The seven CDs of Seven Steps chronicle the formative period of Davis's "Second Great Quintet" from its first arrival, bassist Ron Carter in the spring of 1963, to its last, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter in the fall of 1964.
The set begins with the West Coast studio session for the Seven Steps to Heaven LP, with Miles, Carter, and tenor saxophonist George Coleman joined by L.A. musicians Victor Feldman (piano) and Frank Butler (drums). Then it's off to New York where Miles would cover the same material with Herbie Hancock in the piano chair and Tony Williams on drums. (The original LP selected tracks from each group, but all the tracks from both sessions are here, including unissued alternate takes.) The rest of the set features concert performances in which the band plays established Davis anthems along with a few choice standards. The leader is inspired throughout, lashing out with passion and urgency on trumpet that's clearly fuelled by the young and extraordinary rhythm section bubbling underneath him--Hancock shows an uncanny ability to shape a group's performance on a number of levels, balanced by the steady Carter and the incendiary Williams, whose drumming is both polyrhythmic and consistently, freely lyrical.
In some ways, the set is a search for the right tenor saxophonist, but all are contenders. The polished Coleman constructs solos with remarkable tension curves. Sam Rivers is a startling presence, pressing the envelope with pin-wheeling runs and an assortment of accelerated bleats that highlight the rhythm section's avant-garde sympathies. However, the arrival of Shorter is unquestionably the highpoint, as the group dialogue developed by Davis and the rhythm section finally meets its perfect complement in Shorter's complex, multi-dimensional playing. As with Columbia's previous Davis sets, Seven Steps is another triumph of design, sound, and documentation. --Stuart Broomer
Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1963-1964,Miles Davis,Sony,Box Sets (Audio Only),Hard Bop,Jazz,Pop
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Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1963-1964
Miles Davis Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  Bebop General
| Bebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Hard Bop
| Bebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
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ASIN: B0002YCVSI Release Date: 2004-09-28 |
Tracks:
- Joshua
- I Fall In Love Too Easily
- Baby Won't You Please Come Home
- So Near, So Far
- Basin Street Blues
- Seven Steps To Heaven (Take 3)
- Seven Steps To Heaven (Take 5)
- Summer Night
Tracks:
- Seven Steps To Heaven (Rehearsal Take)
- Seven Steps To Heaven
- So Near, So Far
- Joshua
- Introduction By Andre Francis
- Autumn Leaves
- Milestones
- I Thought About You
Tracks:
- Joshua
- All Of You
- Walkin'
- Bye Bye Blackbird
- Bye Bye (Theme)
Tracks:
- Introduction By Mort Fega
- Autumn Leaves
- So What
- Stella By Starlight
- Walkin'
- All Of You
- Go-Go (Theme And Announcement)
Tracks:
- Introduction By Billy Taylor
- All Blues
- My Funny Valentine
- Joshua
- I Thought About You
- Four
- Seven Steps To Heaven
- There Is No Greater Love
- Go-Go (Theme And Re-Introduction)
Tracks:
- Introduction By Teruo Isono
- If I Were A Bell
- My Funny Valentine
- So What
- Walkin'
- All Of You
- Go-Go (Theme)
Tracks:
- Milestones
- Autumn Leaves
- So What
- Stella By Starlight
- Walkin'
- Go-Go (Theme)
Amazon.com
The seven CDs of Seven Steps chronicle the formative period of Davis's "Second Great Quintet" from its first arrival, bassist Ron Carter in the spring of 1963, to its last, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter in the fall of 1964.The set begins with the West Coast studio session for the Seven Steps to Heaven LP, with Miles, Carter, and tenor saxophonist George Coleman joined by L.A. musicians Victor Feldman (piano) and Frank Butler (drums). Then it's off to New York where Miles would cover the same material with Herbie Hancock in the piano chair and Tony Williams on drums. (The original LP selected tracks from each group, but all the tracks from both sessions are here, including unissued alternate takes.) The rest of the set features concert performances in which the band plays established Davis anthems along with a few choice standards. The leader is inspired throughout, lashing out with passion and urgency on trumpet that's clearly fuelled by the young and extraordinary rhythm section bubbling underneath him--Hancock shows an uncanny ability to shape a group's performance on a number of levels, balanced by the steady Carter and the incendiary Williams, whose drumming is both polyrhythmic and consistently, freely lyrical.
