Miles: The Lost Quintet

[medjuck]

I've been listening to the couple of cds I have of "the Lost Quintet" from 1969 and thinking about how revolutionary (or perhaps off-putting) the group must have sounded to their audiences of that time. In their July performances they're playing things from Bitch's Brew though even In a Silent Way hasn't been released yet. By October they're even further out but Bitch's Brew has still not been released. Actually on both cds the audiences seem quite appreciative, but surely some people were shocked when what starts as 'Round Midnight ends up out there in the ozone somewhere.

Edited July 26, 2004 by medjuck

[jazzbo]

Yes, this was a tremendous quintet and you're right: I'm sure a number of listeners were suprised, some likely pleased, a number disappointed or displeased or confused.

There's actually quite a bit of privately recorded material of this band that hopefully will be officially released one of these days. . . . This quintet really needs to be heard and studied more.

[Guy Berger]

An incredible band -- my favorite live Miles. I have about 13-15 CDs (not sure about duplicates) from March to November. The sound quality is variable, but the music is always amazing.

They've been discussed previously here.

Guy

[medjuck]

BTW Did HoLland play both acoustic and electric bass throughout his stay with Miles?

[Guy Berger]

BTW Did HoLland play both acoustic and electric bass throughout his stay with Miles?

Only acoustic at the beginning but after Bitches Brew he started playing electric as well.

Guy

[bertrand]

In addition to playing music from 2 records that hadn't been released yet, in July 1969 at Juan-Les-Pins, Wayne Shorter is quoting his composition 'Super Nova', which has not yet been recorded.

Bertrand.

[ghost of miles]

Has Columbia slated any of this material for release? I thought some of it had been... seems as if there might even be box-set potential, too.

[Guy Berger]

Peter Losin lists 18 live recordings by this group (I'm omitting the 12/68 recordings with Tony Williams and the early '70 sextet with Wayne Shorter):

1) 3/??/69, Duffy's Tavern, Rochester: On Green Dolphin Street/So What/Nefertiti/No Blues/The Theme, Gingerbread Boy/Paraphenalia/No Blues/The Theme

[The copy I have lists "This" instead of "Gingerbread Boy". I can't really hear a theme, so I don't know.]

2) 6/4-14/69, Plugged Nickel, Chicago: Gingerbread Boy/Masqualero/Agitation/Milestones

3) 7/4/69, Newport Jazz Festival: Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Sanctuary/It's About That Time/The Theme

[According to Losin, this is the first live recording of material from IaSW and BB. Wayne Shorter missed the gig, so it's just Miles and rhythm.]

4) 7/7/69, Central Park, NY: No Blues/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Masqualero/Spanish Key/Sanctuary/The Theme

[spanish Key makes its recording debut.]

5) 7/25/69, Juan Les Pins: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Milestones/Footprints/'Round Midnight/It's About That Time/Sanctuary/The Theme

[According to Losin, this is the final live recording of Milestones.]

6) 7/26/69, Juan Les Pins: Directions/Spanish Key/I Fall in Love Too Easily/Masqualero/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/No Blues/Nefertiti/Sanctuary/The Theme

7) 7/27/69, Rutgers U, New Brunswick: No Blues/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Masqualero/The Theme

Over the next month, the group and several guests recorded Bitches Brew. They toured around the US before going to Europe.

8) 6/21-29/69, Blue Coronet, Brooklyn: This/Agitation/No Blues/Paraphernalia, Gingerbread Boy/Paraphernalia/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Masqualero/Walkin'

9) 10/26/69, Teatro Lirico, Milan: Bitches Brew/Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Masqualero/I Fall in Love Too Easily/Sanctuary/The Theme, Bitches Brew/It's About That Time/Nefertiti/'Round Midnight/I Fall in Love Too Easily/Masqualero/Sanctuary/Spanish Key/The Theme

[Corea plays drums for part of the concert.]

10) 10/27/69, Teatro Sistina, Rome: Directions/This/'Round Midnight/I Fall in Love too Easily/Masqualero/Bitches Brew/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Agitation/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/The Theme

[Davis's last known recording of 'Round Midnight, just over 13 years after his legendary quintet recording with Coltrane for Columbia. And almost 17 years after the version with Sonny Rollins and Bird.]

