Miles Davis Box Set Features Newly Released Live Music with Jazz Bass Greats

Almost four hours of previously unreleased live music by legendary jazz trumpeter/composer Miles Davis and the musicians he chose to play with over the course of 20 years are featured on Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4.

The four-CD collection includes performances by Davis and his bands from 1955, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, and 1975. The 1955 set, featuring Percy Heath on bass, drew the attention of Columbia Records, which promptly signed Davis.

An array of Davis’ noted bassists appear on the 1955-75 set: Paul Chambers in 1958, Ron Carter in 1966-7, Dave Holland in 1969, Michael Henderson on electric bass in 1971, 1973, and 1975. The performances occurred in the festival’s home base in Newport, Rhode Island, as well as Newport events in New York, Berlin, and Switzerland.

Check out Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein in this clip, where you can hear snippets of the music of Davis and his great bands:

Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 is available on CD and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).

Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 Track List:

Disc 1:

1. Spoken Introductions by Duke Ellington and Gerry Mulligan
2. Hackensack
3. ‘Round Midnight (previously released)
4. Now’s The Time
5. Spoken Introduction by Willis Conover (previously released)
6. Ah-Leu-Cha (previously released)
7. Straight, No Chaser (previously released)
8. Fran-Dance (previously released)
9. Two Bass Hit (previously released)
10. Bye Bye Blackbird (previously released)
11. The Theme (previously released)

Disc 2:

1. Gingerbread Boy
2. All Blues
3. Stella By Starlight
4. R.J.
5. Seven Steps To Heaven
6. The Theme / Closing Announcement by Leonard Feather.
7. Spoken Introduction by Del Shields
8. Gingerbread Boy
9. Footprints
10. ‘Round Midnight
11. So What
12. The Theme
13. Closing Announcement by Del Shields

Disc 3:

1. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (previously released)
2. Sanctuary (previously released)
3. It’s About That Time / The Theme (previously released)
4. Band warming up / voice over introduction
5. Turnaroundphrase
6. Tune In 5
7. Ife
8. Untitled Original
9. Tune In 5
10. Mtume

Disc 4:

1. Directions
2. What I Say
3. Sanctuary
4. It’s About That Time
5. Bitches Brew
6. Funky Tonk
7. Sanctuary