Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet (20 Bit Mastering) [Original recording remastered]

Product Description
The famed extended recording sessions of the Miles Davis Quintet, wherein they taped the band's basic repertoire (and what a marvelous mixture of jazz originals and standards) in the manner of nightclub sets rather than the repetition of the usual studio takes. Cookin' was the first to be released and it excited listeners not only with its contents but with its promise of more to come. Davis, Coltrane, Garland, Chambers, and Philly Joe: one of the classic groups in the history of jazz. It established a level of excellence that was to foster a long, successive line of outstanding Davis quintets and sextets through the Fifties and Sixties. From the muted eloquence of "My Funny Valentine," through the fingerpoppin' "Blues by Five," to the urgent swing of "Airegin" and "Tune-Up," Cookin' has the ability to thrill the listener no matter how many times it is played-the mark of an all-time great performance.

Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet (20 Bit Mastering),Miles Davis Quintet,Prestige,Hard Bop,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop

Average customer rating: Cookin' COOKIN': short but sweet Great group, great Miles. Stunning in its simplicity and elegance Great album, BUT....don't get this version!

Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet Miles Davis Quintet Manufacturer: Ojc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet Relaxin' Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet 'Round About Midnight ASIN: B000000Y7F Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

1. My Funny Valentine
2. Blues By Five
3. Airegin
4. Tune-Up/When Lights Are Low

Amazon.com essential recording

The first great Miles Davis quintet included John Coltrane, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Chambers, a group whose every record, honestly, is worthy of attention. The string of LPs, recorded in a blistering artistic marathon in 1956 and released originally on Prestige, is collected on the magnificent eight-CD Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings and draws from their exceptional nightly club repertoire. Cookin' opens with "My Funny Valentine," just as Davis often did on gigs during this period. It gets a slight edge over the other Prestige titles of this group only because it offers a nice balance of ballads, blues, and hard-bop warhorses. Coltrane at this point lacked the consistency and otherworldly inspiration of his later work, but he was playing with a force and even a recklessness that contrasted with Davis's quiet ruminations. But on this record Davis is inspired and witty, and Coltrane matches him all the way. Meanwhile, an all-star rhythm section follows them at every step, helping create an organic unity among equals that was unprecedented in jazz before this group. --John Szwed

Album Description

Trumpeter Miles Davis (along with tenor-saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones) are heard on this CD reissue performing such tunes as My Funnny Valentine (Davis's earliest version of this standard), Blues by Five, Airegin and a medley of Tune Up and When Lights Are Low. From the OJC/ Prestige label.

Customer Reviews:

Cookin'.......2005-10-17

In 1955, Miles decided to leave Prestige for the larger and better known Columbia recording company, but he still owed Prestige 4 albums in order to fulfill his contract terms. So on May 11, 1956, and again on Oct. 26, 1956, he and his quintet, which included John Coltrane, went into the Van Gelder studios and layed down a long string of titles which went into the 4 albums; these albums were COOKIN', RELAXIN', WORKIN', and STEAMIN'. Sides from both sessions were intermixed on each album.

All the sides here are from the Oct. 26 date (in fact, they were the last titles recorded). All the tunes swing pretty hard, except the ballad feature for Miles (Trane sits out), MY FUNNY VALENTINE. BLUES BY FIVE is a good medium-up blues, and Sonny Rollin's AIREGIN is taken at a gallop. By this time the quintet was meshing pretty well, and all the music recorded on these dates is excellent.

COOKIN': short but sweet.......2005-09-25

Cookin' is a great record. the performances are smooth as silk and the playing is superb. it's not quite as good as Workin'; which is my personal favorite of all these 1956 Miles Davis Quintet albums; but...you can't go wrong with this timeless and enjoyable slice of jazz history.

Great group, great Miles........2004-01-16

This disc is a lot of fun to listen to. It was made as Miles was progressively improving. As one of the four recordings made by the group in a two day span, it's amazing how concentrated this effort is. Coltrane sounds amazing as usual, and Red Garland's astounding use of the left hand is prominent also. Paul Chambers sounds wonderful with a great bass sound we've all come to know, and Philly Joe's drumming is full of energy. There's a very nice version of "My Funny Valentine" here, complete with Miles's custom harmon mute. I felt Miles recorded the tune better later on, however this is also classic. "Blues By Five", a Garland tune, is a well known classic where everybody just jams. I love Miles's solo here, a perfect example of how he can take some simple improvisational ideas and make them amazing. I recall once in a 7th Grade Jazz Band I was soloing on the tune "Blues By Five" but did not play in the chord too well, the director told me to try again in rehearsal, so I just played Miles's exact solo note for note. He said that was "better". Such great memories come with this disc. Then there is a crazy version of Sonny Rollins's "Airegin", which is Nigeria spelled backwards. This tune was never one of my favorites, but Miles and the group do a great job with it. The best is saved for last, the medley of "Tune Up" and Benny Carter's classic "When The Lights Are Low". What motivated these guys to record these two tunes in one track still beats me, but it sure sounds great. You can't beat interaction this good.

