1958 Miles and its Importance in Jazz History

In 1958, Miles Davis was at the forefront of jazz, and one of the most recognizable and lauded musicians at the time. The decade prior, Davis had established himself as a jazz musician by playing with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. He gained significant notoriety after recording with Parker in the 40’s. Through his early career, Davis played Bebop, making strides in the genre with Gillespie and Parker, but he was always working towards something new. Towards the end of the 1950’s, Miles started forming a modal approach to popular songs of the time, ultimately culminating in Kind of Blue, in 1959. The development of his modal sound in Kind of Blue can be traced directly back to his prior work, 1958 Miles. It was here, that miles and his sextet found their voice in modal jazz. Because of the innovative modal approach taken in 1958 Miles, Miles and the sextet cemented themselves as leaders in the new modal jazz movement, and later developed that sound further with the masterwork, Kind of Blue.

Miles Dewey Davis III was born in Alton Illinois, on May 26, 1926. He started to study jazz trumpet in his early teens, where he developed a style of playing with little vibrato. Davis played in jazz big bands throughout St. Louis, and went on to study at The Julliard School, dropping out to play in Charlie Parker’s quintet in 1944. At the time, Davis’ playing was not always in tune, and he often had trouble keeping up with Charlie Parker. As rumor has it, Bird recommended that Miles play with a harmon mute to better keep up. If that is true, it’s certainly something that stuck with Davis, becoming a signature of his style. He compensated for these technical issues with his tone and improvisation. During the bebop era, speed and range were the markers of a “quality” trumpet player. Davis took a different approach, focusing on lyrical improvisation, often utilizing the mid-range of the trumpet. This style of his bebop playing can be heard throughout his career, but The Birth of Cool comes to mind, specifically. It was in 1958 when Miles assembled the sextet heard on 1958 Miles.

The sextet consisted of Davis, Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. Cobb replaced Philly Joe Jones, and 1958 Miles was Davis’ first session with Cobb. Miles chose Bill Evans specifically because of his penchant for modal music, and his classical background. Miles was aiming to create music with less harmony driven lines, and play more modally driven instead. In traditional bebop or hard bop, the popular jazz styles at the time, an improviser would craft lines with a balance of chord tones and non chord tones, often outlining the harmony with their lines throughout the progression. The concept of modal music allowed the improviser to play with only a mode in mind, creating melodically driven lines that float over the modal harmony, rather than outline it. This change in approach allowed for a much different listening experience for the audience.

1958 Miles contains two distinct groups of tracks: the A-Side, which features modal music from a studio session on May 28 1958, and the B-Side, featuring bebop and hard bop performances recorded live at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The A side session was recorded at Columbia’s 30th Street Studio, a converted church, well known for classical, jazz, and pop recordings at the time. Because of the dynamic between the musicians and each of their caliber, the session recording the A side tracks was largely casual. Ira Gitler, Jazz Historian and Journalist wrote, “The entire session has an informal feel that is unusual for a studio date. Upon hearing it again I immediately knew why I was so taken with it those many years ago.” The informal nature of the session can be heard through the music; every member of the sextet has a place in the orchestration, and no one is stepping on the others’ toes. Given that the tunes were already a part of their repertoire, aside from Fran Dance, a Davis composition, the sextet was really only responsible for providing a new aesthetic to this music, by playing off of each other.

The B-Side recordings from the Plaza Hotel were recorded in the Persian room of the Plaza, during a September jazz party hosted by Columbia recorded. Opening with Thelonius Monk’s composition, “Straight, No Chaser”, the sextet set the tone with a blues infused bebop performance, lying in stark contrast to the modal interpretations shown at the studio. Following “Straight, No Chaser” was “Oleo” another bebop standard, then “My Funny Valentine”. It is in the final tune of the set that the listener can hear the modal impressions made on the music. By no means is it a modal interpretation of the famous ballad, but their performance of Valentine ties the live set in with the rest of the studio set.

From the start of 1958 Miles, there is a distinct modal character. Bill Evan’s introduction on “On Green Dolphin Street” immediately immerses the listener into his modal world, playing over an E-flat pedal. The introduction starts in ionian, then dorian, then lydian, phrygian, and back to ionian, all over the E-flat pedal. This is the approach the whole band takes in the A section of the tune, as well, later moving to a “swing” or bebop feel in the B. Starting the album this way, with a mix of bebop and modal styling, eases the listener into the modal world. The solo’s, however, take on a completely modal character. Each solo taken on the first tune stays away from bebop cliche’s, even when there is clear functional harmony happening in the tune. Rather than outlining the harmony, or using the typical tendency tones to transition from one chord to the next, each of the performers choose to prioritize a singable, melodic approach throughout. That’s not to say that there isn’t fast playing, there certainly is—but the nature of these licks are textural, and are there to add to the modal color, not to arpeggiate the harmony and keep up with the changes.

