Acoustic Sounds
Lyra

Miles Davis

Birth of the Blue

Music

Sound

Birth of the Blue

Label: Columbia/Analogue Productions

Produced By: Cal Lampley (original producer) Chad Kassem (executive producer), Steve Berkowitz (supervision)

Engineered By: Harold Chapman

Mixed By: Vic Anesini

Mastered By: Matthew Lutthans

Lacquers Cut By: Matthew Lutthans

By: Michael Fremer

December 28th, 2024

Genre:

Jazz

Format:

Vinyl

The Album That Never Was But Should Have Been Finally Is

Short on duration long on musical value

Imagine a young Miles Davis fan's excitement back in 1973 spying a new compilation titled BASIC MILES The Classic Performances of Miles Davis (C32025) only to find that it was a seemingly haphazardly chosen set of tracks, and worse, that the asterisked ones had been "Electronically Re-Recorded to Simulate Stereo". But reading the discography on the jacket before putting it back in the bin, the second track "Stella By Starlight" listed the players and it was the legendary Kind of Blue group minus Cannonball Adderley, and with no asterisk attached, was recorded in real stereo May 26th, 1958! That was almost a year before the Kind of Blue sessions—a fact a fan would know, even without the Internet. And below that in the track listing, from the same recording date was "On Green Dolphin Street" also in stereo! And a "Fran Dance (Put Your Little Foot Right Out)" recorded July 4th, 1958 with Wynton Kelly on piano, was also in stereo and was a live recording from the Newport Jazz Festival. According to the annotation, Jazz Tracks, the mono album on which it originally appeared had been out of print for years. Equally intriguing: "Miles Ahead", (May, 10, 1957) and "Round Midnight" (September 10, 1956) only released in mono, were included, no asterisk! I didn't put the record back in the bin. The "Stella By Starlight" and "On Green Dolphin Street' performances were exciting finds for any Miles collector or "newbie" and the stereo Newport Jazz Festival track with most of the KOB group was too. The sound, however, was only so-so.

Later in 1973 Columbia released Jazz at the Plaza Volume 1 (C 32470) the only live recording of the Kind of Blue group (though Philly Joe Jones sat in on drums), recorded in 1958 at a gathering of Columbia Record executives at the Edwardian Room of the Plaza Hotel, who, as they drink more, become noisier and less interested in the music (though in fairness, they'd already sat through a performance by The Duke Ellington Orchestra) (!). What's more, Miles's microphone poops out during "If I Were a Bell", but Coltrane picks it up with a solo that surely confused the non-jazz fans in the crowd.

Producer Irving Townsend must have been "on something" when he wrote the liner notes. He refers to "...the group Miles brought to the charts with such hits as 'Kinda Blue'...." and for some crazy reason identifies the opener, which is clearly Monk's "Straight, No Chaser" as "...an original called 'Jazz at the Plaza'" and that's what the opening tune is listed as on the jacket back and record label!

Years later, in 2000 when Mosaic released The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis With John Coltrane (MQ9-191) produced by the late Michael Cuscuna and Bob Belden, with 3 track to 2 mixes by Mark Wilder and lacquers cut by Kevin Hodge at the Master Cutting Room, with notes by Bob Blumenthal, did all of this release mess get straightened out! It's a great box set that you should be kicking yourself for not buying in 2000 (unless you did)!

Among the things we learn in the annotation: 1) Wynton Kelly was not playing piano on the Newport date, it was Bill Evans, 2) the Plaza set was in the Persian room, recorded September 9, 1958 between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM and it was Jimmy Cobb on drums not Philly Joe. As I wrote, someone was "on something" when that album was assembled! We also learn that the Columbia '58/Miles Sessions CD uses the wrong "Stella By Starlight"—a complete take 7 instead of the superior composite made up of two different takes. Hmmm....

Enter Birth of the Blue!

Was it a great idea to remove from the above mess the four tracks recorded on Monday, May 26th, 1958 7:00PM to 10:00 PM? and release them as a separate album documenting the less than two week old legendary group? Makes complete sense to me. Anyone considering this a "cash grab" or whatever, is just being ridiculous. This session deserves to stand alone and not be mixed up with a bunch of other stuff.

