[78-L] Miles Davis etc [was Thelonious Monk [was Leonard

[Geoffrey Wheeler]

Discussing Miles Davis’ work on various labels in the 1950s and early 
’60s, he says of Davis’ Columbia recordings: “Davis's Columbia work was 
OK ...” The Institute of Jazz Studies has a recorded extended interview 
with Rudy Van Gelder in which Van Gelder discusses at length the 
difference between his recording methods for Blue Note and Prestige and 
those of Columbia where Davis is concerned. He disagreed with 
Columbia’s approach to micing and other recording details, especially 
that of “sound.” I bought Davis’ first Columbia LP with great 
expectations but was somewhat disappointed with the results. Compared 
with his Prestige performances, these were rather tepid. I have on tape 
an alternate take of Davis and Coltrane doing “Bye Bye Blackbird” which 
is hilarious. It’s just one mistake after another. Only the rhythm 
section seems to know what it is doing. I have no idea if this take was 
ever issued, and, if so, on what compilation. My interest was only in 
the original LP albums. As for Miles on Blue Note, the only 78 I bought 
was “Dear Old Stockholm” recorded about a year after Stan Getz made his 
recording of “...Stockholm” in Sweden issued on the Metronome label. I 
had no interest in Davis’ early Prestige LPs because they were largely 
reissues of 78s on 10--inch LPs and then of 10-inch LPs on 12-inch LPs. 
Exception to that was 10-inch LP “Miles Davis Plays Al Cohn 
Compositions” PRLP 154 and then on “Miles Davis and Horns” PRLP 7025. 
One of my favorites was the album “Musings of Miles” PRLP 7007 which I 
still have with its original sleeve.