Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1963-1964

Read About This Recording

Trumpeter Miles Davis led two famous quintets: his bands with John Coltrane (1955-56 and 1958-60) and his later group with Wayne Shorter (1965-68). Although the period in between found him in a state of transition, Davis recorded a series of very rewarding hard-bop-oriented dates during 1963-64.

This magnificent seven-CD set has all of the music originally released as the albums Seven Steps To Heaven, Miles Davis In Europe, Four & More, My Funny Valentine, Miles In Tokyo and Miles In Berlin. In addition, there are eight previously unreleased performances including three new versions of Seven Steps To Heaven.

During this period of time, Davis was gradually forming his second classic quintet. George Coleman is on tenor for many of the performances, with Sam Rivers featured on the Tokyo album before Wayne Shorter takes over on Miles In Berlin. Pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams (who is particularly brilliant) are on most selections with the earliest sessions having pianist Victor Feldman and drummer Frank Butler.

Throughout these dates, Miles Davis mostly performs standards and one can hear him and his young rhythm section stretching bebop forward in particularly inventive fashion. This perfectly-conceived box set, which has a lengthy and informative booklet, contains some of Miles Davis' most underrated and finest recordings.

-Scott Yanow

Contents

Joshua*; I Fall In Love Too Easily; Baby Won't You Please Come Home; So Near, So Far*; Basin Street Blues; Seven Steps To Heaven*; Summer Night; Autumn Leaves*; Milestones*; I Thought About You*; All of You*; Walkin'*; Bye Bye Blackbird; Bye Bye (Theme); So What*; Stella by Starlight*; Go-Go*; All Blues; My Funny Valentine*; Four; There Is No Greater Love; If I Were A Bell; Introductions by: Teruo Isono, Andre Francis, Billy Taylor and Mort Fega.

(*Includes alternate takes.)

Miles Davis, Trumpet; George Coleman, Sam Rivers, Wayne Shorter, Tenor Saxes; Victor Feldman, Herbie Hancock, Pianos; Ron Carter, Bass; Frank Butler, Tony Williams, Drums.

CD Special Features

• Covers the crucial and transitional year-and-a-half period post-John Coltrane and pre-"second great quintet."

• Contains 8 Previously-Unreleased Tracks/3 tracks in unedited form for the 1st time!

• Features Wayne Shorter, George Coleman, Sam Rivers, Herbie Hancock, Victor Feldman, Ron Carter, Tony Williams and Frank Butler.

• Covers such classic LPs as Seven Steps to Heaven, My Funny Valentine, Miles Davis in Europe, Four & More, among others.

• Captures Miles around the world! — Juan-les-Pins, France, Berlin, Tokyo, Los Angeles and New York!

• Produced by Michael Cuscuna and Bob Belden.

• Includes 92-page booklet with extensive liner notes by scholar Bob Blumenthal, full discography of time period, many rare and previously-unpublished photos of all the musicians.

• The Miles Davis deluxe box set series has garnered 9 Grammy® Awards to date!

• Sonically superior — 24-Bit Digitally Remastered