In celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Prestige records, a special vinyl edition of the Miles Davis Quintet’s Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions is set to be released this November via Craft Recordings.
The deluxe boxset will include six 180-gram LPs housed in a 20-page hardcover portfolio and will feature all tracks from Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet, Cookin’, Relaxin’, Workin’, Steamin’, plus previously unreleased bonus material.
In celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Prestige Records, a deluxe six-LP vinyl edition of The Miles Davis Quintet’s Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions is set to be released this November.
The deluxe six-LP set presents the quintet’s marathon sessions for the iconic jazz label Prestige Records, recorded between 1955-56, it also offers a bonus LP with audio from radio and TV appearances by the group. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl, the discs are housed in a collectible hardcover linen-wrapped book that features brilliant photographs of Davis and the band plus extensive liner notes from esteemed jazz historian Bob Blumenthal.
Miles Davis’ First Great Quintet was assembled in 1955 – a pivotal year when Davis was at the top of his game and enjoying newfound recognition by industry leaders, critics, and fans alike. With a lineup that featured Pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Philly Joe Jones, and a tenor saxophonist named John Coltrane (replacing Sonny Rollins), the group become the dominant small jazz unit of the late ’50s.
In his liner notes, Bob Blumenthal writes “The Miles Davis Quintet heard here was Davis’ means of seizing the moment when his physical health and his musical concepts were on an upswing…This is the band Davis organized when he wanted his recordings to stand for more than snapshots of his momentary interests.”
Blumenthal continues that during this era, “Davis understood the potential of the new, longer 12-inch album format, and used it to create definitive performances in a variety of moods.” Adding, “The key was contrast, which began with the juxtaposition of Davis’ concision, Coltrane’s complexity, and Garland’s sparkle; extended to the textural variety the rhythm section provided each soloist; and was capped by the distinctive range of the band’s repertoire.”
The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions was originally released as a CD box set in 2006, garnering wide critical acclaim. Jazz Times wrote that “To sit down with the 32 [tracks], from “Stablemates” to “My Funny Valentine,” is to fall in love all over again with irreplaceable music whose magic is utterly manifest yet elusive of description.” All Music proclaimed, “Miles freaks…will have to have this,” while Pop Matters declared the collection to be “Perfect.” Upon its release, it peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions 6-LP box set is available for pre-order here.
Track Listing
Disc 1
Side A:
1. Stablemates
2. How Am I to Know?
3. Just Squeeze Me
Side B:
1. There Is No Greater Love
2. The Theme
3. S’posin
Disc 2
Side A:
1. In Your Own Sweet Way
2. Diane
3. Trane’s Blues
Side B:
1. Something I Dreamed Last Night
2. It Could Happen to You
3. Woody’n You
Disc 3
Side A:
1. Ahmad’s Blues
2. Surrey with the Fringe on Top
3. It Never Entered My Mind
Side B:
1. When I Fall in Love
2. Salt Peanuts
3. Four
4. The Theme (take 1)
5. The Theme (take 2)
Disc 4
Side A:
1. If I Were a Bell
2. Well You Needn’t
3. ’Round Midnight
Side B:
1. Half Nelson
2. You’re My Everything
3. I Could Write a Book
4. Oleo
Disc 5
Side A:
1. Airegin
2. Tune Up
3. When Lights Are Low
Side B:
1. Blues by Five
2. My Funny Valentine
Disc 6
Side A:
1. Steve Allen Intro*
2. Max Is Making Wax aka Chance It*
3. Steve Allen Intro 2*
4. It Never Entered My Mind*5. Tune Up^
6. Walkin’^
Side B:
1. Four#
2. Bye Bye Blackbird#
3. Walkin’#
4. Two Bass Hit#
*11/17/55 The Tonight Show with Steve Allen
^12/8/56 The Blue Note, Philadelphia, PA
#5/17/58 Café Bohemia, New York, NY
