| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz | favorable[5] |
| Allmusic |  [6] |
| Down Beat | [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |  [9] |
| Tom Hull | A–[10] |
Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is a studio album by the Miles Davis quintet recorded in 1956 and released circa January 1960.[1][2][3][4] Two sessions on May 11, 1956 and October 26 in the same year resulted in four albums—this one, Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet.
Track 2 is a composition written for Davis by Eddie Vinson (see Blue Haze for more details). "Trane's Blues" (also known as "Vierd Blues", a tongue-in-cheek reference to Blue Note founder Francis Wolff's heavily accented verdict on it), also credited to Davis, is in fact a John Coltrane composition (originally titled "John Paul Jones", and from an earlier session led by bassist Paul Chambers; before the closing statement of theme, Coltrane and Davis play a bit of Charlie Parker's "The Hymn").
Background
As his star rose in 1955, Davis formed a new quintet, featuring saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. In order to fulfill contractual obligations, he recorded lengthy, spontaneous songs with the quintet, which were released over four albums—Workin', Cookin', Relaxin', and Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet.
Track listing
Prestige – LP 7166:[11]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It Never Entered My Mind" | Richard Rodgers | 5:26 |
| 2. | "Four" | Eddie Vinson | 7:15 |
| 3. | "In Your Own Sweet Way" | Dave Brubeck | 5:45 |
| 4. | "The Theme" (Take 1) | Miles Davis | 2:01 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Trane's Blues" (a.k.a. "Vierd Blues") | John Coltrane | 8:35 |
| 2. | "Ahmad's Blues" | Ahmad Jamal | 7:26 |
| 3. | "Half Nelson" | Miles Davis | 4:48 |
| 4. | "The Theme" (Take 2) | Miles Davis | 1:03 |
| Total length: | 41:59 | ||
All tracks recorded on May 11, 1956, except "Half Nelson", recorded on October 26.
Personnel
- Miles Davis – trumpet
- John Coltrane – tenor saxophone (except 1)
- Red Garland – piano
- Paul Chambers – bass, cello
- Philly Joe Jones – drums
References
- ^ a b DeVito, Chris; Fujioka, Yasuhiro; Schmaler, Wolf; Wild, David (2013). Porter, Lewis (ed.). The John Coltrane Reference. New York/Abingdon: Routledge. p. 448. ISBN 978-1135112578.
- ^ a b "Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet". The Billboard. The Billboard Publishing Co. February 8, 1960. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ a b "December Album Releases" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. December 12, 1959. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ a b "Jazz Picks of the Week" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. February 6, 1960. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ "Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet". All About Jazz. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- ^ "Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet". All Music. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- ^ "Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet". CD Universe. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- ^ DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly, eds. (October 27, 1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. p. 179. ISBN 0679737294.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 58. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Jazz (1940s-50s)". tomhull.com. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet". Discogs. Retrieved October 28, 2016.