A classic set. Every Miles fan should get it, especially if you're a fan of the first great Miles Davis Quintet.

Stunning in its simplicity and elegance.......2002-03-07

You start out listening to Miles with 'Kind of Blue', maybe 'Sketches of Spain' or 'Bitches Brew'. This series of Prestige recordings is draw-dropping jazz; I defy anyone to listen to 'My Funny Valentine' and not be profoundly moved. Red Garland has been much maligned as a 'cocktail pianist' and has been overshadowed by Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock in the Annals of Jazz Revisionism. But it's Garland's sublime light touch that sets Miles up for that rasping whisper at the top of the mix. For me, this is Miles at his beautiful best -- it is the album I come back to time and time again. Get the whole series (Cookin', Steamin', Relaxin' etc) it is the greatest jazz education you could ever wish for. Play it in the bath. Float away for ever.

Great album, BUT....don't get this version!.......2001-11-03

I really love this album and can't really expand upon all the wonderful comments made by others with regard to the music, performance, and importance of this work.

However, being such a fan of this album by Miles, I have 3 differerent versions of this album:

1. Fantasy/Original Jazz Classics; ASIN: B000000Y7F, ...

2. JVC; ASIN: B000044U0U, ...

3. Fantasy/Prestige "50th Anniversary Edition"; ASIN: B00000K0YD, ...

Of these, the ... release is notably inferior in its sound quality to the other two. Both the JVC and the Fantasy "50th Anniversary Edition" were given a 20-bit remastering using JVC's 'K2 Super Coding System'. Whether it was the technical factors of the K2 system or simply a gifted recording engineer that made the difference is impossible to know without hearing the original master tapes, but the end result is that the other releases sound notably better.

However, the JVC and '50th Anniversary Edition' are sonically indistinguishable from each other (for all I know, it may actually be the same re-mastering marketed under two different labels). The JVC version doesn't really offer any value-add over the '50th Anniversary Edition', so I would suggest ignoring that particular issue, as it offers poor value for money when compared to the '50th Anniversary Edition'.

On the other hand, I really recommend paying the small extra sum to buy the '50th Anniversary Edition' instead of the 'base' version on this page. The sonic improvements are definitely worth it!

5 stars for the album itself, but 2 stars for this particular issue.

Average customer rating: Cookin' COOKIN': short but sweet Great group, great Miles. Stunning in its simplicity and elegance Great album, BUT....don't get this version!

Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet Miles Davis Quintet Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet Relaxin' Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet 'Round About Midnight ASIN: B000000175 Release Date: 1993-08-31

Tracks:

1. My Funny Valentine
2. Studio Chatter
3. Blues By Five
4. Airegin
5. Tune Up/When The Lights Are Low

Amazon.com essential recording

The first great Miles Davis quintet included John Coltrane, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Chambers, a group whose every record, honestly, is worthy of attention. The string of LPs, recorded in a blistering artistic marathon in 1956 and released originally on Prestige, is collected on the magnificent eight-CD Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings and draws from their exceptional nightly club repertoire. Cookin' opens with "My Funny Valentine," just as Davis often did on gigs during this period. It gets a slight edge over the other Prestige titles of this group only because it offers a nice balance of ballads, blues, and hard-bop warhorses. Coltrane at this point lacked the consistency and otherworldly inspiration of his later work, but he was playing with a force and even a recklessness that contrasted with Davis's quiet ruminations. But on this record Davis is inspired and witty, and Coltrane matches him all the way. Meanwhile, an all-star rhythm section follows them at every step, helping create an organic unity among equals that was unprecedented in jazz before this group. --John Szwed

Album Description

Trumpeter Miles Davis (along with tenor-saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones) are heard on this CD reissue performing such tunes as My Funnny Valentine (Davis's earliest version of this standard), Blues by Five, Airegin and a medley of Tune Up and When Lights Are Low. From the OJC/ Prestige label.

Customer Reviews:

Cookin'.......2005-10-17

In 1955, Miles decided to leave Prestige for the larger and better known Columbia recording company, but he still owed Prestige 4 albums in order to fulfill his contract terms. So on May 11, 1956, and again on Oct. 26, 1956, he and his quintet, which included John Coltrane, went into the Van Gelder studios and layed down a long string of titles which went into the 4 albums; these albums were COOKIN', RELAXIN', WORKIN', and STEAMIN'. Sides from both sessions were intermixed on each album.

