Miles Davis - Live 1960: Free Trade Hall Manchester / 2CD set

2022 CD release.

Although he had been to Europe, notably Paris in 1957 to record the soundtrack to Louis Malle’s French noir Lift To The Scaffold, this performance documents Miles’ first ever UK tour. Saxophonist John Coltrane’s recent departure from the quintet was a monumental artistic loss for Davis. His replacement Sonny Stitt was a quick-silver straight ahead player who doubled on tenor and alto. On the latter he was often referred to as a Charlie Parker copycat and there is a striking similarity. His tenor work is more distinctive but still straight ahead.

Miles doubtless saw him as a reliable crowd-pleasing soloist who knew the ropes. Stitt had recently toured Europe with JATP (Jazz At The Philharmonic) and was well known to jazz fans there. As for the rhythm section, by 1960 Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb were already Miles regulars and they purr along majestically. The set list is familiar to fans of 60s Miles with standards complimented by newer originals, So What and All Blues. Performed at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, 27 September 1960, for broadcast on BBC radio.1.