Miles Davis – Cookin’ (OJC Vinyl LP)

The famed extended recording sessions of the Miles Davis Quintet, wherein they taped the band’s basic repertoire (and what a marvelous mixture of jazz originals and standards) in the manner of nightclub sets rather than the repetition of the usual studio takes. Cookin’ was the first to be released and it excited listeners not only with its contents but with its promise of more to come. Davis, Coltrane, Garland, Chambers, and Philly Joe: one of the classic groups in the history of jazz. It established a level of excellence that was to foster a long, successive line of outstanding Davis quintets and sextets through the ’50s and ’60s. From the muted eloquence of “My Funny Valentine,” through the finger poppin’ “Blues by Five,” to the urgent swing of “Airegin” and “Tune-Up,” Cookin’ has the ability to thrill the listener no matter how many times it is played, the mark of an all-time great performance.

Miles Davis Cookin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet Track Listing

1. My Funny Valentine
2. Blues By Five
3. Airegin
4. Tune-Up/When Lights Are Low