Another stand-out on the A-Side supporting this style is Victor Young’s composition “Stella By Starlight”. A standard at the time (and still today), “Stella” uses functional harmony, but in a different way than many other tunes in the repertoire. Each section of the tune, or every four bars or so, Young tonicizes different key centers. In the bridge, young expands the harmonic rhythm to two bars per chord, rather than the (generally) one chord per bar harmonic rhythm in the A section. This contrast allows for a similar approach and diversity as “Dolphin Street”. The compositional style overall allows the performers to treat each sub-section, or different “tonic”, as one mode. This is evident by the whole performance, but particularly Bill Evan’s solo. He plays to a resolution at the end of each phrase, rather than playing the changes, like one typically would if playing in the bebop style.

On the B-Side, “My Funny Valentine” sets itself apart in style from the other live performances, and ties itself most closely to the studio session. Again, Bill Evans sets the stage with a modal portrait in the introduction, accompanied by melodic fragments and modal flourishes by Miles Davis. This performance is in stark contrast to his earlier interpretations of “Valentine”, and Davis himself said to Nate Hentoff, noted jazz critic and contributor to The Village Voice, “We Play ‘My Funny Valentine’ like with a scale all the way through”. This is a perfectly apt description for the sextet’s modal approach overall—it’s akin to an aerial view of the music, compared to a microscopic one. Their collective modal playing treats the tune (and the others on 1958 Miles) as a collective harmonic landscape with colors in between, compared to a functional approach of reaching harmonic resolution points every two or four bars. This sentiment holds up and shows itself throughout the 1958 Miles recordings, and has had a huge approach on jazz composition, arranging, and improvisation ever since.

1958 Miles was tremendously important to Miles Davis developing his next sound, breaking away from his bebop and hard bop roots. It was this stylistic exploration that fostered the seed for Kind of Blue in 1959, the highest grossing, and often considered the greatest, jazz album of all time. The public wouldn’t see it this way, though. 1958 Miles wasn’t released until 1974, and has changed names many times and been released by numerous labels, often with different track listings. The edition of 1958 Miles out today doesn’t even include the live performance from the Plaza, that was released as Jazz Live at the Plaza, originally in 1973. One can’t help but wonder: if the public had heard Miles’ modal approach in 1958 before Kind of Blue, would they have reacted to it as fondly? Kind of Blue was lauded upon release, particularly because of its groundbreaking approach to modal jazz, a much more strictly-modal approach than on 1958 Miles. It begs the question that if the public had heard the fusion apparent on tunes like “On Green Dolphin Street” or “Stella by Starlight”, would they have reacted as strongly to Kind of Blue’s innovation? It’s impossible to say. Retroactively listening, though, it is apparent that the sextet’s modal approach in 1959 could not have been possible without their experimentation and evolution in 1958.

Sources:

“1958 Miles.” Miles Davis, www.milesdavis.com/albums/1958-miles/.
Barrett, Samuel. “Kind of Blue and the Economy of Modal Jazz.” Popular Music, vol. 25, no. 2,

2006, pp. 185–200., doi:10.1017/s0261143006000857.
Brofsky, Howard. “Miles Davis and ‘My Funny Valentine’: The Evolution of a Solo.” Black

Music Research Journal, vol. 3, 1983, p. 23., doi:10.2307/779488. Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Editors of. “Miles Davis.” Encyclopædia Britannica,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 May 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Miles-

Davis.
Fyffe, Jamie Robert. Kind of Blue and the Signifyin(g) Voice of Miles Davis, University of

Glasgow, 1 Jan. 1970, theses.gla.ac.uk/8066/.
Gitler, Ira. “1958 Miles Davis Session.” 1958 Miles Davis Session, Cannonball Adderly's Estate,

www.cannonball-adderley.com/miles/miles03.htm.
Montesano, Mark. “Listening to the History of Jazz: Miles Davis, Pre-Electric (1958-67).” PDX

Jazz, PDX Jazz, 5 July 2017, pdxjazz.com/2017/07/05/listening-to-the-history-of-jazz-

miles-davis-pre-electric-1958-67/.
Salisbury, Linda J. “TWELVE JAZZ STANDARDS AND IMPROVISATIONS

TRANSCRIBED AND ADAPTED FOR HORN.” University of North Texas, University of North Texas, May 2011, digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc68042/m2/1/ high_res_d/dissertation.pdf.

The Convergence of Jazz And Classical Music in the 20th and 21st Centuries

One should consider it a fool’s errand to disregard the convergence of Jazz and Classical music throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries. There was a time in the United States where one work by one composer could be heard both at Carnegie Hall, and at The Village Vanguard. With the evolution of Jazz and Classical music taking place in much the same place and time, it was inevitable that the two genre’s would form an intersectionality that would have lasting effects on both musics for decades to follow.

