BOOKLET

 

Miles Davis

Bopping The Blues

Black Lion BLCD 760102 (1987)

1 Don’t Sing Me the Blues (take 1) (Earl Coleman) (2:54)

2 Don’t Sing Me the Blues (take 2) (Earl Coleman) (2:53)

3 I’ve Always Got the Blues (take 1 incomplete) (Ann Baker) (2:15)

4 I’ve Always Got the Blues (take 2) (Ann Baker) (3:08)

5 I’ve Always Got the Blues (take 3) (Ann Baker) (2:48)

6 Don’t Explain to Me Baby (take 1) (Earl Coleman) (3:01)

7 Don’t Explain to Me Baby (take 2) (Earl Coleman) (2:50)

8 Don’t Explain to Me Baby (take 3) (Earl Coleman) (2:54)

9 Don’t Explain to Me Baby (take 4) (Earl Coleman) (2:52)

10 Baby, Won’t You Make up Your Mind (take 1) (Ann Baker) (2:55)

11 Baby, Won’t You Make up Your Mind (take 2) (Ann Baker) (2:56)

12 Baby, Won’t You Make up Your Mind (take 3) (Ann Baker) (3:12)

Miles Davis (trumpet)

Gene Ammons (tenor saxophone)

Connie Wainwright (guitar)

Linton Garner (piano)

Tommy Potter (bass)

Art Blakey (drums)

Earl Coleman (vocal on tracks 1-2 & 6-9)

Ann Baker [Ann Hathaway] (vocal on tracks 3-5 & 10-12)

Recorded on October 18, 1946 at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California

review by Scott Yanow

When this CD was initially released, it had quite a few jazz collectors scratching their heads wondering why they had never heard of it. Previously unissued, these formerly unknown performances (just four songs with eight alternate takes) feature the vocals of Earl Coleman and Ann Baker in 1946 but the backup group is of great interest for it includes trumpeter Miles Davis and tenor-saxophonist Gene Ammons. It’s not essential music but bop collectors will still want to pick it up.