Before Wayne Shorter replaced George Coleman on tenor saxophone to complete the revolution that was trumpeter Miles Davis' second great quintet, the band famously recorded at Antibes, the Philharmonic Hall, and made the disc My Funny Valentine . They also made an appearance at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival. Fans of Davis have no doubt read of his harsh treatment of Coleman in his autobiography, but this disc proves otherwise.
Coleman was (and is) a rock solid tenor saxophonist. This outing, all previously unreleased, must have taken the breath away from jazz fans. Davis and saxophonist John Coltrane had split and Davis' return with the 18 year-old drummer Tony Williams, plus the two-handed piano genius Herbie Hancock, was the latest shift in his ever-shifting world.
Williams’ distinctive pulse saturates this recording, and from the opening notes the energy burns. The band speeds up the popular “So What,” signaling this new generation would be taking no prisoners. Likewise, “Walkin’” gets the hip bebop groove we wouldn’t hear much more of again from Davis during the rest of his career.
With Williams driving the track, Coleman takes one of those muscular flying tenor solos that is both forward thinking and blues filled. Davis must have been pleased with this session, for he agreed to return to Monterey in 1964.
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