Miles Davis
'Round About Midnight | Mono | Music On Vinyl Reissue

Music On Vinyl / Columbia

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About

A TAV Essential Listening Album.

Widely acknowledged by jazz critics and aficionados as a landmark in 'hard bop' and one of the greatest jazz albums ever, Miles' 1956 Columbia Records debut showcased his first legendary quintet featuring John Coltrane. – Music On Vinyl

“'Round About Midnight is an album by jazz musician Miles Davis. It was his debut on Columbia Records, and was originally released in March 1957 (CL 949). The album took its name from the Thelonious Monk song "'Round Midnight". Recording sessions took place at Columbia Studio D on October 26, 1955, and at Columbia's 30th Street Studio on June 5 and September 10, 1956.

Although it had a lukewarm reception upon its release, 'Round About Midnight has since been regarded by critics as a masterpiece of the hard bop genre and one of the greatest jazz albums of all time.

Considered by most to be one of the pinnacles of the hard bop era, the song selection on Midnight represents a summation of the earlier bebop era, with the performances tempered by Davis' inherent lyricism but rooted in the new style as promoted by hard bop pioneers Art Blakey and Horace Silver with the Jazz Messengers, and the Max Roach/Clifford Brown quintet, in 1956 featuring ex-Davis foil Sonny Rollins. Coltrane had yet to become an iconic figure in jazz history, his presence in the Davis Quintet a let-down to many in lieu of the aforementioned Rollins. His style, while embryonically frenetic and searching, was not quite the sheets of sound approach celebrated later in the decade. In April 1957, Coltrane's heroin use led to his leaving Davis and working with Monk, and under Monk's tutelage the saxophonist's playing style solidified considerably.” – Wiki

“‘Round Midnight” opens proceedings and is worth the cover price alone. Perhaps the most beautiful of modern standards it is one of Davis’ finest outings—a masterpiece of understated eloquence. Some very Big Band-style breaks which introduce the rest of the band may startle at first but generally the piece works as well now as it ever did. You have to force yourself to move on and not simply keep re-winding.

The bebop years are then reprised by means of Parker’s “Ah-Leu-Cha”, already sounding a little quaint in the context of the new sound. Good to hear Coltrane as bopper but only Garland sounds absolutely at home on this number. Two “pop” standards follow—“All of You” and “Bye Bye Blackbird”. Davis was always good at picking tunes from any genre that suited his tone and “Blackbird” was an inspired, if idiosyncratic, choice. His opening refrain is economic and beautiful in its simplicity. He silenced sneerers then and, in the unlikely event of there still being any, will do so again.” – PopMatters

Item description:

Artist:

Miles Davis

Title:

'Round About Midnight

Label:

Music On Vinyl / Columbia

Format:

Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Mono, 180 Gram

Pressing:

US

Release Date:

This reissue: 2013 | Original – 1957

Genre:

Jazz

Style:

Hard Bop

Catalog No:

MOVLP743

Condition:

New