Miles Davis & Gil Evans - The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (6-CD Box Set)

In the late 1950s, two giants of jazz went into the studios to collaborate on some of the most haunting, beautiful music ever. Miles was, by this time, a jazz star, a great trumpet player, composer and bandleader (his bands would be 'finishing schools' for future titans: John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Marcus Miller. Gil Evans was a subtly superb composer and arranger, who wrote for the big band of Claude Thornhill and singers Johnny Mathis and Helen Merrill, as well as the small groups of Gerry Mulligan and Teddy Charles, and would go on to leading his own edgy, modern big band (he even recorded an album of Jimi Hendrix songs!).

This six-CD set, comprises, alternate takes & all, the Davis/Evans albums 'Miles Ahead,' 'Porgy and Bess,' 'Sketches of Spain,' 'Quiet Nights,' and 'Plus 19.' This is some of Miles' most gorgeous playing in intricate, thoughtful, lush and majestic orchestral settings, with more than a few subtle classical shadings. It is elaborately annotated and a treasure forfans of Miles, Evans, orchestral jazz and heartfelt instrumental music.

This box set is testament to a partnership that belongs in the pantheon of American music's greatest tandems, alongside Rodgers and Hart, Ellington and Strayhorn, and Sinatra and Riddle.

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"Over the course of six compact discs, Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings collects every bit of music the legendary duo recorded together between the years 1957 and 1968. Each of the original albums -- Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain, and Quiet Nights -- is presented in its original running order on separate discs; each individual disc is augmented with revealing alternate takes and rarities, like the duo's long-unavailable music for "The Time of the Barracudas" at the end of the Quiet Nights disc. The remaining two discs are filled with alternate takes, rehearsals, overdubbed solos, studio chatter, and outtakes. All of the music sounds splendid and often revelatory -- for instance, in addition to being released in stereo for the first time ever, Miles Ahead is presented in its original version for the first time on compact disc. Original liner notes & new notes by Quincy Jones/George Avakian, stunning rare photos, housed in an immense, detailed, gold-bound book [...] This is vital music that will be accessed often by anyone willing to invest in the set, so the box set should have been designed with that in mind. Nevertheless, Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings is filled with so much visionary and beautiful music it makes the slight flaws in packaging forgivable."

Stephen Thomas Erlewine (All Music Guide)


Albums included:

-Miles Ahead (CL 1041 / CS 8633) 1957
-Porgy and Bess (CS 8085) 1957
-Sketches of Spain (CS 8271) 1960
-Quiet Nights (CS 8906) 1963



Complete tracklisting:

Disc 1 - Miles Ahead
[Masters released on Miles Ahead]

01. Springsville (master) 3:28
02. The Maids of Cadiz (master) 3:59
03. The Duke (master) 3:28
04. My Ship (master) 4:28
05. Miles Ahead (master) 3:29
06. Blues For Pablo (master) 5:19
07. New Rhumba (master) 4:35
08. The Meaning of the Blues (master) 2:50
09. Lament (master) 2:16
10. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed
(By Anyone But You) (master) 3:07
11. Springsville (remake take 7) 3:16
12. The Maids of Cadiz (take 1) 3:57
13. The Duke (take 11) 3:32
14. My Ship (take 1) 4:23
15. Miles Ahead (take 4) 3:32
16. Blues For Pablo (take 1) 3:01
17. New Rhumba (take 5) 4:45
18. The Meaning of the Blues
(rehearsal take) 2:49
19. Lament (rehearsal take) 2:20
20. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed
(By Anyone But You) (Take 8) 3:11

Disc 2 - Porgy And Bess
[Masters released on Porgy and Bess]

01. Buzzard Song (master) 4:09
02. Bess, You Is My Woman Now (master) 5:12
03. Gone (master) 3:38
04. Gone, Gone, Gone (master) 2:05
05. Summertime (master) 3:21
06. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess (master) 4:31
07. Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus) (master) 4:42
08. Fisherman, Strawberry,
Devil Crab (master) 4:11
09. My Man's Gone Now (master) 6:16
10. It Ain't Necessarily So (master) 4:25
11. Here Come De Honey Man (master) 1:20
12. I Loves You, Porgy (master) 3:43
13. There's a Boat
That's Leaving (master) 3:28
14. Gone (take 3) 3:40
15. Summertime (take 2) 3:19
16. Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus) (take 2) 4:16
17. I Loves You, Porgy
(take 1, second version) 4:17
18. There's a Boat
That's Leaving (take 2) 3:41
19. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess (take 5) 4:22
20. Gone (take 4) 3:40

Disc 3 - Sketches Of Spain
[Masters released on Sketches of Spain]

