Miles Davis: "The First Great Quintet" Selections from Workin', Relaxin' and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet.

We begin our month long Jazz Feature tribute to Miles Davis who was born in Alton, Illinois on May 26,1926 and this month would be the 90th anniversary of his birth. Tonight our Jazz Feature presents "the first great quintet". Miles Davis had a difficult time in the early 50s, unemployment, depression and discouragement was dominant and Davis slid into the pit of heroin addiction. After several years of this he put himself into isolation and quit. In 1954 things were brightening up with a series of significant recordings and a return to good health. In the summer of 1955 after his triumph at the Newport Jazz Festival, Miles formed this great band. Drummer Philly Joe Jones helped Miles pick the players, and young bassist Paul Chambers came into the band as did light fingered Red Garland on piano. Miles wanted Sonny Rollins on the front line but he wasn't ready as he was dealing with his own addiction problems and so Miles turned again to Philly Joe for advise and Joe said "John Coltrane". The rest is history and the "first great quintet" was born. Tonight is a selection from one of their finest and most intense recording sessions and their final one for Prestige Records. Oct 26,1956 was the date and the band ran through it's club repertoire and everything was done on one take. The selections were issued over a series of Prestige albums but the bulk of tonight's Feature comes from the album "Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet". This album is considered one of the finest examples of Modern Jazz. Enjoy our first tribute to Miles Dewey Davis.