In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete
Encyclopedia
In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete, also called The Complete Blackhawk, is a 2003 four-disc collection of the 1961 live performances of the Miles Davis Quintet
at the Black Hawk nightclub
in San Francisco. These sets, performed with recording in mind, forged new ground for jazz
musician Miles Davis
, who had never previously been recorded live in a club with his combo. Material from the four sets was first released in 1961 by Columbia Records
on two albums, titled In Person Friday Night at the Blackhawk and In Person Saturday Night at the Blackhawk (Vol. 2). Although those albums were subsequently re-rereleased several times, the complete sets were not commercially available until Sony Records released this collection. Simultaneous to this release, Sony released the material as two separate double-albums, entitled Friday Night: In Person at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, Complete and Saturday Night: In Person at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, Complete.
The complete collection, which included liner notes from the original release by Monterey Jazz Festival
co-founder Ralph J. Gleason
as well as additional notes by jazz trumpeter Eddie Henderson
was critically and commercially well-received. The collection peaked at #9 on Billboard's
"Top Jazz Albums" chart.
indicated that the set was "the gold standard for straight-ahead, postwar jazz rhythm". All Music
, praising the "pristine" sound and "lovely" packaging suggested that "no Davis fan should be without these recordings purchased separately or as a set". The All About Jazz
website said that the set was "so fastidiously remastered it sounds live in your living room".
of Davis with his soon to be second wife, Frances Taylor, for whom the song "Fran-Dance" was composed. In a 2001 article in The New York Times, historian Robin D.G. Kelley
drew attention specifically to this image, including Davis's position and the picture's use of lighting, as an example of Davis's camera awareness and manipulation of what Kelley termed a cultural "pimp aesthetic". Kelley argued that such iconic images of Davis help to demonstrate that Davis was a product and representation of "a masculine culture that aspired to be like a pimp, that embraced the cool performative styles of the players , the 'macks,' the hustlers, who not only circulated in the jazz world but whose walk and talk also drew from the well of black music". This restoration of the original cover art came after a number of years during which the album was issued using a cover with an atmospheric representation of the exterior of the Black Hawk taken during Davis's performance.
Except where otherwise noted, all songs by Miles Davis:
Side B
Side B
Miles Davis Quintet
The Miles Davis Quintet was an American jazz band from 1955 to early 1969 led by Miles Davis. The quintet underwent frequent personnel changes toward its metamorphosis into a different ensemble in 1969...
at the Black Hawk nightclub
Black Hawk (nightclub)
The Black Hawk was a San Francisco nightclub which featured live jazz performances during its period of operation from 1949 to 1963. It was located on the corner of Turk Street and Hyde Street in San Francisco's Tenderloin District. Guido Caccienti owned the club along with Johnny and Helen...
in San Francisco. These sets, performed with recording in mind, forged new ground for jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, who had never previously been recorded live in a club with his combo. Material from the four sets was first released in 1961 by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
on two albums, titled In Person Friday Night at the Blackhawk and In Person Saturday Night at the Blackhawk (Vol. 2). Although those albums were subsequently re-rereleased several times, the complete sets were not commercially available until Sony Records released this collection. Simultaneous to this release, Sony released the material as two separate double-albums, entitled Friday Night: In Person at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, Complete and Saturday Night: In Person at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, Complete.
The complete collection, which included liner notes from the original release by Monterey Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
The Monterey Jazz Festival is one of the longest consecutively running jazz festivals. It debuted on October 3, 1958 and was founded by San Francisco jazz radio broadcaster Jimmy Lyons.-History:...
co-founder Ralph J. Gleason
Ralph J. Gleason
Ralph Joseph Gleason was an influential American jazz and pop music critic. He contributed for many years to the San Francisco Chronicle, was a founding editor of Rolling Stone magazine, and cofounder of the Monterey Jazz Festival.-Biography:Gleason was born in New York City and attended Columbia...
as well as additional notes by jazz trumpeter Eddie Henderson
Eddie Henderson (musician)
Eddie Henderson is an American jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player. Henderson's influences include Booker Little, Clifford Brown, Woody Shaw and Miles Davis.-Family influence and early music history:...
was critically and commercially well-received. The collection peaked at #9 on Billboard's
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
"Top Jazz Albums" chart.