In some ways, the set is a search for the right tenor saxophonist, but all are contenders. The polished Coleman constructs solos with remarkable tension curves. Sam Rivers is a startling presence, pressing the envelope with pin-wheeling runs and an assortment of accelerated bleats that highlight the rhythm section's avant-garde sympathies. However, the arrival of Shorter is unquestionably the highpoint, as the group dialogue developed by Davis and the rhythm section finally meets its perfect complement in Shorter's complex, multi-dimensional playing. As with Columbia's previous Davis sets, Seven Steps is another triumph of design, sound, and documentation. --Stuart Broomer
Customer Reviews:
Seven Steps: The search for the 2nd great quintet.......2007-05-29
As a whole, the music on this box set is excellent. Although the box set is a bit pricey, we are treated to previously unissued studio tracks as well as "complete" concert performances (including the proper sequence of the 64 Lincoln Center concert). I also need to mention that the sound quality (with the exception of the mono "In Europe" '63 Antibes show) on these tracks is exceptional, as the music is sonically superior, given the 24 bit digital remastering treatment.
From this writer's perspective, the heart of this box set is arguably the February 1964 Lincoln Center concert. The band was "on" this night and the listener gets treated to definitive performances of just about every song. Although saxophonist George Coleman was considered too conservative (he was later to be replaced by Wayne Shorter, considered by his bandmates to be the perfect fit for their evolving musical exploration and ideas), he was on fire at this concert. The overall playing and ability of all five members as represented here at Lincoln Center equals nothing short of musical perfection. In particular, discs 4 & 5 showcases the extraordinary talents of five individuals who appear to be able to lock in and communicate telepathically with one another. In particular, the musical interaction of the rhythm section (Hancock, Carter and Williams) at this venue is simply outstanding.
There is much more that I could add about the music contained in this box set. As stated previously, this is a document of a transitional period in the life of Miles Davis. However, it is certainly not insignificant or "throw away" music. Yes, there are a few "standard" selections from the Miles Davis songbook that are repeated on several of the live concerts presented here, however, the band takes risks and pushes the musical envelope- stretching the boundaries on this material, thus creating exciting and rewarding music for the listener. From this writer's perspective, the music on this box set is exceptional (and still holds up by today's standards), and is another must have for the serious Miles Davis collector.
The Story of the Birth of the Second Quintet.......2007-02-02
The story begins in 1963, with Miles putting together a new group and laying down tracks for his next record, Seven Steps To Heaven. The new group began with tenor saxophonist George Coleman and bassist Ron Carter. Drummer Frank Butler was enlisted, though Miles really wanted 17-year-old prodigy Tony Williams, who had commitments at the time with Jackie McLean. Pianist Victor Feldman rounded out the group, and brought along some fresh and lyrical new material ("Joshua" and "Seven Steps To Heaven"). Feldman declined Davis' offer to join the band, so Davis went back to New York and finished the record with Herbie Hancock on piano and Tony Williams on drums, who was now free from his commitment with McLean. It was evident from the first session that the group was going to be special; it was Williams' amazing ability and propulsive force that drove the group and forced everyone else to play beyond their abilities. Miles knew that Williams (and his feel for the "new thing") was needed to guide him towards developing a new sound, so he relied heavily upon his direction and advice during the formation of this group. Disc one (and half of disc two) contains the entire album Seven Steps To Heaven, along with previously unreleased rehearsal and alternate takes.
Starting midway through disc two, this set chronicles Miles' new group as they experiment with the tenor chair, beginning with their appearance at the Antibes Festival in France (released in 1964 as Miles Davis In Europe). Though the set still consists of the same mixture of Miles' "hits" from the Coltrane era and standards (along with the new Feldman tunes), the band managed to stretch and mold the material into an entirely new form, almost unrecognizable from previous arrangements. Williams drives the group, often at breakneck tempos, controlling the tempo with his frenetic ride cymbal work, pushing and pulling the meter and pulling out all the polyrhythmic stops. His mastery of the drums is flat out amazing and unprecedented (and still unmatched), regardless of age. His arrival on the scene totally changed the way jazz drummers would play from that point on, and many an experienced veteran was sent back to the woodshed after hearing him for the first time.
