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Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

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The Miles Davis Quintet was an American jazz band from 1955 to early 1969 led by Miles Davis . The quintet underwent frequent personnel changes toward its metamorphosis into a different ensemble in 1969. Most references pertain to two distinct and relatively stable bands: the First Great Quintet from 1955 to 1958, and the Second Great Quintet from late 1964 to early 1969, Davis being the only constant throughout.

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34-639: Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is an album by the Miles Davis Quintet which was released in July or August 1961 through Prestige Records . The recording was made at two sessions on May 11 and October 26, 1956 that produced four albums: Steamin , Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet , Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet . The contemporaneous DownBeat reviewer praised all of

68-481: A brand new approach to playing the guitar... The octave technique... and his chord melody and chord soloing playing still is today unmatched". Broom modeled his guitar-organ trio after Montgomery's. Stevie Wonder wrote two tributes to Montgomery: "Bye Bye World", which appeared on his 1968 album Eivets Rednow , and "We All Remember Wes", which George Benson recorded for his 1978 live album Weekend in L.A. In 1982, Bob James and Earl Klugh collaborated on

102-498: A contract if he could form a regular band. Davis assembled his first regular quintet to meet a commitment at the Café Bohemia in July with Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone , Red Garland on piano , Paul Chambers on bass , and Philly Joe Jones on drums . By the autumn, Rollins had left to deal with his heroin addiction, and later in the year joined the hard bop quintet led by Clifford Brown and Max Roach . At

136-445: A duet album and recorded the song "Wes" as a tribute to Montgomery on the album Two of a Kind . Guitarist Emily Remler released a tribute album to Montgomery in 1988, titled East to Wes . Pat Martino released Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery in 2006. Eric Johnson paid tribute to Montgomery on his 1990 album Ah Via Musicom in a song titled "East Wes". Guitarist David Becker paid tribute to Montgomery on

170-402: A four-string tenor guitar from a pawn shop in 1935. Although Montgomery spent many hours playing that guitar, he dismissed its usefulness, saying he had to start over when he got his first six-string several years later. He and his brothers returned to Indianapolis. By 1943, Montgomery found work as a welder and got married. At a dance with his wife, he heard a Charlie Christian record for

204-517: A heart attack on June 15, 1968, while at home in Indianapolis. He was 45 years old. According to jazz guitar educator Wolf Marshall, Montgomery often approached solos in a three-tiered manner: he would begin the progression with single note lines, derived from scales or modes; after a fitting number of sequences, he would play octaves for a few more sequences, finally culminating with block chords. He used mostly superimposed triads and arpeggios as

238-615: A leader, So Much Guitar , then while visiting his brothers had a chance to perform with John Coltrane's group in San Francisco. In 1961, work was getting harder to find. A tour in Canada led to the album The Montgomery Brothers in Canada , then the band broke up. Montgomery returned to Indianapolis to work in his trio with Rhyne. Keepnews sent him back to California to record a live album with Johnny Griffin , Wynton Kelly , Paul Chambers , and Jimmy Cobb . Their performance became

272-443: A machinist before his music career began and practiced late at night. To keep everyone happy, he played quietly by using his thumb. This actually worked out well as he used an amplifier when performing, which allowed him to really exploit his thumb picking style. His style smoothly incorporated the guitar into jazz and was studied by many. Jazz guitarist Bobby Broom said that on A Dynamic New Sound in 1959, Montgomery "introduced

306-478: A quintet consisting of Chick Corea on piano, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. It became known retrospectively as the "Lost Quintet" because the group never released a studio album. In 2013, Columbia Records released " Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 ", uncovering live concerts featuring the group's tour in Europe. Prior to their appearances on

340-452: A version of " Windy ", a pop song originally recorded by The Association . Of the ten Wes Montgomery albums that Taylor produced while Montgomery was alive (all recorded for Verve and A&M Records ), eight were aimed at the pop market. The success of these albums led to invitations for Montgomery to perform on major U.S. television shows including The Hollywood Palace and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . Montgomery died of

374-560: The Mahavishnu Orchestra ; Hancock and Bennie Maupin to Headhunters ; and Chick Corea , Airto Moreira and Lenny White to Return to Forever . Columbia/Legacy Recordings released Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series Vol. 5 , a collection of previously unreleased tracks recorded by the Second Great Quintet between 1966 and 1968. Following the dissolution of the Second Great Quintet, Davis enlisted

