What I Mean? It was given just three stars — out of a potential five — and kind of dismissed as just another alto sax-led quartet album. Which is a shame, because it is a record that was clearly made with a lot of love and passion and genuine affection, which is obvious in the music. And the surprise presence of Connie Kay and Percy Heath as sidemen always gave it a very nice intimate touch, a five-star record in my humble opinion.
you touch a very sensitive subject there. I am convinced I have the Cannonball record but cannot find it! Looking for it since a long time, in vain. I loved it for Bill, Percy and Connie who make Cannonball another man.
Isn’t this a Gil Melle photo on the cover? I love how edgy and arty the jazz world is in the 50’s – a decade that history isn’t so forgiving of – I’m thinking poodle skirts and Leave it to Beaver. It’s nuts to think of Rauschenberg painting stuffed goats and the great jazz of the same era.
it is a Gil Mellé design, maybe his photograph as well.
Has anyone ever seen a blue cover with NY labels?
No, I haven’t. Maybe others have??
For me the green colour is associated with NY, the blue with NJ.
The green is in two versions. The first issue was without lamination, frame cover and the unique way of writing Prestige 7014, as per the picture hereinabove. The second version is laminated, no frame cover and the company logo and catalogue number as per the ten albums from 7070 on, the most famous being 7079.