The essential and life-affirming music on this 4 disc set has been available before, but to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time all of the music from the famous 1960 Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and German concerts of the famous Miles Davis Quintet w/ John Coltrane have been together under one roof.
To put this 1960 tour in perspective, these concerts are just after Miles Davis’ famed Kind of Blue album as well as John Coltrane’s Giant Steps landmark release. Coltrane was itching to get out on his own and create his own quartet, but he needed a bit of extra cash to bankroll his project, so he toured with Davis one last time. The rhythm section of Paul Chambers/b, Wynton Kelly/p and Jimmy Cobb/dr was Davis’ pulse for the famed Gil Evans collaborations and would soon become his working band with Hank Mobley. The music had been broadcast on radio programs, and even includes a nice interview with the Coltrane on the first disc. Simply said, this set puts the “class” in “classic.”
There is a good share of repetition of tunes, but definitely not of solos. The handful of “So What”’s and “On Green Dolphin Street”’s are diverse and fascinating to compare and contrast. What unites them is the V8 engine hum of the rhythm section that purrs like a kitten and is able to roar like a Shelby Cobra. Davis sounds like he’s inspired on every second on stage, with crisp blasts on “Walkin’” and hip growling and snippets on “All Blues” while sounding sharper than a ’60 Caddy’s fins on Harmon Mute on “Fran Dance” and even quoting Cannonball Adderley’s solo on “So What?”. Coltrane feels like he’s pulling on the reins on “Green Dolphin Street” jumping out of a phone booth and soaring into space and does some harmonic experimentation on “All Blues.”Hotter than cool readings of “If I Were A Bell’ and “Fran Dance” mix Cobb’s patented chiming on the ride cymbal with Kelly’s nightclub soul, and if you want to hear a take of “’Round Midnight” that is definitive, gather in here. This is the Davis set you’ll keep going to if you think blasphemy was committed on Bitches Brew. Music that defines jazz.
MVD Entertainment Group
http://mvdb2b.com/s/MilesDavisJohnColtraneAllOfYouTheLastTour/ACQCD7076