11) 10/31/69, Stadthalle, Vienna: Bitches Brew/Agitation/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/The Theme

12) 11/1/69, Hammersmith Odeon, London: Directions/Bitches Brew/It's About That Time/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/No Blues/Paraphernalia/Masqualero

13) 11/2/69, Ronnie Scott's, London: Bitches Brew/It's About That Time/No Blues/This/I Fall in Love Too Easily/Sanctuary/The Theme

14) 11/3/69, Salle Pleyel, Paris: Directions/Bitches Brew/Paraphernalia/Riot/I Fall in Love Too Easily/Sanctuary/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/The Theme, Bitches Brew/Agitation/I Fall in Love Too Easily/Sanctuary/Masqualero/It's About That Time

15) 11/4/69, Tivoli Konserthal, Copenhagen: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Bitches Brew/Agitation/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/It's About That Time/The Theme

16) 11/5/69, Folkets Hus, Stockholm: Bitches Brew/Paraphernalia/Nefertiti/Masqualero, Directions/Bitches Brew/This/It's About That Time/No Blues/The Theme

[This is the concert where the electric piano breaks down and Chick plays the acoustic instead. I think this is the last known recording of "Nefertiti".]

17) 11/7/69, Philarmonie, Berlin: Directions/Bitches Brew/It's About That Time/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/The Theme

18) 11/9/69, De Doelen, Rotterdam: Directions/Bitches Brew/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/It's About That Time/Masqualero

added to list:

19) 5/??/69 or 6/??/69, Village Gate, NYC: This/Footprints/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/'Round Midnight [The earliest recording of BB material?]

Edited May 25, 2005 by Guy Berger

[Guy Berger]

The cool thing about the March '69 Duffy's Tavern gig is that it's one of the last ones with mostly older material: two long takes of "No Blues", "Green Dolphin Street" (Wayne on soprano), and "So What". The sound quality is awful; Wayne Shorter's tenor is difficult to hear. But you get an incredible sense of how good this rhythm section was. Holland takes monster solos on both takes of "No Blues". And some of the shit Chick Corea does on the second version of "No Blues" is incredible.

The Rome gig has the classic collective improv sequence after "Directions". First Shorter improvising on soprano with the rhythm section, then a complete abstract mindfuck once it's only the rhythm trio. Weird bowing by Holland, rumbling DeJohnette cymbals, and Chick Corea's flute playing. It seems like each concert had at least one collective improv bit by the rhythm section, usually on "It's About That Time".

Guy

Edited August 22, 2004 by Guy Berger

[Guy Berger]

Should add another one to the list of gigs above -- a May or June 1969 recording from the Village Gate. Very good sound (much much better than the Duffy's Tavern recordings) though again the drums are a little loud in the mix. Setlist is "This", "Footprints", "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" and "'Round Midnight".

Guy

[marcello]

The cool thing about the March '69 Duffy's Tavern gig is that it's one of the last ones with mostly older material: two long takes of "No Blues", "Green Dolphin Street" (Wayne on soprano), and "So What".    The sound quality is awful; Wayne Shorter's tenor is difficult to hear.  But you get an incredible sense of how good this rhythm section was.  Holland takes monster solos on both takes of "No Blues".  And some of the shit Chick Corea does on the second version of "No Blues" is incredible

Guy

←

I worked at Duffy's ( Duffy's Backstage ) during this time as a busboy. I remember this gig and another one of Miles that followed the next year, very well. I the gig with Jack DeJohnette was his first with the band.

On each occasion Miles was there for a week at a time. I even remember what he was paid; $5500.00.

I don't remember if it was this gig or the following one when a photographer came up to take photos of him in the club duing the daytime while I was cleaning up. Those photos are on the back and front cover of Jack Johnson, the back cover has Miles smiling with his trumpet. They threw me out of there after a while. Miles had a very fey "valet" who fussed after him all of the time.

I havn't heard this but someone is sending me this one.

5) 7/25/69, Juan Les Pins: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Milestones/Footprints/'Round Midnight/It's About That Time/Sanctuary/The Theme

[According to Losin, this is the final live recording of Milestones.]

I do,have this and it is very good indeed.

Edited May 22, 2005 by marcello

[Guy Berger]

Very cool story, Marcello. That gig must have been incredible.

5) 7/25/69, Juan Les Pins: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Milestones/Footprints/'Round Midnight/It's About That Time/Sanctuary/The Theme

[According to Losin, this is the final live recording of Milestones.]

I do,have this and it is very good indeed.