It is important to acknowledge the history’s of both Classical and Jazz Music. Classical Music is deeply rooted in the religious tradition of Europe starting in the Medieval Era, evolving through the Renaissance, eventually manifesting into the Common Practice Period starting in 1600. Jazz Music, on the other hand, is rooted in the fusion of African and European musical sensibilities. Starting with Ragtime, which became popular around 1895 in the United States, is widely believed to be the first example of a “Jazz” aesthetic. A common misconception of the two genres is that of form—Classical being structured, and Jazz being formless. Liesa Karen Norman writes on the subject:

“It is a misconception to think of classical music as synonymous with form and jazz music as synonymous with formlessness. Both genres found initial favor with particular forms, which were expanded as the decades progressed and in some instances, such as with the avant garde movement, in the 1940's and 50's were dropped altogether.”

While the importance of the African rhythm section and Afro-Cuban influences cannot be overlooked, the development of ragtime was instrumental in the evolution of Jazz as an American Music. Ragtime was both influenced by the European Tradition of string band and brass band march compositions, and by the slave song tradition developing in the United States. The slave song tradition itself is derived from the call-and-response idioms from West Africa. One could argue that it was at this time, the beginning of the 20th Century, that both Classical and Jazz music began their parallel evolution in the United States, with much convergence along the way.

It seems appropriate to start with Nadia Boulanger. Boulanger, who was neither an American nor a Jazz musician, was instrumental in developing the culture of composition as a language, genre, and aesthetic—a sentiment that will remain important throughout the 20th Century. Boulanger was a composer and teacher based in Paris, France, who mentored and taught many of the most influential composers of the 20th Century, both in the Classical and Jazz idioms. Some of her notable students include: Elliot Carter, Aaron Copland, Philip Glass, Roy Harris, George Gershwin, and Quincy Jones. While not her student, Igor Stravinsky was known to be in Boulanger’s circle of friends during his time in Paris. Ned Rorem, a former student of Boulanger, wrote in The New York Times in 1982:

“Nadia Boulanger is mainly remembered as a mentor of composers, although she was the guiding light for every breed of musician, not least of all the female musician, and her public career as organist, conductor, musicologist, lecturer and even for a time newspaper critic was unprecedented. Yet were she judged today solely by what ''her composers'' composed while studying with her, her ratings might fall. For every Aaron Copland she championed were dozens of nowforgotten geniuses.”

Here is where we can begin to see the the influence she had on both developing Jazz composers and 20th Century Classical composers.

One might find it prudent, in order to better understand the labyrinth of two incredibly sophisticated genre’s and history’s, to start with a composer who’s work falls into both categories. George Gershwin, student of Boulanger, is one of the most influential composers of the American Music repertoire, of both Classical music and Jazz music. Calling above to the statement in the introduction: “There was a time in the United States where one work’s by one composer could be heard both at Carnegie Hall, and at The Village Vanguard.” This is a scenario that could certainly be applied to Gershwin in New York City during the 20th Century. As he was writing operas, string quartet repertoire, and piano concertos, he was also writing some of the most important songs of the Great American Songbook.

While there is certainly an argument to be made (and truth in it) that Gershwin’s popular songs were undeniably influenced by classical music (see the origins of Jazz as a whole), it would be more fruitful to examine his Classical, or “concert” compositions, namely Rhapsody in Blue, and An American in Paris. While Rhapsody was originally written for solid piano and Jazz Band, it gained large popularity in Classical circles with its orchestration for Symphony Orchestra in 1942. Evidently, the Jazz Band orchestration had had not been recorded until conductor Michael Tilson Thomas performed it in 1976. An American in Paris, inspired by

Gershwin’s time in Paris socializing with Maurice Ravel, and studying with Nadia Boulanger. Unlike Rhapsody, An American in Paris was conceived as a symphonic work, yet draws heavily on Jazz and Popular music elements. Paris can be analyzed in a loose ABA form, beginning with the introduction of two themes, much in the style of Debussy. The B, draws heavily on the jazz and blues sounds of the United States, representing the homesickness one may feel when living in another country. The last A draws heavily on the themes laid out in the first, and the slow blues theme from the B, culminating in an ultimate fusion of both Classical and Jazz aesthetics.

It is important, at this time, to return to the philosophy of genre as an aesthetic. An argument could be made that Gershwin was simply incredibly skilled in understanding and writing in the languages of Jazz and Classical music. However, one might find it more interesting to simply process that Gershwin was a skilled composer—not of just Classical music, or of Jazz, but instead a skilled composer of music. It may be evident throughout the listening experience of Rhapsody or Paris that Gershwin’s decision-making regarding style is less about “flexing” his compositional “muscles”, and more about expressing style as an aesthetic, and less of a category. While this Gershwin example may be “on-the-nose”, this phenomenon can be examined in other composer’s music as well.

