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Miles Davis: Olympia – Mar 20, 1960
by C. Michael Bailey
A Totally Subjective History of Jazz, 1945--1968 I am going to over-simplify the history of small-ensemble jazz between the heyday of bebop and the vestibule of fusion using a single catalyst--Miles Davis. Davis was instrumental in or the genesis of five major movements (not including fusion) in jazz where the hinges of these movements can be assigned (however arbitrarily) to specific recordings: Bebop--Davis records “Billie's Bounce" with Charlie Parker for Savoy November 26, 1945. This ...
Continue ReadingMiles Davis and Sonny Stitt: Jazz Time: Olympia
by Samuel Chell
On page 249 of his autobiography, Miles Davis recounts driving around Philly with Jimmy Heath, recalling that he “probably was complaining to him about Sonny Stitt playing the wrong [stuff] on 'So What,' because he would always [mess] up on that tune."The marvel is that Miles called on Stitt to replace Coltrane in the first place. But Wayne Shorter wanted to stay on with Art Blakey, so the most complete and polished bebop player of them all, a ...
Continue ReadingMike Longo: Like A Thief In The Night
by Douglas Payne
Former Dizzy Gillespie pianist Mike Longo hasn't had a very high-profile career. But while his playing and writing is somewhat unexceptional, his proficiency and ability to keep it all interesting are never at fault. The ten tracks that comprise this solid 59-minute CD come from two 1975-era albums Longo cut for Sonny Lester's Groove Merchant label, 900 Shares Of The Blues and Funkia.The players - including Joe Farrell (reeds), Randy Brecker (trumpet / flugelhorn), Ron Carter (bass) and ...
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