The 3 track tapes were mixed down to two by (my neighbor) Vic Anesini at Battery Studios with lacquers cut by Matthew Lutthans on The Mastering Lab cutting system, records pressed at QRP. The original artwork tastefully "quotes" the iconic Kind of Blue cover art on a gatefold jacket using deluxe quality paper and there are Miles photos and clarifying notes from Ashley Kahn that make use of Bob Blumenthal's Mosaic Box set notes with attribution.

The mix differs from the Mosaic box, which delivers a more compacted soundstage. The goal here was to give you the spread as seen in the 30th street studio when the recording was produced as the musicians stood before the microphones. The sound is "you are there" superb as the 30th street studio most always delivered and of course hearing this group play for the first time "as one" is exhilarating, especially having the tracks correctly assembled on a single LP. I have heard some griping that the alternative "Fran Dance" recorded during this session was omitted, but I agree with the decision to leave it out. Few if any legit albums offer alternative takes and this is a legit album, finally, sixty five or so years in the making!

Yes They Did!

Speaking of Hmmm..... did the producers go back and re-assemble the version of "Stella By Starlight" used on the original Jazz Tracks album, which was a composite of take 3 up to the tenor sax solo, then take 7? Or did they just let the 3 track of take 7 run and mix it down to stereo? According to Cuscuna and Belden, take 7 features "a different (and inferior) intro and melody statement than the known composite master" (used on Jazz Tracks and used on the Mosaic box).

I could go back and compare but I'm out of time, so I assign it to a diligent reader. Even if that complete take 7 was used, it shouldn't stop you from owning and enjoying this labor of love sure to become its own kind of classic. If the wrong "Stella..." was used, a future generation creating another reissue could fix it.

Meanwhile I've played this repeatedly and enjoyed each play, "Stella" whatever!

Matthew Lutthans confirms that the "Stella...." here is a composite made up using take 3 to the tenor sax solo, then take 7. Perfect!

Music Specifications

Catalog No: APJ 172

Pressing Plant: QRP

SPARS Code: AAA

Speed/RPM: 33 1/3

Weight: 180 grams

Size: 12"

Channels: Stereo

Source: mixdown from original 3 track tape

Presentation: Single LP

Comments

  • 2024-12-28 11:40:08 PM

    Come on wrote:

    Didn’t compare it to the Mosaic box yet, but I love this release, which was done perfectly from start to finish (great choice and work, Chad, more of this kind, please!) and I also really appreciate this feature here!

  • 2024-12-29 09:39:15 PM

    Jeff wrote:

    Wow, Basic Miles ! That was my first Miles record, I just put it on for the first time in a long time. Great performances. Still waiting for my copy of Birth of the Blue to arrive.

  • 2024-12-31 07:10:00 AM

    Dave10.9mNofLCA wrote:

    Never liked the sound of 'Jazz At The Plaza' (or the crowd), sold it years ago... Never even seen a copy of 'Jazz Tracks'... Like Michael bought 'Basic Miles' when it came out and was knocked out by the version of 'Green Dolphin Street'... (which is perhaps my favorite 'standard' of all time. Have about ten different versions (that vary widely) and each is great. Have the complete Mosaic Columbia Davis box sets (of which I think the unedited 'electric' sessions are mind blowing) and the Coltrane box is spectacular... Love the sound too! Still (impatiently) waiting on 'Birth of the Blue'...

  • 2025-01-02 12:26:51 AM

    Bryan M. wrote:

    Good luck finding a copy. I'm sure Chad will make more, but for now the only place you could've bought it was direct from AS and they have been sold out for a while. Nobody else ever got any that I know of. Most outlets are saying late January now. Another Chad miscalculation of demand...

    • 2025-01-04 02:36:55 PM

      Bryan M. wrote:

      He heard us! They're back in stock!

  • 2025-01-02 05:52:29 PM

    PeterPani wrote:

    If Chad wants to make me happy, he releases this one on a single reel on UltraTape, too.