Kenneth Clarke Spearman, nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-hat, along with the use of the bass drum for irregular accents.
Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. was an American jazz double bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, he has become one of the most widely-known jazz bassists of the hard bop era. He was also known for his bowed solos. Chambers recorded about a dozen albums as a leader or co-leader, and over 100 more as a sideman, especially as the anchor of trumpeter Miles Davis's "first great quintet" (1955–63) and with pianist Wynton Kelly (1963–68).
William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz piano.
Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is an album by the Miles Davis quintet recorded in 1956 and released in March 1958. Two sessions on 11 May 1956 and 26 October in the same year resulted in four albums—this one, Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet. These four albums are considered to be among the best performances in the whole hard bop subgenre. The album was remastered by Rudy Van Gelder in 2005 for Prestige Records. This album includes dialogue snippets taken from the original master reel. As the title suggests, it also emphasizes Miles Davis' concentrated medium-register ballad playing.
Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is an album by the Miles Davis quintet, recorded in 1956 but not released until July or August 1961. Two sessions on May 11, 1956 and October 26 in the same year resulted in an additional three albums: Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet, Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet.
Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is an album by the Miles Davis quintet recorded in 1956 and released circa January 1960. Two sessions on May 11, 1956, and October 26 in the same year resulted in four albums—this one, Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet.
Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is an album recorded in 1956 by the Miles Davis Quintet in Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, and released in July 1957. As the musicians had to pay for the studio time, their recordings are practically live. Two sessions on 11 May and 26 October 1956 resulted in four albums — this one, Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet and Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet.
Blue Haze is a compilation album of tracks recorded in 1953 and 1954 by Miles Davis for Prestige Records.
Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet is a studio album by jazz musician Miles Davis which was released in April 1956 through Prestige Records. It is the debut record by the Miles Davis Quintet, and generally known by the original title Miles as indicated on the cover.
Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants is an album by Miles Davis, released on Prestige Records in 1959. Most of the material comes from a session on December 24, 1954, featuring Thelonious Monk and Milt Jackson, and had been previously released in the discontinued ten inch LP format. "Swing Spring" was originally released on the 10"LP Miles Davis All Stars, Volume 1, and "Bemsha Swing" and "The Man I Love" had been previously released on Volume 2. "'Round Midnight" is newly released, and comes from the same sessions by Davis's new quintet in 1956 which resulted in Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet and three other albums to fulfill Davis's contract with Prestige.
Miles Davis and Milt Jackson Quintet/Sextet, also known as Quintet/Sextet is a studio album by trumpeter Miles Davis and vibraphonist Milt Jackson released by Prestige Records in August of 1956. It was recorded on August 5, 1955. Credited to "Miles Davis and Milt Jackson", this was an "all-star" session, and did not feature any of the members of Davis's working group of that time. Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean appears on his own compositions “Dr. Jackle” and “Minor Apprehension”.
Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section is a 1957 jazz album by saxophonist Art Pepper with pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, who were the acclaimed rhythm section for Miles Davis at that time. The album is considered a milestone in Pepper's career.
Tenor Madness is an album by jazz musician Sonny Rollins released in October 1956 by Prestige Records. It is most notable for its title track, the only known recording featuring both Rollins and John Coltrane.
Collectors' Items is a 1956 studio album by Miles Davis. There are two sessions collected on the album with largely different musicians. The first 1953 session is "Compulsion", "The Serpent's Tooth" and "'Round About Midnight". The second 1956 session is "In Your Own Sweet Way", "Vierd Blues" and "No Line". The personnel for the first session were Davis, Sonny Rollins and Charlie Parker on tenor sax, Walter Bishop on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. For the second session, the tenor sax was Rollins alone, the piano was Tommy Flanagan, the bass Paul Chambers and Art Taylor on drums.
Bohemia After Dark is an album by jazz drummer Kenny Clarke, featuring the earliest recordings with Cannonball Adderley and Nat Adderley. It was released by Savoy Records in September 1955.
A Garland of Red is the debut album by pianist Red Garland, recorded in 1956 and released on the Prestige label.
Chambers' Music is the debut album by jazz bassist Paul Chambers. It was released in September 1956 on the Jazz West label. It features Chambers with his Miles Davis bandmates, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane and drummer Philly Joe Jones, along with pianist Kenny Drew, and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams and trombonist Curtis Fuller on three tracks.
The P.C. Blues is an album by pianist Red Garland featuring tracks recorded in 1957 at the sessions that produced Red Garland's Piano and Groovy which were first released on the Prestige label until 1970.
Miles Davis All Stars, Vols. 1 & 2 are a pair of separate but related 10" LP albums by Miles Davis recorded by Rudy Van Gelder on December 24, 1954 and released on Prestige Records as Miles Davis All Stars, Vol. 1 and Miles Davis All Stars, Vol. 2 the following year.
Crossings is an album by pianist Red Garland, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Philly Joe Jones which was recorded in late 1977 and released on the Galaxy label in the following year.