Critical reception
In its review of the four-disc compilation, The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
indicated that the set was "the gold standard for straight-ahead, postwar jazz rhythm". All Music
All Music
All Music was an Italian free-to-air television station which mainly broadcast music videos and music programs. Originally called Rete A, the name was changed to Rete A - All Music , and for a brief period was affiliated before with MTV Italy and after with VIVA.-History:In late 2004 the former...
, praising the "pristine" sound and "lovely" packaging suggested that "no Davis fan should be without these recordings purchased separately or as a set". The All About Jazz
All About Jazz
All About Jazz is a leading jazz music website for enthusiasts and industry professionals based in Philadelphia in the United States.Founded by Michael Ricci in 1995, the Web-Site is maintained by a volunteer staff of writers, editors, and musicians, and provides coverage of all genres of jazz from...
website said that the set was "so fastidiously remastered it sounds live in your living room".
Complete cover imagery
The original 1961 albums and the 2003 complete reissues (both the 4-disc and 2-disc) displayed a photograph by Leigh WienerLeigh Wiener
Leigh Auston Wiener was an award-winning American photographer and photojournalist. In a career that spanned five decades, he covered hundreds of people and events...
of Davis with his soon to be second wife, Frances Taylor, for whom the song "Fran-Dance" was composed. In a 2001 article in The New York Times, historian Robin D.G. Kelley
Robin D.G. Kelley
Robin Davis Gibran Kelley is a professor of History and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. From 2003 to 2006 he was the William B. Ransford Professor of Cultural and Historical Studies at Columbia University...
drew attention specifically to this image, including Davis's position and the picture's use of lighting, as an example of Davis's camera awareness and manipulation of what Kelley termed a cultural "pimp aesthetic". Kelley argued that such iconic images of Davis help to demonstrate that Davis was a product and representation of "a masculine culture that aspired to be like a pimp, that embraced the cool performative styles of the players , the 'macks,' the hustlers, who not only circulated in the jazz world but whose walk and talk also drew from the well of black music". This restoration of the original cover art came after a number of years during which the album was issued using a cover with an atmospheric representation of the exterior of the Black Hawk taken during Davis's performance.
Complete track listing
The track listing for In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete reproduces in its entirety the performances of Friday and Saturday nights, April 21 and 22, 1961. Because of space constraints and a desire not to divide sets, the producers of the box set put sessions 1 and 3 together on the first disc, placing the more energetic and lengthier 2nd set on Disc Two. For the two double-disc sets, the track listing for Friday Night: In Person at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, Complete is that of Disc One and Disc Two, below. For Saturday Night: In Person at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, Complete, it is that of Disc Three and Disc Four.Except where otherwise noted, all songs by Miles Davis:
Disc One
- "OleoOleo (song)"Oleo" is a bebop composition by Sonny Rollins, written in 1954. It is one of the most popular pieces to feature rhythm changes. The performer is expected to improvise the B section, as only the A section is transcribed....
" (Sonny RollinsSonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
) – 6:56 - "No Blues" – 17:13
- "Bye Bye (Theme)" – 2:54
- "If I Were a BellIf I Were a Bell"If I Were a Bell" is a song composed by Frank Loesser for his 1950 musical Guys and Dolls.-Guys and Dolls:In the show Guys and Dolls, it is sung by the character Sister Sarah, originally performed by Isabel Bigley on Broadway, and memorialized on the original cast album. On a bet, Sky Masterson...
" (Frank Henry Loesser) – 12:43 - "Fran-Dance" – 7:38
- "On Green Dolphin Street" (Bronislau Kaper, Ned WashingtonNed WashingtonNed Washington was an American lyricist.-Biography:Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962...
) – 12:12 - "The Theme" – :44
Disc Two
- "All of YouAll of You"All of You" is a popular song written by Cole Porter and published in 1954.It was featured in the musical film Silk Stockings and been recorded by Fred Astaire, Bobby Darin, Ella Fitzgerald on her 1972 album: Ella Loves Cole, Billie Holiday, Tony Martin, and Anita O'Day.The jazz pianist Bill Evans...
" (Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
) – 15:47 - "Neo" – 10:18
- "I Thought About YouI Thought About You"I Thought About You" is a 1939 popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was one of three collaborations Van Heusen and Mercer wrote for the then recently established Mercer-Morris publishing company, started by Mercer and former Warner Bros. publisher Buddy...
