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Miles Davis ^ John Coltrane: GIANTS IN ketkospect In early Giant Steps—his first May of 1959, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane recorded the landmark album Steps—his first album exclusively of original material that signaled his arrival as both a composer and performer. On the same date, bassist Charles Mingus recorded his master piece Mingus Ah Urn. Later that month, saxophonist Ornette Coleman laid down the tracks of his revolutionary (and prophetically-titled) album The Shape Of Jazz To Come—a pro found record that ushered in the free jazz movement. What a month! Yet while May, 1959 gave birth to these three classic albums, an even more impor tant album was recorded a bit ear lier that spring. Over two sessions in March and April, trumpeter Miles Davis recorded Kind Of Blue, an album often considered the greatest and most influential small group recording in jazz history. Kind Of Blue was the capstone of a fruitful collaboration between bandleader Davis and saxophonist John Coltrane—both rising stars in their early 30s. This influential pair's col laborative catalog has just been released on a six-CD box entitled Miles Davis And John Coltrane: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1955- 1961. Since the advent of modern jazz in the 1940s, no bandleader has been as innovative or important as Miles Davis. Davis began his ctreer playing with seminal bebop saxman Charlie Parker in the late-'40s, then followed that by leading the his toric Birth Of The Cool sessions in 1949-'50. Davis' promise was in question in the early-1950s, however, as heroin addiction affected his talents and his reli ability. By 1955, he had quit heroin, become physically fit through a tough regimen of boxing, and finally formed a stable, working band with Coltrane as the saxophonist. After wrapping up a Prestige Records contract on four fine albums with Coltrane (Cookin', Workin', Relaxin' and Steamin'), Davis signed with Columbia Records. Between October, 1955 and April, 1959, Davis and Coltrane recorded three com plete albums—'Round About Midnight, Milestones, and Kind Of Blue, all included in this boxed set. Also found here are two live albums, Jazz At The Plaza. Vol. 1 (recorded in 1958 and originally released in 1973) and Miles And Monk Live At Newport (also recorded in 1958, but not released until 1964) Rounding out this mas sive set are cuts from Someday My Prince Will Come, as well as a number of outtakes and alternate cuts. To top it off, there are 18 tracks that have never been released—a full hour and a half of music. Various elements combined to make these historic ses sions so important. The first was Davis' development as a bandleader. He had an unri valed skill at finding excellent musicians, nurturing their tal ents and encouraging their creativity. So many great musi cians served their apprenticeships with Davis that his bands became known as the "University Of Miles." Graduates include, first and foremost, John Coltrane, but also pianists Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett and saxophonist Wayne Shorter—to name a scant handful of the dozens who matured under Davis' guidance. It was during this time that Davis first mastered the band leader's role, mentoring bassist Paul Chambers, drummers Philly Joe Jones and Jimmy Cobb, pianists Red Garland, Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and, of course, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane. Under Davis' watchful eyes, these musicians achieved a camaraderie and level of group communication rare in an art form that thrives on such interplay. On 'Round About Midnight and Milestones, the band infused bop tunes by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker with an elegant, relaxed intensity char acteristic of all the band's arrange ments. Highlights include beautiful and engaging takes of "Bye Bye Blackbird" and Thelonious Monk's "Hound Midnight" as well as ebul lient versions of Gillespie's "Two Bass Hit" and "Dear Old Stockholm." The material was from the bop canon, but the versions were fresh and original, all high lighted by intriguing solos from Coltrane and Davis. By the time they recorded Kind Of Blue, Davis and his band mem bers displayed an ability and will ingness to rewrite the basic rules of jazz improvisation. Borrowing from methods used by other composers, Davis and pianist Bill Evans approached the album as an exer cise in modal improvisation—that is, the songs were built on various modes (or scales) rather than spe cific chord changes, as was the norm in bebop. This allowed the musicians greater freedom in how the, developed their improvisa tions. The bard didn't practice these songs—it simply went into the studio and played them, fresh, for the first time. The result is one of the few perfect moments in jazz, when indi vidual brilliance and delicately balanced group interplay pro duce a pure masterpiece. By the end of Coltrane's tenure with Davis, he nad mas tered the modal approach he and Davis popularized on Kind Of Blue. Coltrane's artistic growth during this time was phe nomenal, and by the time he recorded Giant Steps a few weeks after Kind Of Blue, he was starting to establish him self as the greatest and most influential saxophonist since Charlie Parker. Until his death in 1967, Coltrane's path as a leader established new norms and standards for saxophone composition and improvisa tion. Davis, on the other hand, was broadening his skills as a perfoimer. During this time, he collaborated with arranger Gil Evans on what would become Sketches Of Spain. He continued to develop his skills as a bandleader, and after he and Coltrane split for good in 1961, Davis tinkered with per sonnel until he finally put together his second great band in 1965 (with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock). The spring of 1959 was a profound era in jazz. The jazz pantheon was crowded with legends, but none left so indelible a mark as Miles Davis and John Coltrane, the most important jazz artists of the post-Worid War II era. The roots of their importance can be heard in their collaborative works: some of the most enduring, challenging and beautiful jazz of all time. It's all here in this majestic collection, arguably the one single indispensable box set in jazz. Gene Hyde Let us tease you with our Bouffant-sized Calzones. 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