Miles Davis - At Plugged Nickel, Chicago - 2 x Blu-spec CD2s

2023

The first of two LPs originally released in Japan captures the second classic Quintet (which included Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams) early on when, although their studio albums stuck to originals, they were still playing standards in clubs. This set, which includes lengthy versions of "Walkin'," "On Green Dolphin Street" and "So What" in addition to Davis's recent "Agitation," features highly original soloing that was a bit influenced by the freebop approach of Ornette Coleman. This album makes for a very interesting comparison to earlier versions of these songs.

Starting with the E.S.P. album in 1965, Miles Davis never again recorded standards in the studio but, as shown on the two LP volumes in this series taken from performances at Chicago's Plugged Nickel in late 1965, his young quintet was still investigating older material in clubs. This LP finds Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams creating spacey and sometimes fairly free interpretations of "'Round Midnight," "Stella by Starlight," "All Blues" and "Yesterdays."

Scott Yanow