In the first half of 1955 Miles Davis was in a much better shape than he was in a long time. After kicking his heroin habit at his father’s house in 1953, he came back to New York City a more complete musician. His tone on the trumpet improved and so his ability to lead groups of musicians at recording sessions and in clubs. The quality of his 1954 studio output for Prestige exceeded most of his early 1950s recordings and yielded some of the best records in his career thus far: Walkin’, Bag’s Groove and Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants. He was ready to move on to the next stage of his career, gain wider recognition and prestige than what his current label (Prestige, ironically) could give him and no less important – make more money. Two factors in his professional life were lacking and prevented him from reaching his goals – a bigger, nationwide record label, and a stable working band of excellent musicians. But starting in June 1955 events started unfolding at an accelerated pace for Miles.
Disc 1
01 Two Brass Hit
02 Ah-Leu-Cha
03 Little Melonae
04 Budo
05 Stablemates
06 How Am I to Know?
07 Just Squeeze Me
08 There Is No Greater Love
09 The Theme
10 S'posin'
11 In Your Own Sweet Way
12 Diane
Disc 2
01 Trane's Blues
02 Something I Dreamed Last Night
03 It Could Happen to You
04 Woody'n You
05 Ahmad's Blues
06 Surrey with the Fringe on Top
07 It Never Entered My Mind
08 When I Fall in Love
09 Salt Peanuts
10 Four
11 The Theme (Long)
12 The Theme (Short)
Disc 3
01 Dear Old Stockholm
02 Bye Bye, Blackbird
03 Tadd's Delight
04 All of You
05 Sweet Sue, Just You
06 'Round Midnight
07 If I Were a Bell
08 Well You Needn't
09 'Round Midnight
10 Half Nelson
11 You're Everything
Disc 4
01 I Could Write a Book
02 Oleo
03 Airegin
04 Tune Up
05 When Lights Are Low
06 Blues by Five
07 My Funny Valentine
08 Three Little Feelings (Bonus Track)
09 Poem for Brass (Bonus Track)