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408-550: The rock , soul , and funk music of the late 1960s, the Second Quintet unraveled. Carter departed during the sessions for Filles de Kilimanjaro , and Williams left in early 1969 to start his own band, the Tony Williams Lifetime , staying on with Davis to record the groundbreaking In a Silent Way . Davis would continue his innovations into jazz fusion with the album Bitches Brew and his work in

442-466: The 1970s. As a result, the Second Quintet came to an end, though Hancock would contribute to subsequent sessions with Miles and appear on Jack Johnson , On the Corner , and Get Up with It . Players on In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew would go on to form the core jazz fusion bands of the 1970s away from Davis: Shorter and Josef Zawinul to Weather Report ; John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham to

476-530: The Columbia albums Round About Midnight , Milestones , and the marathon sessions for Prestige Records resulting in four albums collected on The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions . In mid-1958, Bill Evans replaced Garland on piano and Jimmy Cobb replaced Jones on drums, but Evans only remained for about six months, in turn replaced by Wynton Kelly as 1958 turned into 1959. This group backing Davis, Coltrane, and Adderley, with Evans returning for

510-500: The Davis Quintet also gained attention in their own right. Garland, Chambers, and Jones recorded as a unit on Art Pepper meets The Rhythm Section and Sonny Rollins' Tenor Madness , while Kelly, Chambers, and Cobb toured and recorded as a trio under Kelly's name, in addition to appearing on the albums Coltrane Jazz and the solo debut of Wayne Shorter , as well as backing Wes Montgomery on Full House and Smokin' at

544-545: The Half Note . The Kelly-Chambers-Cobb trio also backed Art Pepper on the album Gettin' Together , which included trumpeter Conte Candoli . Mobley, Kelly, Chambers, and Cobb all left Davis by the end of 1962, and during 1963 he struggled to maintain a steady line-up. By the late spring, he had hired the core of the Second Quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums. Initially with George Coleman or Sam Rivers on tenor sax,

578-530: The Johnson/Montgomery Quintet, somewhat in the style of George Shearing . The band auditioned for Arthur Godfrey and recorded sessions with Quincy Jones . After a residency at a club from 1955 to 1957, Montgomery and his brothers went west. Buddy and Monk Montgomery formed The Mastersounds and signed a contract with Dick Bock at Pacific Jazz . Montgomery joined them for a recording session in 1957 that included Freddie Hubbard . Some of

612-796: The Wes Montgomery Trio , his first album as a leader after twenty years as a musician. In 1960, he recorded The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery with Tommy Flanagan , Percy Heath , and Albert Heath . He joined his brothers in California to perform as the Montgomery Brothers for the Monterey Jazz Festival . The Mastersounds had broken up, and Buddy and Monk had signed with Fantasy and recorded (with Wes) The Montgomery Brothers , followed by Groove Yard . Montgomery recorded another album as

646-440: The album Full House . This was followed by Fusion! (1963), his first instrumental pop album. After two more organ trio jazz sessions for Riverside Records in 1963 ( Boss Guitar and Portrait of Wes ), Montgomery left the label for Verve Records . At Verve, Montgomery began working with producer Creed Taylor , who produced Montgomery for the rest of the guitarist's life. His first Verve release, Movin' Wes (1964),

680-460: The day at a milk company. In 1948, when Lionel Hampton was on tour in Indianapolis, he was looking for a guitarist, and after hearing Montgomery play like Christian he hired him. Montgomery spent two years with the Hampton band. Fear kept him from flying with the rest of the band, so he drove from city to city, town to town, while fellow musicians marveled at his stamina. When arriving at a club,

714-607: The established pattern of having the group leader and then the backing musicians perform unrelated solos. This band recorded the albums E.S.P. , Miles Smiles , Sorcerer , Nefertiti , Miles in the Sky , and Filles de Kilimanjaro , and the live set considered by The Penguin Guide to Jazz to be their crowning achievement, The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 . When Davis began to become more interested in

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748-409: The final member of the quintet arrived in late 1964 when saxophonist Wayne Shorter joined. The performance style of the Second Great Quintet was often referred to by Davis as "time, no changes", incorporating elements of free jazz without completely surrendering to the approach. This allowed the five musicians to simultaneously contribute to the group as equals at times, rather than to always follow

782-672: The first thing he did was call home to his wife and family. He was given the opportunity to play with Charles Mingus , Milt Buckner , and Fats Navarro , but not the opportunity he hoped for, and he returned to Indianapolis a better player, though tired and discouraged. He resumed performing at local clubs, this time with the Eddie Higgins Trio and the Roger Jones Quintet, playing with Eddie Higgins , Walter Perkins , and Leroy Vinnegar . He joined his brothers Buddy and Monk and saxophonist Alonzo "Pookie" Johnson in