The real highlight of this set is discs four and five, which consist of the entire performance at the Philharmonic Hall in New York on Feb. 12, 1964, which had been released in 1965 and 1966 as My Funny Valentine and Four & More, respectively. The entire concert is presented for the first time in its entirety, and includes a previously unreleased version of "Autumn Leaves." This recording represents this incarnation of the group at its absolute finest, as the play with a passion and intensity that results in an invigorating and uplifting experience. The band's intensity may have been borne of the fact that Miles had just informed them before going onstage that their usual earnings were being donated to charity that evening, which enraged the group to the point of exchanging words with the leader. Miles himself suggests in his autobiography that their anger was responsible for their frenetic performance; he also says that Coleman played that night better than he's ever heard him play.
It was Coleman, however, that was the one piece of the puzzle that still was not quite the right fit. He plays throughout this set with a brilliantly melodic ease, with clean and lyrical lines firmly entrenched in the bebop tradition. Williams was dissatisfied with Coleman's playing, however, which he thought was too traditional for his tastes. Likewise, the group was a bit too adventurous for Coleman's tastes, so he left and was replaced at Williams' urging by Sam Rivers. The sixth disc of this set features Rivers on the album Miles In Tokyo, which had been released in 1969 as and was previously available only in Japan. Rivers is an intriguing option, sort of the anti-Coleman, if you will, with his angular and often guttural sound that skirted the boundaries of tradition and form and eschewed traditional bebop clichés. Regardless of who is manning the tenor chair, the group remains cohesive and inspired, and often explosive.
Ultimately, Rivers proved to be a bit too far out for what Miles was looking for, which was exploratory, yet still respective of the boundaries of time, melody and structure. Upon returning from Tokyo, Miles received word that Wayne Shorter was now free from his commitment with Art Blakey, so he immediately offered him the job. Shorter proved to be just what Miles was looking for, the perfect compromise between Coleman's melodic traditionalism and Rivers' exploratory modernism. In addition to being a fine soloist, Shorter was a great writer, whose compositions brought to the quintet the infusion of new material it had so sorely needed. The final disc consists of a recording of the band's appearance in Berlin, which was released in 1969 as Miles In Berlin, and was previously only available in Germany. This disc captures Shorter still settling in a bit, though it is immediately evident that his distinct voice is a perfect fit for the group, thus concluding an 18-month audition for a saxophonist.
Labor pains have never been so pleasurable........2006-05-16
This box covers the first stage of that extraordinary journey. It could well be dubbed the search for the saxophonist, as the band picks up then discards hard-boppish George Coleman, avant gardist Sam Rivers, and finally splits the difference stylistically by settling on Wayne Shorter. Aside from two perfunctory studio dates on the first disc, we then get four concerts from 1963-64(Antibes and the famous CORE concert with Coleman, a Tokyo date with Rivers, and a Berlin date with Shorter); much of the repertory is the same from show to show, but I feel that actually increases rather than diminishes the interest of this box; for in the great jazz tradition, Heraclitus-like,these improvisors never approach the material the same way twice. These recordings are transitional, a warm-up for the material on the ESP and Plugged Nickel box sets; But Miles Davis' transitional periods would be considered masterpieces for most other artists. Plus, none of these concerts have ever been released complete and un-edited before, the CORE concert (originally split artificially into ballads and fast numbers) has been restored to its proper order, and the sound is spectacular. Finally, note-for-note, this might be the most technically perfect trumpet playing of Miles' career. His high-notes, virgin territory for him, are hair-raising, and he would never play at such untrammelled length again. This alone makes this set mandatory.