01. Concierto De Aranjuez
(Adagio) (master) 16:23
02. Will O' the Wisp (master) 3:50
03. The Pan Piper (master) 3:43
04. Saeta (master) 5:08
05. Solea (master) 12:24
06. Song of Our Country (master) 3:29
07. Saeta" (full version of master) 6:05
08. The Pan Piper (take 1) 3:11
09. Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio)
(alternate take, part one) 12:03
10. Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio)
(alternate take, part two) 3:32
11. Song of Our Country (take 14) 3:11

Disc 4 - Quiet Nights And More
[Masters released on Quiet Nights]

01. Song No: 2 (master) 1:40
02. Once Upon a Summertime (master) 3:27
03. Aos Pes Da Cruz (master) 4:18
04. Song No: 1 (master) 4:37
05. Wait Till You See Her (master) 4:06
06. Corcovado (master) 2:45
07. Blue Xmas (master) 2:43
08. Nothing Like You (master) 2:00
09. Devil May Care (master) 3:29
10. The Time of the Barracudas (master) 12:48
11. Falling Water (take 4) 3:45
12. Falling Water (take 6) 4:25
13. Falling Water (take 8) 4:17
14. Falling Water (take 9) 4:23
15. Springsville (take 5) 3:34
16. The Maids of Cadiz (take 11) 4:06
17. The Maids of Cadiz (take 11, insert 1) 2:38
18. Lament (Medley) (take 2) 2:37
19. The Duke (take 1) 3:30
20. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You)
(CK 53225 issued version) 3:07

Disc 5 - The Making Of Miles Ahead

01. Springsville (rehearsal sequence) 7:01
02. Springsville (rehearsal w/ piano) 2:32
03. The Maids of Cadiz (take 9) 0:34
04. The Maids of Cadiz (take 10) 4:12
05. The Maids of Cadiz (rehearsal sequence)
06. Count Off For the Duke (take 3) 0:37
07. The Duke (take 8) 3:33
08. The Duke (piano take 3) 1:55
09. My Ship (take 6) 4:39
10. Miles Ahead (rehearsal sequence) 1:40
11. Miles Ahead (take 12) 3:34
12. Miles Ahead (take 15) 3:31
13. Studio Discussion 0:30
14. My Ship (take 7) 4:41
15. Miles Ahead (piano insert - mono) 3:09
16. Blues For Pablo (rehearsal sequence) 5:54
17. New Rhumba (take 2) 4:40
18. Lament" (take 1) 2:24
19. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) (rehearsal) 2:13
20. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You) (take 5) 2:58
21. Studio Discussion 0:35
22. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed
(By Anyone But You) (piano take 4) 2:57

Disc 6 - Alternate And Rehearsal Takes

01. Studio Discussion 0:21
02. Springsville (take 8 w/out overdubs) 3:33
03. Studio Discussion 0:06
04. Miles Ahead (take 11 w/out overdubs) 3:31
05. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You)
(take 3 w/out overdubs) 2:59
06. Springsville (overdub take 1) 2:07
07. Springsville (overdubbed solos 4-5) 2:20
08. Springsville (overdubbed solos 6-9) 2:31
09. Springsville (issued overdubbed solo) 0:26
10. Miles Ahead (issued overdubbed Solo) 1:53
11. Miles Ahead (overdubbed solo) 1:35
12. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You)
(overdubbed solo 1) 1:05
13. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You)
(overdubbed solo 2) 1:25
14. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You)
(overdubbed solo 4) 2:04
15. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You)
(overdubbed solo 8) 3:04
16. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone But You)
(overdubbed solo 19 & 19c) 2:56
17. Miles Ahead (mono master) 3:29
18. Gone (rehearsal sequence) 2:53
19. Gone, Gone, Gone (rehearsal sequence) 2:57
20. Studio Discussion 0:53
21. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
(rehearsal take) 4:57
22. It Ain't Necessarily So (take 1) 3:22
23. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess (take 3) 3:53
24. I Loves You, Porgy (rehearsal sequence) 2:17
25. There's A Boat That's Leaving
Soon For New York (remake) 2:23
26. My Man's Gone Now (remake take) 6:12
27. Song of Our Country (take 9) 2:58
28. Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio) (rehearsal) 7:20
29. Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio)
(alternate ending) 1:21



Original sessions produced by Teo Macero,
Irving Townsend, John Hammond, Sr.
Engineers: Harold Chapman, Frank Laico,
Fred Plaut, Tom 'Curly' Ruff
Remastering & restoration: Phil Schaap

Reissue producers, annotation & liner notes:
Bob Belden, Phil Schaap
Liner notes: Quincy Jones, George Avakian
Executive producer: Michael Cuscuna
Photography: Don Hunstein,
Art direction & design: Arnold Levine, Chika Azuma, Charlie Lourie


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"This is as good as it gets. Timeless!"

-Quincy Jones