816-448: The first time. This inspired him to pick up guitar at the age of 19 and spent a year teaching himself how to play by imitating the recordings of Christian. Although he hadn't intended to become a musician, he felt obligated to learn after buying the guitar. Montgomery received no formal instruction and couldn't read music. By the age of twenty, he was performing in clubs in Indianapolis at night, copying Christian's solos, while working during

850-404: The main source for his soloing ideas and sounds. Instead of using a guitar pick, Montgomery plucked the strings with the fleshy part of his thumb, using down strokes for single notes and a combination of up strokes and down strokes for chords and octaves. He developed this technique not for technical reasons but for the benefit of his neighbors and not waking his children. He worked long hours as

884-514: The morning. He was a smoker who had blackouts while trying to maintain this busy schedule. During one performance, the audience included Cannonball Adderley , George Shearing, and Lennie Tristano . Adderley was so impressed by Montgomery's guitar playing that he persuaded Orrin Keepnews to sign him to Riverside . Keepnews was also persuaded by a gushing review written by Gunther Schuller . In New York City Montgomery recorded A Dynamic New Sound,

918-518: The musicians except Garland, and concluded: "This album is a must for anyone seriously interested in jazz". Prestige – LP 7200: This 1960s jazz album-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Miles Davis Quintet#First Great Quintet In the summer of 1955, after Davis performed at the Newport Jazz Festival , he was approached by Columbia Records executive George Avakian , who offered him

952-669: The recommendation of drummer Jones, Davis replaced Rollins with John Coltrane , beginning a partnership that would last five years and finalizing the Quintet's first line-up. Expanded to a sextet with the addition of Cannonball Adderley on alto saxophone in 1958, the First Great Quintet was one of the definitive hard bop groups along with the Brown-Roach Quintet and the Jazz Messengers , recording

986-531: The recording sessions, recorded Kind of Blue , considered "one of the most important, influential and popular albums in jazz". Adderley left the band in September 1959 to pursue his own career, returning the line-up to a quintet. Coltrane departed in the spring of 1960, and after interim replacements Jimmy Heath and Sonny Stitt , Davis plus Kelly, Chambers, and Cobb continued through 1961 and 1962 with Hank Mobley on tenor sax. The two rhythm sections from

1020-573: The road, the band performed in the Village Gate , a club rented by Davis formerly on Bleecker Street in New York, NY. The Lost Quintet represents his transition into jazz fusion music with electronic instruments , and the members of the quintet would go on to collaborate with Davis in future projects such as " Bitches Brew ", which was released in 1970. Wes Montgomery John Leslie " Wes " Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968)

1054-479: The songs were released by Pacific Jazz on the album The Montgomery Brothers and Five Others , while others were issued on Fingerpickin' (Pacific Jazz, 1958). The Mastersounds remained in California when Montgomery returned to Indianapolis to work in his trio with organist Melvin Rhyne . He worked as a welder during the day to support his wife and seven children, then performed at two clubs at night until well into

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1088-605: Was an American jazz guitarist . Montgomery was known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a distinctive sound. Montgomery often worked with his brothers Buddy (Charles F.) and Monk (William H.), as well as organist Melvin Rhyne . His recordings up to 1965 were oriented towards hard bop , soul jazz , and post bop , but around 1965 he began recording more pop-oriented instrumental albums that found mainstream success. His later guitar style influenced jazz fusion and smooth jazz . Montgomery

1122-636: Was an instrumental pop album arranged by Johnny Pate . It quickly sold more than 100,000 copies and repositioned Montgomery within the recording industry as a crossover artist capable of significant LP sales. At Verve, Montgomery released his last two small-group jazz albums (a 1965 collaboration with Wynton Kelly , and a 1966 collaboration with organist Jimmy Smith ), but his main focus was recording contemporary pop hits as instrumentals. Montgomery had notable success with his versions of " California Dreamin' ", " Tequila ", and " Goin' Out of My Head ". After moving to A&M , Montgomery had his biggest radio hit,

1156-495: Was born in Indianapolis , Indiana. According to NPR , the nickname "Wes" was a child's abbreviation of his middle name, Leslie. The family was large, and the parents split up early in the lives of the children. Montgomery and his brothers moved to Columbus, Ohio , with their father and attended Champion High School . His older brother Monk dropped out of school to sell coal and ice, gradually saving enough money to buy Wes

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