In 1954, Miles Davis's future meant considerably more than his past. Recording for Prestige since 1951 (The New Sounds was his first album for the label), the trumpeter came into his own in 1954. Returning to New York in February of that year after kicking his heroin habit, Davis had also kicked his bebop fixation. What emerged was a cooler sound that came with space, a trumpet mute and a style influenced by vocalist Helen Merrill's close, breathy proximity to the microphone. [Photo above of Miles Davis in 1954 outside Prestige's offices in New York]
Also important in 1954 was Davis's formation of a series of quintets that were recorded by Prestige. The first featured Miles Davis (tp), Dave Schildkraut (as), Horace Silver (p), Percy Heath (b) and Kenny Clarke (d). Later that year, Sonny Rollins replaced Schildkraut. Then Milt Jackson (vib) and Thelonious Monk (p) replaced Rollins and Silver. These recordings were among jazz's most atmospheric to date, with an elegance that was spare and more poised and declarative.
Seventy years later, rather than trot out a "Complete Miles Davis 1954 Sessions" box to mark their anniversary, Concord's Craft Recordings decided to choose 20 of the most influential Prestige recordings by Davis that year for the newly released Miles '54, the Prestige Recordings, with liner notes by Ashley Kahn. You'll find this set on two CDs or four LPs, and all of the audio has been newly remastered by Grammy-winning engineer Paul Blakemore, with lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.
What makes these recordings special are their confidence and vulnerability. Davis is patient and sure on each track, but there's also a tender minimalism that stands out. His trumpet was drier and more lyrical. An interesting footnote: trumpeter-singer Chet Baker was also recording in a dry, more minimalist style on the West Coast. In 1954, less was more.
The reason these recordings are significant for Davis moving forward is that Columbia producer George Avakian was listening. As Columbia began to issue pop recordings on 12-inch LPs in 1954, giving them the same cachet as classical releases, Avakian was looking to expand his 12-inch jazz catalog. He wanted music that had sophistication but wasn't overwhelming for average listeners. He already had Ellington, and next came the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which recorded Brubeck Time for Columbia in February 1955 followed by Jazz: Red Hot and Cool, in 1954 and mid-1955. With the rapid advent of the 12-inch phonograph console, especially in new suburban homes, Avakian was ready to go further.
On the evening of July 17, 1955, Avakian heard a sharply dressed Davis play 'Round Midnight at the Newport Jazz Festival. Avakian signed him to Columbia soon after, working out a deal with Prestige's owner Bob Weinstock to let Davis record everything he owed him in one fell swoop.
The appeal for Weinstock is that he could stagger the release of those albums to ride the trumpeter's newfound popularity on Columbia. The music by Davis on Columbia that followed would change jazz history, considering that each member of his 1950s groups—John Coltrane, Red Garland, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones and Jimmy Cobb—would go on to significantly change jazz.
With all of this in mind, Davis's 1954 output for Prestige was something of an unintended audition. Once Avakian had Davis under contract, he quickly helped position him as jazz's first post-war superstar.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Miles '54, the Prestige Recordings (Craft) here to buy and on major streaming platforms.
JazzWax clips: Here's Four from the new set...
And here's take #1 of But Not for Me recorded in June 1954, with Miles Davis (tp), Sonny Rollins (ts), Horace Silver (p), Percy Heath (b) and Kenny Clarke (d) ...
Bonus: Here's Chet Baker's But Not for Me recorded in February 1954, with Chet Baker (tp,vcl), Russ Freeman (p), Carson Smith (b) and Bob Neel (d)...
And here's Helen Merrill singing The More I See You in 1953, with Jimmy Raney (g) and Red Mitchell (b)...
