On November 30, 1957, four days before trumpeter Miles Davis would begin recording the soundtrack to the French movie Ascenseur Pour L'echafaud, he performed at L'Olympia theater in Paris. He was backed by the René Urtreger Quartet, featuring Barney Wilen (ts), René Urtreger (p), Pierre Michelot (b) and Kenny Clarke (d)—the same musicians who would accompany him on the soundtrack. [Album cover above featuring Miles Davis and Jeanne Moreau in 1957]
Now, for the first time, we have the entire performance at L'Olympia in sterling, 24-bit remastered audio, thanks to Jordi Pujol and his Fresh Sound label. While parts of the concert were previously released on gritty bootlegs and a private recording by Urtreger, this release marks the first high-quality commercial issuing of the music.
The sound and the playing are spectacular. For one, the quintet is remarkable for its exceptional individual players. Wilen was a superb modern tenor saxophonist, Michelot was a solid bassist and Clarke was a superstar expatriate and a founding father of bebop. For another, the quartet behind Davis didn't try to emulate the sound of of Davis's working group of John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, though Wilen and Coltrane did share a similar dry tone. [Photo above of Barney Wilen]
In addition, Davis sounds completely at ease and playing as beautifully as he would on the movie soundtrack days later. In part, I'd attribute this to Paris and his long-running love affair with the city and French audiences' love affair with him.
But Davis's passion for Paris ran a little deeper. Nearly all of his trips there included a romantic affair. In 1949, he was with actress-singer Juliette Gréco. In 1956, he formed a romantic attachment with Urtreger's sister, Jeanne De Mirbeck. And a year later, around the time of this recording, he had begun an affair with Ascenseur Pour L'echafaud's leading actress, Jeanne Moreau (above).
During this trip, he also continued his affair with Urtréger's sister. “He was obsessed by sex, not by women,” she has said. “But when he was with me, he was with me.” During the tour, Davis wore her scarves on stage as keepsakes. For Davis, Paris was intoxicating. [Photo above of Juliette Gréco with Miles Davis in 1949]
The songs performed on the new album are Solar, Four, What's New?, No Moe, Lady Bird, Tune Up, I'll Remember April, Bags' Groove, Round Midnight, Now's the Time, Walkin' and The Theme.
As for how these tapes surfaced, I'll let Jordi pick up the story:
The original tapes...were produced and owned by the late jazz promoter Marcel Romano. After being stored for over 60 years, Laurent Guenoun, Romano's nephew and heir, discovered and sold them to Fresh Sound Records. With the goal of achieving the best possible sound quality, these recordings have undergone meticulous restoration and mastering, ensuring the greatest enjoyment for jazz fans around the world.
Another spectacular historical release of previously unissued material that's first rate on every level. Kudos to Jordi and Fresh Sound.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Miles Davis: In Concert at the Olympia, Paris 1957 (Fresh Sound) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Tadd Dameron's Lady Bird...
And here's Milt Jackson's Bags' Groove...
