Music History Events: Jazz albums recorded Dec. 24

Music History Events: Jazz albums recorded Dec. 24

Best Sheet Music download from our Library.

Please, subscribe to our Library.

If you are already a subscriber, please, check our NEW SCORES’ page every month for new sheet music. THANK YOU!

Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (1954)

Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (PRLP 7150) is an album by Miles Davis, released on Prestige Records in 1959. Most of the material comes from a session on December 24, 1954, featuring Thelonious Monk and Milt Jackson, and had been previously released in the discontinued ten inch LP format. “Swing Spring” was originally released on the 10″LP Miles Davis All Stars, Volume 1 (PRLP 196), and “Bemsha Swing” and “The Man I Love” (take 2) had been previously released on Volume 2 (PRLP 200).

“‘Round Midnight” is newly released, and comes from the same sessions by Davis’s new quintet in 1956 which resulted in Steamin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (PRLP 7200) and three other albums to fulfill Davis’s contract with Prestige.

The 1954 session

The 1954 session was Davis accompanied by members of the Modern Jazz Quartet, and Thelonious Monk. Notable as the only time Thelonious Monk made a studio recording with Davis—the two men did not get on well, as Davis felt Monk ought to be “laying out” (refraining from playing) during the trumpeter’s solos—this session also resulted in the title track to Bags’ Groove. Ira Gitler, who was present at the session and wrote the sleevenotes for the album, dispels the myth that the two men confronted each other physically, but there was argument throughout the session.

The first take of “The Man I Love” has a false start caused by Monk asking when he should start playing, and an exasperated Davis telling engineer Rudy Van Gelder, “Hey Rudy, put this on the record, man – all of it!”. In his autobiography, Davis recalls “When I heard stories later saying that me and him was almost about to fight after I had him lay out while I was playing on ‘Bags’ Groove,’ I was shocked, because Monk and I were, first, very close, and second, he was too big and strong for me to even be thinking about fighting […] All I did was tell him to lay out when I was playing. My asking him to lay out had something to do with music, not friendship. He used to tell cats to lay out himself.

Track listing

1. “The Man I Love” (Take 2) George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin 7:59
2. “Swing Spring” Miles Davis 10:46
   
3. “‘Round Midnight” Bernie Hanighen, Cootie Williams, Thelonious Monk 5:25
4. “Bemsha Swing” Thelonious Monk, Denzil Best 9:33
5. “The Man I Love” (Take 1) George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin 8:29
   Total length: 42:12

Personnel

Miles Davis – trumpet
John Coltrane – tenor saxophone on “‘Round Midnight”
Milt Jackson – vibraphone
Thelonious Monk – piano
Red Garland – piano on “‘Round Midnight”
Percy Heath – bass
Paul Chambers – bass on “‘Round Midnight”
Kenny Clarke – drums
Philly Joe Jones – drums on “‘Round Midnight”

Ira Sullivan – Nicky’s Tune (1958)

Nicky’s Tune is an album by American jazz trumpeter Ira Sullivan, which was recorded in 1958 but not issued until 1970 by Delmark. He leads a quintet with saxophonist Nicky Hill, pianist Jodie Christian, bassist Victor Sproles and drummer Wilbur Campbell.

Track listing

"My Secret Love" (Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster) – 8:38
"When Sunny Gets Blue" (Marvin Fisher, Jack Segal) – 5:11
"Nicky's Tune #2" (Nicky Hill) – 7:56
"Nicky's Tune #3" (Nicky Hill) – 8:58
"Wilbur's Tune #2" (Wilbur Campbell) – 8:29

Bonus track on CD

"Mock and Roll Blues" – 4:51

Personnel

Ira Sullivan - trumpet
Nicky Hill – tenor sax
Jodie Christian – piano
Victor Sproles – bass
Wilbur Campbell – drums

Don Cherry – Complete Communion (1965)

Complete Communion is a 1966 album by American jazz composer Don Cherry, his debut as a bandleader and his first release on Blue Note Records.

Each side of the original LP were suites, side-long compositions working with several themes. Critics have proposed this recording as an important innovation in the free jazz of the time, introducing “an alternative both to athematic improvising and to monothematic pieces”.

The tracks on Complete Communion were included in the compilation The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Don Cherry. In 2021, the Ezz-thetics label reissued Complete Communion along with Symphony For Improvisers on the compilation Complete Communion & Symphony For Improvisers Revisited.

Track listing

All compositions by Don Cherry

"Complete Communion: Complete Communion/And Now/Golden Heart/Remembrance" – 20:38
"Elephantasy: Elephantasy/Our Feelings/Bishmallah/Wind, Sand And Stars" – 19:36

Personnel

Don Cherry - cornet
Leandro "Gato" Barbieri - tenor saxophone
Henry Grimes - bass
Edward Blackwell - drums

Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil (1964)

Speak No Evil is the sixth album by Wayne Shorter. It was released in June 1966 by Blue Note Records. The music combines elements of hard bop and modal jazz, and features Shorter on tenor saxophone, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Elvin Jones. The cover photo is of Shorter’s first wife, Teruko (Irene) Nakagami, whom he met in 1961.

Track listing

All compositions by Wayne Shorter.

1. “Witch Hunt” 8:11
2. “Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum” 5:54
3. “Dance Cadaverous” 6:45
4. “Speak No Evil” 8:23
5. “Infant Eyes” 6:54
6. “Wild Flower” 6:06

Personnel

Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
Freddie Hubbard – trumpet (except "Infant Eyes")
Herbie Hancock – piano
Ron Carter – bass
Elvin Jones – drums

Kirk Lightsey Quintet – Kirk ‘n Marcus (1986)

Kirk ‘n Marcus is an album by pianist Kirk Lightsey‘s Quintet featuring Marcus Belgrave that was recorded in 1986 and released by the Dutch Criss Cross Jazz label.

Track listing

"All My Love" (Marcus Belgrave) – 6:34
"Loves I Once Knew" (David Durrah) – 6:41
"Windmill" (Kenny Dorham) – 8:46
"Marcus' Mates" (Robert Pipho) – 5:13
"Golden Legacy" (Santi Debriano) – 6:39
"Lower Bridge Level" (Jean Toussaint) – 5:36
"Lolita" (D. Jenkins) – 6:42 Additional track on CD release
"Fixed Wing" (Santi Debriano) – 8:30 Additional track on CD release

Personnel

Kirk Lightsey – piano
Marcus Belgrave – trumpet, flugelhorn
Jean Toussaint – tenor saxophone
Santi Debriano – bass
Eddie Gladden – drums

Browse in the Library:

Or browse in the categories menus & download the Library Catalog PDF:

Search your favorite sheet music in the category of Jazz, Blues, Soul, & Gospel.