One of the other composers to incorporate a Jazz aesthetic into his music was Igor Stravinsky. Stravinsky is lauded as one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th Century, making large strides in the area of allowing Classical music to evolve beyond traditional sounds and forms. Much like Gershwin (but to a lesser known extent), Stravinsky dipped his toe into the world of Jazz Composition. Notably, his Rag compositions and his Ebony Concerto. Patrick Jarenwattananon, a columnist for NPR writes:

“Long after he had actually heard live jazz, Stravinsky wrote a piece for the Woody Herman Orchestra, a big band quite popular in its day. The result was a short work called the Ebony Concerto, featuring Herman on clarinet; it premiered in 1945 and was recorded, with Stravinsky conducting, in 1946. In later histories, members of the Herman Orchestra declared their love for Stravinsky's work – "one of our musical Gods," pianist Ralph Burns wrote in the liner notes to the Blowin' Up A Storm compilation – and also mentioned how difficult it was for them, many of whom were not classically trained, to learn the highly technical work.”

Upon listening to Ebony Concerto, it could be said that this endeavor resulted in a “jazzy” classical piece, rather than a true Jazz Composition. However, it seems that Stravinsky’s intent was to deliver a Jazz Composition, but did not have enough of a background in the Jazz repertoire to do so. Stravinsky notably wrote a note to Herman, writing:

“Dear Woody, Please send me some of your finest ‘hits’”.

Somewhat ironically, though, it seems Woody Herman was simply looking for a piece by Stravinsky written for Jazz Orchestra, not a “Jazz Piece”.

The convergence of styles is arguably more apparent in Stravinsky’s ballets, notably The Rite of Spring (French: Le Sacre du printemps). Considered to be Stravinsky’s masterpiece, Rite is certainly not a piece of Jazz music. In fact, it is a staple of the Contemporary Classical Orchestral repertoire. In the development of Stravinsky’s compositional voice, though, parallels can certainly be drawn to the development of Jazz Music in America. Though it is not clear how intentional this was (particularly noting the ambiguity surrounding Stravinsky’s knowledge of Jazz as noted above), it would be shortsighted not to analyze this work through a more contemporary lens, rather than that of the Common Practice. Stravinsky’s penchant for harmonizing diatonic melodies with non-diatonic harmony, or even at some points with polytonal harmony, demonstrates a clear similarity between his music and the music yet to come in the Jazz Tradition. Rite premiered in 1913, decades before many of his techniques could be heard in Jazz compositions.

Through examining these few examples of Classical and Jazz crossover compositions, we can begin to see where the two traditions converge. And yes, it is only the beginning. In the second half of the 20th Century, the 50 years following the compositions discussed above, there was an insurgence of music deemed “Third Stream Music”. At the helm of this movement, was the acclaimed composer, conductor, and professor, Gunther Schuller. Through his influence in the musical world, particularly as the head of the Third Stream Music program at the New England Conservatory, the intersection of Classical and Jazz music has expanded wider and wider ever since. If one views history as a trend, it could be inferred that the two core musical traditions in the United States will continue to crossover, and each evolve with the success of the other.

Sources:

Banks, Don. “Third-Stream Music.” Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, vol. 97, no. 1, 1970, pp. 59–67., doi:10.1093/jrma/97.1.59.

“French Neoclassicism and the New Modern American Music.” University of Michigan Press, 2012, pp. 72–94. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv3znzqf.10. Accessed 21 June 2020.

Jarenwattananon, Patrick. “Why Jazz Musicians Love 'The Rite Of Spring'.â€Â NPR, NPR, 26 May 2013, www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2013/05/26/186486269/why-jazz- musicians-love-the-rite-of-spring.

Norman, Liesa Karen. “THE RESPECTIVE INFLUENCE OF JAZZ AND CLASSICAL MUSIC ON EACH OTHER, THE EVOLUTION OF THIRD STREAM AND FUSION AND THE EFFECTS THEREOF INTO THE 21s t CENTURY.â€Â University of British Columbia, University of British Columbia, 2002.

Rorem, Ned. “THE COMPOSER AND THE MUSIC TEACHER.â€Â The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 May 1982, www.nytimes.com/1982/05/23/books/the- composer-and-the-music-teacher.html.

Slowik, Michael. “Dislocation and Nostalgia: Jazz and Classical Music in Hollywood Postwar Readjustment Films, 1946–1949.” Music and the Moving Image, vol. 11, no. 2, 2018, p. 3., doi:10.5406/musimoviimag.11.2.0003.