the music of miles

Miles Davis recordings in Southgate (California), 1946 with the Benny Carter orchestra

Let's take a look at some recordings that document Miles' presence in the Benny Carter Orchestra in Southgate (California), in the early 1946.

Here we focus on an interesting recording which that comes from Trianon Ballroom, Southgate, April 1946.

From this session we have several tunes, and in some of these we may recognize Miles:

Rose Room

Here we have a short trumpet solo, just 16 bars

; this is Miles Davis: he opens his solo with a phrase

which is very similar to the one he plays opening his solo on Moose The Mooche, take 1,

recorded on March 28, 1946 for Dial with Charlie Parker.

He goes on playing this phrase

which is very similar to this one he plays during his solo on Moose The Mooche, take 3

Miles closes his solo on Rose Room playing this phrase

which is very similar to the one he plays opening second A section of his solo on the same Moose The Mooche, take 1

Night And Day (C. Porter)

Here we have a very short trumpet solo, just 8 bars

; but again this is definitely Miles Davis.

We recognize him by comparing this fragment from Night And Day solo

with this from Ornithology, take 3

, recorded with Charlie Parker on March 28, 1946 for Dial.

And still with this from Don't Sing Me The Blues, take 1

, recorded on October 18, 1946.

One O'Clock Jump

Here we have a short trumpet solo, just 12 bars on the blues

; but this is definitely not Miles Davis.

He seems to be rather Howard McGhee, judging from this fragment of his solo on One O'Clock Jump

which sounds very similar to this from Back Bay Boogie

from another session (discussed elsewhere) in Hollywood, April 29, 1946.

List of referenced discography:

- Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy & Dial Sessions

- The Radio Years 1939-1946 (Jazz Unlimited 201-2078)

- Miles Davis: Boppin The Blues

Complete transcriptions of referenced Miles Davis solos are available on themusicofmiles