Birth of the West Coast Cool

In late 1949 and '50, the Miles Davis Nonet recorded 12 songs in New York arranged by Gil Evans (two songs), John Carisi (one), John Lewis (two) and Gerry Mulligan (seven). The music was unusual in that it seemed to apply the relaxed feel of the Claude Thornhill Orchestra to bebop. Of the dozen songs recorded in January 1949, April 1949 and March 1950, …