Sunday Swank

Miles Davis Quintet - Walkin'
Miles Davis - trumpet
Sonny Stitt - alto and tenor saxophones
Wynton Kelley - piano
Paul Chambers - bass
Jimmy Cobb - drums
I celebrated my 45th birthday last week, and one of my friends gave me this great recording of the Miles Davis Quintet from 1960. Recorded at the Olympia in Paris, it is notable for featuring Sonny Stitt on saxophones instead of long time band member John Coltrane. Miles wanted Wayne Shorter but he was unavailable, so Miles had to settle for Stitt. Their playing styles differed and there is notable stylistic tension in the music, with Miles pushing his modal style and Stitt bringing it back to the melody. Walkin' is straight up smokin'.

Blue Xmas

Christmas is a week away from today. I'm continuing a holiday tradition here at SIART by posting this gem from Miles Davis and Bob Dorough...

I like Christmas music, but my tastes tend towards the traditional - massed choirs, orchestral interpretations, the classic takes of the '40s, '50s and '60s. I also really like jazz versions of Xmas music, and one of my fave holiday records is an old Columbia Records album called Jingle Bell Jazz that features mostly recordings from 1961 and 1962. Some of the tracks featured include Duke Ellington's "Jingle Bells," the Chico Hamilton Quintet playing "Winter Wonderland," and the Dave Brubeck Quartet doing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". It also has the classic little Miles Davis and Bob Dorough duet Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern), a witty romp about the rampant consumerism of the holidays that still rings true today. A delightful little number sure to make you smile.