All the sides here are from the Oct. 26 date (in fact, they were the last titles recorded). All the tunes swing pretty hard, except the ballad feature for Miles (Trane sits out), MY FUNNY VALENTINE. BLUES BY FIVE is a good medium-up blues, and Sonny Rollin's AIREGIN is taken at a gallop. By this time the quintet was meshing pretty well, and all the music recorded on these dates is excellent.

COOKIN': short but sweet.......2005-09-25

Cookin' is a great record. the performances are smooth as silk and the playing is superb. it's not quite as good as Workin'; which is my personal favorite of all these 1956 Miles Davis Quintet albums; but...you can't go wrong with this timeless and enjoyable slice of jazz history.

Great group, great Miles........2004-01-16

This disc is a lot of fun to listen to. It was made as Miles was progressively improving. As one of the four recordings made by the group in a two day span, it's amazing how concentrated this effort is. Coltrane sounds amazing as usual, and Red Garland's astounding use of the left hand is prominent also. Paul Chambers sounds wonderful with a great bass sound we've all come to know, and Philly Joe's drumming is full of energy. There's a very nice version of "My Funny Valentine" here, complete with Miles's custom harmon mute. I felt Miles recorded the tune better later on, however this is also classic. "Blues By Five", a Garland tune, is a well known classic where everybody just jams. I love Miles's solo here, a perfect example of how he can take some simple improvisational ideas and make them amazing. I recall once in a 7th Grade Jazz Band I was soloing on the tune "Blues By Five" but did not play in the chord too well, the director told me to try again in rehearsal, so I just played Miles's exact solo note for note. He said that was "better". Such great memories come with this disc. Then there is a crazy version of Sonny Rollins's "Airegin", which is Nigeria spelled backwards. This tune was never one of my favorites, but Miles and the group do a great job with it. The best is saved for last, the medley of "Tune Up" and Benny Carter's classic "When The Lights Are Low". What motivated these guys to record these two tunes in one track still beats me, but it sure sounds great. You can't beat interaction this good.

A classic set. Every Miles fan should get it, especially if you're a fan of the first great Miles Davis Quintet.

Stunning in its simplicity and elegance.......2002-03-07

You start out listening to Miles with 'Kind of Blue', maybe 'Sketches of Spain' or 'Bitches Brew'. This series of Prestige recordings is draw-dropping jazz; I defy anyone to listen to 'My Funny Valentine' and not be profoundly moved. Red Garland has been much maligned as a 'cocktail pianist' and has been overshadowed by Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock in the Annals of Jazz Revisionism. But it's Garland's sublime light touch that sets Miles up for that rasping whisper at the top of the mix. For me, this is Miles at his beautiful best -- it is the album I come back to time and time again. Get the whole series (Cookin', Steamin', Relaxin' etc) it is the greatest jazz education you could ever wish for. Play it in the bath. Float away for ever.

Great album, BUT....don't get this version!.......2001-11-03

I really love this album and can't really expand upon all the wonderful comments made by others with regard to the music, performance, and importance of this work.

However, being such a fan of this album by Miles, I have 3 differerent versions of this album:

1. Fantasy/Original Jazz Classics; ASIN: B000000Y7F, ...

2. JVC; ASIN: B000044U0U, ...

3. Fantasy/Prestige "50th Anniversary Edition"; ASIN: B00000K0YD, ...

Of these, the ... release is notably inferior in its sound quality to the other two. Both the JVC and the Fantasy "50th Anniversary Edition" were given a 20-bit remastering using JVC's 'K2 Super Coding System'. Whether it was the technical factors of the K2 system or simply a gifted recording engineer that made the difference is impossible to know without hearing the original master tapes, but the end result is that the other releases sound notably better.

However, the JVC and '50th Anniversary Edition' are sonically indistinguishable from each other (for all I know, it may actually be the same re-mastering marketed under two different labels). The JVC version doesn't really offer any value-add over the '50th Anniversary Edition', so I would suggest ignoring that particular issue, as it offers poor value for money when compared to the '50th Anniversary Edition'.

On the other hand, I really recommend paying the small extra sum to buy the '50th Anniversary Edition' instead of the 'base' version on this page. The sonic improvements are definitely worth it!

5 stars for the album itself, but 2 stars for this particular issue.

