Miles Davis Four & More: Recorded Live In Concert CD

Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); Miles Davis; Ron Carter (bass instrument); Tony Ruption Williams , Toni Williams (drums); George Coleman (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Tony Williams (drums).
Audio Remixer: Mark Wilder.
Liner Note Authors: Billy Taylor ; John Ephland; Mort Fela; Mort Fega.
Recording information: Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY (02/12/1964).
Photographers: Vernon Smith; Jan Perrson; Francis Wolff; Chuck Stewart; Jim Marshall .
In an odd bit of programming, Columbia placed the ballads from Miles Davis' February 12, 1964, concert on My Funny Valentine and the uptempo romps on this LP; all of the music has since been reissued on CD. Davis, probably a bit bored by some of his repertoire and energized by the teenage Tony Williams' drumming, performed many of his standards at an increasingly faster pace as time went on. These versions of "So What," "Walkin'," "Four," "Joshua," "Seven Steps to Heaven," and even "There Is No Greater Love" are remarkably rapid, with the themes quickly thrown out before Davis, George Coleman, and Herbie Hancock take their solos. Highly recommended and rather exciting music, it's one of the last times Davis would be documented playing a full set of standards. ~ Scott Yanow
The album MY FUNNY VALENTINE, comprised of delicate, complexly arranged ballads, and one of trumpeter Miles Davis's finest live recordings, is taken from a concert performed on February 12, 1964. Interestingly, the up-tempo numbers from that same concert appear here on FOUR & MORE. Energized by his new, young rhythm section--drummer Tony Williams, bassist Ron Carter, and pianist Herbie Hancock--Davis tears through versions of classics ("So What," "Walkin'," and "Four") at breakneck speed.
Davis's saxophonist at the time was George Coleman, the middleman between John Coltrane (in Davis's first great quintet) and Wayne Shorter (in his second). Though Coleman's name would be eclipsed in the history books, he turns in a stunning performance here, churning through harmonic inventions that approach Coltrane's aesthetic with a lightness and lyricism often missing from Shorter's playing. Davis plays with great vigor, too, moving toward an edgy, aggressive sound that shows the influence of free jazz, especially on "Joshua" and a breathless "Seven Steps to Heaven." Mercurial, dynamic, and technically flawless, FOUR & MORE is an exhilarating set, and a vital addition to the Davis catalogue.