It's great, but I actually think some of the October/November gigs are at an even higher level, if you can believe it. This band could go to 11.

Guy

Edited May 22, 2005 by Guy Berger

[brownie]

[i havn't heard this but someone is sending me this one.

5) 7/25/69, Juan Les Pins: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Milestones/Footprints/'Round Midnight/It's About That Time/Sanctuary/The Theme

[According to Losin, this is the final live recording of Milestones.]

I do,have this and it is very good indeed.

←

[JSngry]

I wish I had them to miss...

[jazzbo]

Me too; I'd love to have been able to hear each of these bands he led from this time forward a few times each!

[John L]

Yea, a box set of this quintet would be something like the Holly Grail. They just have to do it. There was nothing like this band before or since. It is a piece of jazz history unto itself.

[md655321]

I recently downloaded a 12 cd set of live recordings from www.dimeadozen.org

Obviously I would still welcome a box set, but this music tides me over quite well. Brilliant stuff. The Duffys Tavern stuff is worth it just for the drumming. Its quite amazing.

[jazzbo]

Yes, that would be the miles-tree.org Lost Quintet compilation. Some amazing stuff in that batch!

[Guy Berger]

Yes, that would be the miles-tree.org Lost Quintet compilation.  Some amazing stuff in that batch!

←

I'm a broken record when it comes to this performance, but the "Masqualero" from Paris (11/3/69) is easily the best version I've heard of this tune. It might even be the best single LQ track. Miles and Wayne play exceptional solos, but what Chick does on his lengthy solo (5-6 minutes) is out of this world.

Guy

[GregK]

I love this phase of Chick's career. His playing is always fascinating to me. Isn't there anyone here who can tell Sony how much we need this material issued in one of those nifty box sets??

[JSngry]

Isn't there anyone here who can tell Sony how much we need this material issued in one of those nifty box sets??

The people who would be doing the real work already know. It's the suits who make the final call, however.

Just a hunch - when "they" run out of "legit" product to sell, they'll start mining this lode.

[Guy Berger]

Isn't there anyone here who can tell Sony how much we need this material issued in one of those nifty box sets??

The people who would be doing the real work already know. It's the suits who make the final call, however.

Just a hunch - when "they" run out of "legit" product to sell, they'll start mining this lode.

←

I think Jim's probably right. I'm guessing we probably won't get a box, but rather the best sounding gigs -- some of this stuff has limited fidelity. Worst comes to worst, in 2019 the 50 year whatever runs out.

Guy

[sidewinder]

I recently downloaded a 12 cd set of live recordings from www.dimeadozen.org

Obviously I would still welcome a box set, but this music tides me over quite well. Brilliant stuff. The Duffys Tavern stuff is worth it just for the drumming. Its quite amazing.

Just listening for the first time to this material. Mind blowing stuff ! Makes you realise that good though the studio sessions were, to a degree they were just scratching the surface. This material also emphasises the major impact of the avante-garde on Miles (via Holland and Corea) around the time of the Bitches Brew recordings. More so than I had previously realised.

[tonym]

I recently downloaded a 12 cd set of live recordings from www.dimeadozen.org

Obviously I would still welcome a box set, but this music tides me over quite well. Brilliant stuff. The Duffys Tavern stuff is worth it just for the drumming. Its quite amazing.

Just listening for the first time to this material. Mind blowing stuff ! Makes you realise that good though the studio sessions were, to a degree they were just scratching the surface. This material also emphasises the major impact of the avante-garde on Miles (via Holland and Corea) around the time of the Bitches Brew recordings. More so than I had previously realised.

Excuse my ignorance, but how does all this work? I'm on the page now with a box that appears like this:

[sidewinder]

Tony - having saved the Torrent detals you then need to run file transfer software to actually transfer the files. I use 'Bit Torrent', which is available on the net as freeware.

The Miles set is 12CDs and about 3.5GByte in size so it takes a wee while, to say the least. The files are transferred in 'Shorten' compressed format so you will then need some software to decompress to 'wav' format to transfer to CD. I've found the 'mkw Audio Compression Toolkit' does the job nicely as it allows drag and drop instead of nasty DOS command lines.

All in all a real pain ( ) but the music is truly worth it in the end. The Duffy's Tavern CDs (first 2 in this set) are truly amazing stuff, really lo-fi but quite fascinating.

Some good cover art to run off on the printer too, making this collection something of a 'DIY Mosaic'.