" (Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
, James Van HeusenJames Van HeusenJimmy Van Heusen , was an American composer. He wrote songs mainly for films and television , and won an Emmy and four Academy Awards for Best Original Song.-Life and career:...
) – 5:04 - "Bye Bye BlackbirdBye Bye Blackbird"Bye, Bye, Blackbird" is a song published in 1926 by the American composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Gene Austin in 1926.- Song information :...
" (Mort DixonMort Dixon-Biography:Born in New York, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine". His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry M...
, Ray HendersonRay HendersonRay Henderson , was an American songwriter.Born Raymond Brost in Buffalo, New York, Henderson moved to New York City and became a popular composer in Tin Pan Alley...
) – 9:46 - "Walkin'" (Richard Carpenter) – 14:16
- "Love, I've Found You" (Reverend C.L. Moore, Danny Small) – 1:54
Disc Three
- "If I Were a Bell" (Loesser) – 12:44
- "So What" – 12:14
- "No Blues" – :27
- "On Green Dolphin Street" (Kaper, Washington) – 12:04
- "Walkin'" (Carpenter) – 12:24
- "'Round Midnight'Round Midnight (song)Round Midnight" is a 1944 jazz standard by pianist Thelonious Monk. Jazz artists Cootie Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Pepper, and Miles Davis have further embellished the song, with songwriter Bernie Hanighen adding lyrics...
" (Bernie HanighenBernie HanighenBernard D. Hanighen was an American songwriter best known for co-writing "'Round Midnight" and "When a Woman Loves a Man"...
, Thelonious MonkThelonious MonkThelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
, Cootie WilliamsCootie WilliamsCharles Melvin "Cootie" Williams was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter.-Biography:...
) – 7:29 - "Well, You Needn't" (Monk) – 8:02
- "The Theme" – :18
Disc Four
- "Autumn LeavesAutumn Leaves (song)"Autumn Leaves" is a much-recorded popular song. Originally it was a 1945 French song "Les Feuilles mortes" with music by Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert. Yves Montand introduced "Les feuilles mortes" in 1946 in the film Les Portes de la Nuit...
" (Joseph KosmaJoseph KosmaJoseph Kosma was a Hungarian-French composer, of Jewish background.-Biography:Kosma was born József Kozma in Budapest, where his parents taught stenography and typing. He had a brother, Akos. A maternal relative was the photographer László Moholy-Nagy, and another relative was the conductor Georg...
, Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
, Jacques PrévertJacques PrévertJacques Prévert was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain very popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. Some of the movies he wrote are extremely well regarded, with Les Enfants du Paradis considered one of the greatest films of all time.-Life and...
) – 11:45 - "Neo" – 12:29
- "Two Bass Hit" (Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, John LewisJohn Lewis (pianist)John Aaron Lewis was an American jazz pianist and composer best known as the musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet.- Early life:...
) – 4:36 - "Bye Bye (Theme)" – 3:27
- "Love, I've Found You" (Moore, Small) – 1:57
- "I Thought About You" (Mercer, VanHeusen) – 5:31
- "Someday My Prince Will Come" (Frank ChurchillFrank ChurchillFrank Churchill was an American composer of popular music for films. He wrote most of the music for Disney's 1937 movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, including "Whistle While You Work" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come"...
, Larry Morey) – 9:38 - "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" (Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, Sigmund Rombert) – 8:41
Friday Night
- "Walkin'" (Carpenter) – 14:21
- "Bye Bye Blackbird" (Dixon, Henderson) – 9:55
- "All of You" (Porter) – 15:44
- "No Blues" – 8:53
- "Bye Bye/The Theme" – 2:42
- "Love, I've Found You" (Moore, Small) – 1:54
Saturday Night
- "Well, You Needn't" (Monk) – 8:16
- "Fran-Dance" – 7:40
- "So What" – 12:43
- "Oleo" (Rollins) – 5:18
- "If I Were a Bell" (Loesser) – 11:10
- "Neo" – 12:39
Original 1961 vinyl editions track listing
Except where otherwise noted, all songs by Miles Davis.Friday Night
Side A- "Walkin'" (Carpenter) – 14:20
- "Bye Bye Blackbird" (Dixon, Henderson) – 10:02
Side B
- "All of You" (Porter) – 10:30
- "No Blues" – 9:09
- "Bye Bye/The Theme" – 2:36
- "Love, I've Found You" (Moore, Small) – 1:59
Saturday Night
Side A- "Well, You Needn't" (Monk) – 4:42
- "Fran-Dance" – 6:06
- "So What" – 12:44
Side B
- "Oleo" (Rollins) – 5:12
- "If I Were a Bell" (Loesser) – 8:40
- "Neo" – 12:51
Performance
- Miles DavisMiles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
– trumpet - Hank MobleyHank MobleyHenry Mobley was an American hard bop and soul jazz tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone", a metaphor used to describe his tone that was neither as aggressive as John Coltrane nor as mellow as Stan Getz...
