A Snapshot of Jazz History
If it is nearly impossible to define jazz, Miles Davis, perhaps inadvertently, gave it a shot in 1956. The context was mundane: his band was fulfilling contractual obligations to Prestige, recording several sides’ worth of music that the label would release across four iconic albums—Cookin’, Relaxin’, Workin’, and Steamin’—while the trumpeter prepared to transition to a larger deal at Columbia. Those sessions, along with a rare appearance by Sonny Rollins, are now chronicled in a comprehensive new box set from Craft Recordings, assembled to celebrate Davis’ centennial.
The Alchemy of the First Great Quintet
In the course of these sessions, Davis and his all-star quintet distilled everything that came before them and much of what would follow. The ensemble featured a lineup that would become legendary: the bluesy, eloquent pianist Red Garland, bass prodigy Paul Chambers, and the masterful groove architect Philly Joe Jones. Alongside the incomparable John Coltrane, this group spent weeks on the road building an intuitive chemistry that is palpable in every track.
Recorded largely in first takes at Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack studio, the music is casually superlative. While the band tackled bebop standards like “Woody N’You” and “Salt Peanuts” with reverent fluency, the ballads remain the true highlight. Tracks like “It Never Entered My Mind” and “My Funny Valentine” showcase a level of intimacy and cosmopolitan romance that remains unmatched. Whether interpreting showtunes or original compositions by Thelonious Monk, the quintet transformed every piece into a sprawling, swinging launchpad for improvisation.
A Lasting Legacy
There is a profound warmth to these recordings because they serve as a blueprint for so much that followed in the jazz canon. From the neoclassical movements of the late 20th century to the foundational standards played in clubs today, the influence of this quintet is inescapable. In their hands, the music is never intimidating; it is inviting, human, and timeless. As Davis himself noted during that pivotal autumn, “We’re not trying to prove anything. All we want to do is blow.”