The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/27337
Vinyl Vault ‘Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet,’ the Miles Davis Quintet “Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet” was the result of two days Miles spent with his band in the studio in 1956. From those two sessions, the band also released three other albums _ “Steamin’,” “Cookin’,” and “Workin’.” The title of this album sums it up perfectly. Listening to this album is the closest you can get to actually relaxing with the Miles Davis quintet. The whole experience feels like being invited into Miles’ living room for an afternoon to hear some friends play a few of their favorite tunes. The only difference being that these friends are some of the best and most legendary jazz players in history. There’s a casual nature about the entire record. There’s no sense of heavy concepts or attempts to introduce anything avant garde or groundbreaking. Miles wasn’t trying to blow anyone’s mind at this point, he had just assembled a great band and they were doing what they were good at. The casual and friendly atmosphere of this record gives a sense that it was fun and easy to create, which translates into a fun and easy experience for the listener. There’s also an endearing quality that comes from the minor imperfections that were left in. Moments like in the first track, “If I Were a Bell,” when Miles finishes his trumpet solo, and you can hear the saxophone faintly as John Coltrane begins his solo, and then it gains clarity and volume as he steps up to the microphone. A playful side of Miles shines through between takes _ you can hear him tease the sound engineer in the opening moments of “If I Were a Bell,” calling out, “I’ll play it and tell you what it is later.” The whole experience feels like being invited into Miles’ living room for an after- noon to hear some friends play a few of their favorite tunes. The second track, “You’re My Everything,” begins with a few false starts, some discussion of what the band is about to play, and Miles this time teasing the band, saying, “When you see the red light on, everybody’s supposed to be quiet.” Later in the record Miles comes across as almost self conscious, asking, “How’s that, Bob?” at the end of the song “It Could Happen to You.” This Miles seems relat- able, someone who would be fun to spend a few days in the studio with _ a far cry from the untouchable superstar he became. What really makes this record is the playing. This band broke up after recording these sessions, but every member went on to become a legend in jazz. The combination of John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums, and of course Miles Davis on trumpet, simply clicked. The group was a case where the whole was more than the sum of its parts, and that’s saying a lot considering that each member is now as well known and highly regarded as Miles. Miles Davis may have gone on to be known for his ego and his eccentricities while jazz became a genre known for self indulgent soloing and an “art-for-arts’- sake” attitude, but this is a reminder of what came be- fore that. This record shows that when the right group of players comes together, you can’t help smiling, or tapping your feet. _ Ned Brower March 17, 2011 O-Town Scene 15 Happy St. Patty’s Day, lads and lassies from the O-Town Scene