Don’t Call it Jazz is thrilled to present, “From the Vault”, a new series of episodes where host Jon Armstrong plays music from his old CD and Vinyl collection. This physical media collection has been going strong for over 25 years, and it’s been a blast to rediscover these iconic albums.
Each episode will feature tracks from this collection, with Jon discussing some of the history behind the making of the album as well as why these albums are so important to him and his life as a musician.
I will be dedicating two episodes to the Miles Davis’ Prestige Quintet Sessions, a collection of four iconic albums that were recorded for Prestige Records in 1955. Miles wanted out of his record contract with Prestige in order to move to Columbia, so the record label heads met and made a deal. Miles would fulfill his contract with Prestige with the release of four albums. Miles already had his quintet for Columbia ready to go: saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones.
Miles wanted to knock these albums out, so he booked a session on May 11th, 1956, recording a mix of modern originals and reimagined popular songs of the time. He went back into the studio with the quintet on October 26th of that same year to record more music and round out the albums.
The result is four legendary albums, considered some of the greatest jazz albums ever made:
Cookin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (1957), Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (1958), Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet, and Steamin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (1961).
We’ll dive in with a curated playlist from these four albums, basking in the brilliance of the musicians, the arrangements, the band, and the vibe.
EPISODE 2
- "Ahmad's Blues", 7:26
Workin’
Ahmad Jamal
- “Oleo”, 5:54
Relaxin’
Sonny Rollins
- "Well, You Needn't", 6:19
Steamin’
Thelonius Monk
- "When I Fall in Love", 4:23
Steamin’
Victor Young, Edward Heyman (Howard Hughes' last film One Minute to Zero, became a hit with Doris Day)
- "My Funny Valentine", 6:04
Cookin’
Richard Rodgers (Rogers and Hart musical, Babes in Arms)
- "In Your Own Sweet Way", 5:45
Workin’
Dave Brubeck
- "The Theme" (Take 1), 2:01
Workin’
Miles Davis
