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Collectors’ Items was originally recorded in two sessions in 1953 and ‘56 and this release is the latest part of the Rudy Van Gelder digitally remastered series

Like Eric Dolphy’s Outward Bound, the Collectors’ Items pre-dates the leaders’ break-through album but in Davis’ case, he’d moved to New York and had a big reputation after playing with Charlie Parker. So he’s well known, connected and making his way forming ensembles and for the most playing his own compositions.

So on session one, Davis is joined by his former ‘boss’ Charlie “Chan” Parker (due to contractual issues ‘Bird took a new pseudonym and played tenor) and Sonny Rollins (ts), Walter Bishop, Jr (piano), Percy Heath (bass) and Philly Joe Jones on drums.

Ira Gitler’s wrote the original and the new sleeve notes and you would never guess from the music in the first session how unorganised the whole affair was at the time. Davis would record loads of ‘Round Midnight’s but this is as good a version as I’ve heard as it sounds intuitive and jazz with a smooth rawness (and Gitler’s notes explains why, perhaps). The other tracks are more up-tempo with a couple of versions of ‘The Serpent’s Tooth’ with Miles and Sonny slipping in live “samples” of then jazz standards whilst ‘Compulsion’ races along with the rhythm section and virtuoso horn solos.

Three years on, the second session saw a change of personnel with Parker off and replacements Tommy Flanagan (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). By contrast with the first session, the tensions of Parker’s presence are gone and this is really laid back, particularly ‘Vierd Blues’ and the Dave Brubeck composition, ‘In Your Own Sweet Way’.

This is old skool jazz, more soft bop than hard bop but if you’ve not had a Jazz Session for a while, this is a CD of real Collectors’ Items to get you excited again by masters that we’re never going to see the like of again.

An interesting side note from Ira Gitler’s original notes it that he starts by musing on the loss of “Collectors’ Items” in relation to record collectors digging in “musty shops on Saturdays”; well he was talking about rare 78s at the time but his prediction was only took another 50 years to come (mostly) true.

Reviewed: Miles Davis - Collectors’ Items (Prestige) Cat.No. 0888072312227 Released: 06 March 2009 - Part of the “Rudy Van Gelder Remasters” Series. “I remember the session well, I remember how the musicians wanted to sound and I remember their reactions to the playbacks. Today, I feel strongly that I am their messenger”. 1, 2, 4 Recorded by Bob Lee at WOR Studio, NYC 30th January 1953, 3 Engineer unknown, 5-7 Rudy Van Gelder Original recording at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ 16th March, 1956. Released as Prestige LP 7044
Tracklisting:
1st session remastered by Ira Glitter at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
1 The Serpent’s Tooth (Take 1) (7:04)
2 The Serpent’s Tooth (Take 2) (6:20)
3 ‘Round About Midnight (7:07)
4 Compulsion (5:47)
2nd session remastered by Bob Weinstock at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
5 No Line (5:43)
6 Vierd Blues (6:55)
7 In Your Own Sweet Way (4:37)

Links:
www.milesdavis.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Parker