– sax (tenor)Tenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble... - Wynton KellyWynton KellyWynton Kelly was a Jamaican-born jazz pianist, who spent his career in the United States. He is perhaps best known for working with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1959-1962.-Biography:...
– piano - Paul ChambersPaul ChambersPaul Laurence Dunbar Chambers, Jr. was a jazz bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, his importance in the development of jazz bass can be measured not only by the length and breadth of his work in this short period but also his impeccable time, intonation, and virtuosic...
– bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Jimmy CobbJimmy Cobb-External links:* - includes full discography* * * * * * *...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Production
- Bob BeldenBob BeldenJames Robert Belden is an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, bandleader and producer. He is noted for his Grammy Award winning jazz orchestral recording titled The Black Dahlia. He is also a past head of A & R for Blue Note Records.Belden was born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in...
– reissue producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Steven Berkowitz – A&R
- Stacey Boyle – tape research
- Harold ChapmanHarold ChapmanHarold Stephen Chapman is a photographer noted for chronicalling the 1950s in Paris.He has produced a large body of work over many years, but his most significant period was from the mid 1950s to the early 1960s, when he lived in a backstreet Left Bank guesthouse in Paris later nicknamed ‘the...
– engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,... - Michael CuscunaMichael CuscunaMichael Cuscuna is an American jazz record producer and writer. He is a leading discographer of Blue Note Records....
– reissue producer - Howard Fritzson – reissue art directorArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
- Ralph J. GleasonRalph J. GleasonRalph Joseph Gleason was an influential American jazz and pop music critic. He contributed for many years to the San Francisco Chronicle, was a founding editor of Rolling Stone magazine, and cofounder of the Monterey Jazz Festival.-Biography:Gleason was born in New York City and attended Columbia...
– liner notesLiner notesLiner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:... - Eddie HendersonEddie Henderson (musician)Eddie Henderson is an American jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player. Henderson's influences include Booker Little, Clifford Brown, Woody Shaw and Miles Davis.-Family influence and early music history:...
– reissue liner notes - Patti Matheny – artist coordination
- Seth Rothstein – project director
- Darren Salmieri – artist coordination
- Chuck StewartChuck StewartChuck Stewart is an African American photographer best known for his cover photos on as many as 2,000 albums featuring his portraits of such jazz, Rhythm and blues, bebop and salsa performers as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis among the hundreds of...
– photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film... - Irving TownsendIrving TownsendIrving Townsend was an American record producer and author. He is most famous for having produced, in March 1959, the Miles Davis album Kind of Blue, which at #12, is the highest-ranked jazz album on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and according to the RIAA, is the best-selling...
– producer - Mark Unterberger – packaging manager
- Leigh WienerLeigh WienerLeigh Auston Wiener was an award-winning American photographer and photojournalist. In a career that spanned five decades, he covered hundreds of people and events...
– cover photo - Mark Wilder – audio remixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, audio masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - Kyle Wofford – artist coordination
Further reading
- In Person Friday Night At The Blackhawk, Complete, Volume I review at All About JazzAll About JazzAll About Jazz is a leading jazz music website for enthusiasts and industry professionals based in Philadelphia in the United States.Founded by Michael Ricci in 1995, the Web-Site is maintained by a volunteer staff of writers, editors, and musicians, and provides coverage of all genres of jazz from...
- In Person Saturday Night At The Blackhawk, Complete, Volume II review at All About Jazz