Miles Davis - Miles Davis Quintet in Concert Live at the Olympia, Paris, November 30 - 1957 (Live) (2023) [Of Digital Download]

The recording of this historic concert is presented in its entirety for the first time in this edition. The remastered original tapes have been used to produce this CD, ensuring excellent sound quality.

With little publicity and only one star arrived from America, Miles Davis, Bruno Coquatrix, owner and manager of the Olympia, accomplished an impressive feat by presenting a sold-out concert on Saturday, November 30, 1957, at 6 p.m. André Hodeir in Jazz Hot had written, "This concert by Miles Davis was one of the most beautiful jazz concerts we have ever heard in Paris. Brilliantly supported by Kenny Clarke, René Urtreger, Pierre Michelot, and Barney Wilen, the great trumpeter gave the best of himself in many passages."

The producer and owner of this recording was the late jazz promoter Marcel Romano, who brought Miles Davis to Paris. After more than 60 years in storage, Romano’s nephew and heir discovered the tapes and sold them to Fresh Sound Records for a commercial release.

The music on this album is a magnificent testament to Miles Davis’ engaging and captivating style, showcasing his unrivaled ability to push his peers beyond their limits and share his boundless creativity and inspiration with them, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and minds.—Jordi Pujol

Note: Before Miles Davis arrived in Paris, the aspiring filmmaker Louis Malle was aware that Miles’s quintet would be performing at the Saint-Germain club for a week following the Olympia concert. Recognizing this as an opportunity, Malle approached Marcel Romano with a equest: he expressed his desire for the Miles Davis quintet to provide the music for his debut film, “Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (Elevator to the Gallows).”

When Miles arrived in Paris, Romano and Malle rushed to pitch the idea to him and organized a private screening of the film. After watching it, Miles eagerly embraced the challenge and set to work on it with enthusiasm, despite the limited time he had to prepare the music.

On November 4, the Miles Davis quintet reunited at Le Poste Parisien Studio for a late evening recording session under the supervision of Marcel Romano. The session commenced at 9 p.m. and lasted for four intense hours. As the film played before their eyes, the musicians delved into spontaneous improvisation, creating a remarkable musical masterpiece. The seamless fusion of image, action, and sound in the film left an enduring imprint on the realms of both cinema and jazz.

Despite this unpredicted achievement, the tour proved to be a financial failure as the expected number of signed concerts did not materialize as Romano had anticipated. As a result, Miles Davis found himself spending a majority of his time jamming at club Saint-Germain and enjoying the lively atmosphere of Paris.

The quintet’s limited number of scheduled appearances outside of France proved to be successful, with two notable concerts receiving high praise and acclaim. The first concert took place on December 8 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, while the second occurred on December 20 at the Théâtre Patria in Brussels. Prior to the Brussels concert, Miles traveled alone to Stuttgart on December 18 where he showcased his skills as the main soloist with the Erwin Lehn Orchestra at the Liederhalle Beethovensaal. After the conclusion of the Brussels performance, Miles returned to his base of operations in New York.

Personnel:
Miles Davis, trumpet (out on #5, 7, 10); Barney Wilen, tenor sax; René Urtreger, piano; Pierre Michelot, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums.
Recorded live at the Olympia, Paris, November 30, 1957

Tracklist:
01. Solar
02. Four
03. What's New?
04. No Moe
05. Lady Bird
06. Tune Up
07. I'll Remember April
08. Bags' Groove
09. 'Round Midnight
10. Now's the Time
11. Walkin'
12. The Theme


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