Average customer rating: Hot Licks, coming right up. Well I enjoyed it. Has it's shining moments... a one two three four (five) punch! Classic Small-Group Jazz

Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet (20 Bit Mastering) Miles Davis Manufacturer: Prestige ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Steamin With the Miles Davis Quintet (20 Bit Mastering) Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet Relaxin' With Miles (20 Bit Mastering) 'Round About Midnight ASIN: B00000K0YD Release Date: 1999-10-19

Tracks:

1. My Funny Valentine
2. Blues By Five
3. Airegin
4. Tune-Up/When Lights Are Low

Album Description

The famed extended recording sessions of the Miles Davis Quintet, wherein they taped the band's basic repertoire (and what a marvelous mixture of jazz originals and standards) in the manner of nightclub sets rather than the repetition of the usual studio takes. Cookin' was the first to be released and it excited listeners not only with its contents but with its promise of more to come. Davis, Coltrane, Garland, Chambers, and Philly Joe: one of the classic groups in the history of jazz. It established a level of excellence that was to foster a long, successive line of outstanding Davis quintets and sextets through the Fifties and Sixties. From the muted eloquence of "My Funny Valentine," through the fingerpoppin' "Blues by Five," to the urgent swing of "Airegin" and "Tune-Up," Cookin' has the ability to thrill the listener no matter how many times it is played-the mark of an all-time great performance.

Customer Reviews:

Hot Licks, coming right up........2007-07-19

This is a must for any jazz fan. From the opening tune, My Funny Valentine, Miles and his quintet take you on a sophisticated, and sometimes whimical jazz journey. Cookin' is part of a four recording (Cookin' Steamin' Relaxin', and Workin') set by Prestige. I realy feel that this four recrding set contains Miles' greatest work. Coltrane and Miles achieve an incredible dynamic on tunes such as Valentine, yet seem to enjoy themselves on Airegin.

This is one of the great albums, but in my opinion, Relaxin' was the best of the four. Nonetheless, the jazz fan will not be disappointed with this album.

Well I enjoyed it........2006-11-08

Some people on here are commenting negatively about the saxaphone soloing in the prestige series... but it didn't bother me. I thought this album was really great and it got me back into jazz.

Has it's shining moments..........2005-08-19

...but I don't like it as much as Workin', and as I've said in previous reviews, these Prestige recordings aren't much to write home about. I definitely think if they took the four records from this group and 'downsized' them to two records with the best tracks, we would have some great releases. Unfortunately, these recordings were rushed, and on this particular album, there are only two tracks that I really enjoy, while the rest just seem to drag on.

One of my favorites here is the hard-swinging Sonny Rollins original, 'Airegin' which also appears on BAGS GROOVE by Miles Davis. This version has more feeling, and really showcases Philly Joe Jones on drums and Red Garland on piano. My only complaint is the solos could be a bit longer, with the song only clocking in at a short [4:22]. This is a letdown, especially after 'My Funny Valentine' and 'Blues by Five' which are bland, and tend to drag on. The other highlight is 'Tune-up/When the Lights Are Low,' which is also classic be-bop. It has some of the most intense trumpet playing I've heard from Miles from these pre-Columbia Records days. Paul Chambers also shows his skills in mastering harmonies with some of his walking-style bass lines.

This is a decent record, but it has a short playing time. I don't enjoy this as much as Workin', but it's worth checking out if your a Miles fan. Most of this early prestige Miles is boring, because he had not yet evolved into his modal playing we hear on records like KIND OF BLUE or Coltrane's GIANT STEPS.

a one two three four (five) punch!.......2004-09-26

This is the punchiest of the last recordings of this quintet, which were all named with verbs. This one is the most fun to listen to and also has the coolest picture on the front. There isn't too much to explain, except you probably won't be disappointed if you know anything about these musicians. There's a ballad, a blues, and two burners. Oh yeah WHY COULDN'T "WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW" BE A SEPARATE TRACK? That doesn't make any sense because there's a clean break between tune up and the last song, and the two are entirely distinct, but they are one track.

Oh well i guess i could stop complaining and split the track myself because otherwise this is a fine and finely balanced performance by miles and trane and those other guys

Classic Small-Group Jazz.......2001-09-27

When Miles Davis formed his classic 1st Quintet, he negotiated a record deal with Columbia records. Before he could release anything through Columbia, however, he had to fulfill recording obligations for the indie label Prestige. In two marathon sessions (May and October '56), the Quintet recorded enough material for four albums: Cookin', Relaxin', Workin' and Steamin'. Cookin' was the first to be released and despite its brief running time (33 minutes), features the strongest material and the best song selection. The two bop tunes, two blues and one ballad provide a balance that isn't really present on the other three albums. "My Funny Valentine" is a quintessential Davis ballad performance, with the mute trumpet and gently swinging rhythm section. "Airegin" and "Tune Up", on the other hand, feature the Quintet at its tightest and most intense - none of the other bop tunes from these sessions come close. Since live recordings of this group aren't easy to come by, Cookin' and the other 3 may be the best taste of what this great group sounded like in person.

Average customer rating:

Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet Manufacturer: Musical Heritage Society ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items: Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet Relaxin' The Miles Davis All Stars: Walkin' Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux ASIN: B000A7ZH9W

Product Description

1. My Funny Valentine(5:59)~~~ 2. Blues by Five(9:59)~~~ 3. Airegin(4:24)~~~ 4. Tune Up/When Lights Are Low(13:08)

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