MCC 1995

2 October 1985 - Germany. Full 95-minute concert. Listen to the train whistles. Also, check out the palpable excitement emanating from the German crowd.

You won't find a better full concert of R.E.M. at their early underground peak.

Their third album, "Fables of the Reconstruction," was released on June 10, 1985, and they perform 7 of the 10 songs from that album: Feeling Gravitys Pull, Maps and Legends, Driver 8, Old Man Kensey, Can't Get There from Here, Green Grow the Rushes, Auctioneer (Another Engine).

An early, incomplete version of "Fall on Me," along with "Hyena" appeared on their next album, "Lifes Rich Pageant." (release date: July 28, 1986)

From MURMUR (4/12/83): Sitting Still, We Walk

They played 7 out of the 10 songs from their second album, RECKONING (4/19/84): Harborcoat, So. Central Rain, Seven Chinese Brothers, Little America, Pretty Persuasion, Second Guessing, Rockville

Set:

Feeling Gravitys Pull
Harborcoat
Sitting Still
Maps And Legends
Fall On Me (original lyrics)
Green Grow The Rushes
Driver 8
Hyena
So. Central Rain
Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
Can't Get There From Here
King Of The Road
Seven Chinese Brothers
Auctioneer (Another Engine)
Old Man Kensey
Little America
Pretty Persuasion

encore 1:

Theme From Two Steps Onward
Toys In The Attic
See No Evil
Second Guessing

encore 2:

Ghost Riders In The Sky
(Don't Go Back to) Rockville
We Walk-Falling In Love Again-Behind Closed Doors
Paint It, Black

On April 2, 1959, producer Robert Herridge recorded the Miles Davis Quintet playing the classic "So What" in CBS studio 61, New York City. The piece was taped for an episode of the Robert Herridge Theater, titled "The Sound of Miles Davis." CBS broadcast the show on July 21, 1960.

Personnel

Miles Davis: Trumpet
John Coltrane: Tenor Sax
Wynton Kelly: Piano
Paul Chambers: Double Bass
Jimmy Cobb: Drums

Historical Context:

The first great Quintet/Sextet had disbanded after recording "Milestones" in the Spring of '58, when Davis replaced Red Garland with Bill Evans, and Philly Joe Jones with Jimmy Cobb.

Evans left the band in late '58 and was in the process of forming his own acclaimed trio with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian -- probably the greatest piano trio of all time. Davis replaced Evans with Wynton Kelly, and Kelly would stay with Davis until 1963, when he quit to form his own trio -- taking Chambers and Cobb with him.

(Evans had temporarily rejoined the Davis group for the "Kind of Blue" sessions in March and April of '59, a month before the CBS television recording. Even though Kelly was Davis' pianist at the time of the "Kind of Blue" recording sessions, he only played on one tune, "Freddie Freeloader," with Evans playing on the rest of the songs, incl. "So What".)

'Trane stayed with Miles until April 1960, when he quit to form his classic quartet.

Cannonball Adderley, who played on the "Kind of Blue" recording, was absent here because of a migraine headache. He'd never again record with Davis.

This CBS session was recorded exactly a month after the first "Kind of Blue" session (March 2, 1959), which yielded "So What," "Freddie Freeloader" and "Blue in Green."

Three weeks later, on April 22, Davis went back into the studio to record the remainder of the tracks on "Kind of Blue": "Flamenco Sketches" and "All Blues."

This videotape is a rare glimpse of Miles Davis in the midst of recording arguably the most important jazz album of all time.