Some of Miles' Best Playing.......2006-02-28
Music in between eras........2005-11-04
So Davis began gathering a new band, starting with tenor saxophonist George Coleman and bassist Ron Carter. Coleman, unrecognized, was a sax player who could match Davis both in energy and lyricism, while Carter was one of those rare virtuosos of the bass who could make just about everyone stop in their tracks. Davis briefly worked with pianist Victor Feldman and drummer Frank Butler in the studio in 1963 before completing his first small-band studio record in two years with pianist Herbie Hancock and drummer Tony Williams. In Hancock and Williams, he had musicians who could play straight, but who were also interested in the burgeoning avant-garde movement, and who would eventually help push Davis to the free jazz line.
"Seven Steps to Heaven" proved to be the only studio session Davis would do until 1965-- the album itself is a bit fractured with the different rhythm sections, but it plays nicely, with Davis framed by Feldman or Hancock and playing lyrically throughout. Coleman, for his part, seems remarkably out of place (when he's present, Davis works as a quartet on the ballads), but most noticable is the presence of Williams on the cuts from the last session-- his explosiveness coaxes dynamic performances out of Davis.
Coleman stayed wiht the band until the spring of 1964-- three shows, one from Antibes in 1963 (released as "Miles in Europe") and two sets from New York City in 1964 (split up as "My Funny Valentine" and "Four and MOre") document his time with Davis. The quintet performs excitedly, with the rhythm section encouraging Davis and Coleman, the latter challenging the leader to better performances, but it seems quite honestly that everyone seems to run out of steam now and again on these sessions, particularly the '63 show. Nonetheless, there's many just superb performances throughout the sets, in particular from 1964.
But in the spring Coleman left and Davis needed a replacement for a summer tour of Japan in 1964, picking up Sam Rivers for what would be recorded as "Miles in Tokyo". Rivers was a square peg in a round hole with the Davis band-- his playing is agressive and powerful, but eschews conventional rhythm and sound and sometimes even looses the rhythm section. As exciting as the performance is to hear because of its historical oddity, it just doesn't work.
The final disc in the set finds Davis with the band that would be integral to the next several years of his career-- tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter finally filled the reed seat in his band for a European fall tour. The resulting show (released separtely as "Miles in Berlin") finds Davis and company feeling each other out-- the performances are quite good but stuck pretty close to the mainstream.
Like all the Columbia boxed sets, this one comes with rather extensive liner notes and superb sound, it's really a nice package (and looks great next to the rest of the series). Davis' career would have higher points, but there's enough interesting material in here to make this worth having.
Average customer rating:
|
Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1963-1964
Miles Davis Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General
| Bebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Hard Bop
| Bebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
ASIN: B0002TB7QK Release Date: 2004-10-11 |
Tracks:
- Joshua (A)
- I Fall In Love Too Easily (A)
- Baby Won't You Please Come Home (A)
- So Near, So Far (A)
- Basin Street Blues (A)
- Seven Steps To Heaven ( Take 3) (A)
- Seven Steps To Heaven ( Take 5) (A)
- Summer Night (A)
- Seven Steps To Heaven ( Rehearsal Take ) (B)
- Seven Steps To Heaven (B)
- So Near, So Far (B)
- Joshua (B)
- Introduction By Andre Francis (C)
- Autumn Leaves (C)
- Milestones (C)
- I Thought About You (C)
- Joshua (C)
- All Of You (C)
- Walkin' (C)
- Bye Bye Blackbird (C)
- Bye Bye (C)
- Introduction By Mort Fega (D)
- Autumn Leaves (D)
- So What (D)
- Stella By Starlight (D)
- Walkin' (D)
- All Of You (D)
- Go-Go ( Theme And Announcement) (D)
- Introduction By Teruo Isono (E)
- If I Were A Bell (E)
- My Funny Valentine (E)
- So What (E)
- Walkin' (E)
- All Of You (E)
- Go-Go ( Theme )(E)
- Milestones (F)
- Autumn Leaves (F)
- So What (F)
- Stella By Starlight (F)
- Walkin' (F)
- Go-Go ( Theme ) (A)
Album Details
Limited Seven CD Box Set of Live and Studio Recordings Between 1963 and 1964. Includes Many Unreleased Tracks.Customer Reviews:
I am sure is Really Good.......2004-11-24
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