Ignored             Obscured              Restored

Next Tuesday, May 26th, Miles Davis would have turned 100 years old.  In honor of that milestone today’s SotW will feature Davis.

One of my favorite Davis performances is “Ah-Leu-Cha.” Many fans know the tune from the groundbreaking 1957 album ‘Round About Midnight.  That version features Davis on trumpet sparring with John Coltrane on tenor sax, backed by Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums).  The performance charges ahead at a frenetic pace.  An even faster take can be heard on Miles & Monk at Newport, recorded in 1958 and released in 1964.

The version I return to most often, however, is the original recording by its composer, Charlie Parker, cut in September 1948 with Davis on trumpet in the Charlie Parker All-Stars.  (Davis had famously replaced Dizzy Gillespie in Parker’s group in 1945.)

This take on the bebop classic unfolds at a more relaxed tempo, allowing the listener to fully absorb the intricate counterpoint between Parker and Davis.  Parker built the tune as a contrafact, combining the chord structures of two swing-era standards — “Fats” Waller’s “Honeysuckle Rose” for the A section and the Gershwins’ “I Got Rhythm” (known as “rhythm changes” in jazz circles) for the bridge — into something entirely new.  The result is pure candy for the ears.

Happy birthday, Miles — and thank you for all the remarkable music you left behind for us to celebrate and remember.

Enjoy… until next week.