Miles Davis Quintet • Complete Café Bohemia Bandstand U.S.A. 1956-58 Radio Broadcasts • Volume 2 (GBR00125)

• Disponibile in : LP (Crystal Vinyl 180 gr. - Direct Metal Mastering - One Step)

Data di uscita: 26/06/2026

MILES DAVIS QUINTET
with SONNY ROLLINS

Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Art Taylor

Complete Café Bohemia
Bandstand U.S.A. 1956–58 Radio Broadcasts
Volume 2

This second volume of a three-part series presents the complete recordings made by the Miles Davis Quintet between 1956 and 1958 at Café Bohemia, located at 15 Barrow Street, Greenwich Village, New York City.

The restaurant (misspelled “Restraurnt” on the sign) was managed by the Italian-American Jimmy Garofalo and opened in 1955. In a very short time, Café Bohemia became a sort of Mecca for jazz modernists. Several albums were recorded there by some of the most important artists of the period, including Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Kenny Dorham, and George Wallington.

Oscar Pettiford, the venue’s first artistic director, even dedicated a composition to the club, naming it “Bohemia After Dark.”

The Café Bohemia also served as a key location for the Mutual Network’s Bandstand U.S.A. radio broadcasts. Every week, emcee Guy Wallace—often surrounded by guests—recorded and broadcast remarkable live performances directly from the Bohemia. Miles Davis appeared on these broadcasts eight times between September 15, 1956 and May 17, 1958.

For the first time in history, this release presents the complete body of Miles Davis’ Bandstand U.S.A. recordings—approximately 120 minutes of music—across three volumes. Although some material circulated over the years on unofficial releases, most tracks appear here officially for the first time, presented in optimal sound quality with corrected pitch and speed.

Earlier versions frequently ran at incorrect speed and were noticeably out of tune, making this edition the first truly faithful representation of these performances.

We have made every effort to faithfully reproduce the sound of that era. Announcements by Guy Wallace and his guests are preserved in their entirety, offering rare historical and cultural insights.

So turn on the radio and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the second half of the 1950s with previously unheard music by the Miles Davis Quintet at its finest.

We hope you enjoy this journey through time and sound.

AN UNEXPECTED GEM

One unique feature of these recordings is the interview conducted by Guy Wallace with Jean Shepherd—the man behind one of the greatest literary pranks in the history of print media and radio.

On the July 13, 1957 tape, Shepherd—renowned for his wit and storytelling—offers insights into his infamous literary hoax, I, Libertine.

He discusses the origins of the prank, its impact on the publishing world, and the public’s reaction. The conversation, interwoven with the quintet’s improvisations, creates a unique tapestry of words and music.

Shepherd’s reflections on media manipulation and cultural phenomena resonate strongly with the spontaneity and innovation present in Davis’s performance. This rare intersection of spoken word and jazz not only showcases Shepherd’s narrative brilliance, but also highlights the quintet’s dynamic interplay, making the recording a distinctive artifact of 1950s American culture.

In July 1957, the Miles Davis Quintet underwent a major reshuffle, with the return of two former collaborators: Sonny Rollins replaced John Coltrane, while Art Taylor took over the drum chair from Philly Joe Jones.

New York City – Café Bohemia
15 Barrow Street, Greenwich Village

Miles Davis (tp)
Sonny Rollins (ts)
Red Garland (p)
Paul Chambers (b)
Art Taylor (d)

Guy Wallace – radio announcer

The I, Libertine Story

One of the most brilliant literary pranks of the twentieth century began as a radio stunt.

In the mid-1950s, broadcaster Jean Shepherd, frustrated by the rigid practices of bestseller lists—which only counted books requested or sold in stores—encouraged his late-night listeners to walk into bookstores and ask for a novel that didn’t exist: I, Libertine, by the fictional author Frederick R. Ewing.

Word spread quickly. The title was reported as “in high demand,” critics claimed to have read it, and even some academics began referencing it.

Eventually, the hoax took on a life of its own: publisher Ballantine Books decided to turn the prank into reality, commissioning Shepherd and science-fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon to actually write the novel, which was published later that same year.

The back cover proudly revealed the entire ruse—making the book both a satirical novel and a monument to media subversion.

A1 – Four (6:09)

Structure: Drums Intro → Theme → Solos (Davis / Rollins / Garland) → Theme

Solos

• Drums introduction
• Miles Davis
• Sonny Rollins
• Red Garland
• Return to theme

Notes
During his solo, Miles quotes the first melodic phrase from The Last Time I Saw Paris (measure 17 of the first chorus).
Sonny Rollins references Ornithology.

Although Four was long credited to Miles Davis, it was composed by Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson (as is also the case with Tune Up).

A2 – Bye Bye Blackbird (Excerpt #1) (6:50)

Structure: Performance + Voiceover overlay

Solos

• Miles Davis
• Sonny Rollins
• Red Garland (interrupted)

Voiceover
Guy Wallace and Jean Shepherd enter over the performance (3:53–6:16), blending speech with music.

Notes
The performance fades out abruptly during the piano solo.
Garland opens with the theme in close harmony with Miles, a minor third above the melody.

This is the first known live recording of Bye Bye Blackbird by Miles Davis.

The spoken segment includes discussion of the I, Libertine hoax, mixing satire and jazz broadcast culture.

A3 – Bye Bye Blackbird (Excerpt #2) (0:39)

Voiceover (full segment)
Guy Wallace presents the “Ask the Stars” contest.

Notes
Listeners are invited to submit jazz-related questions for prizes including Scott tuners, amplifiers, and Stephens speakers.
Jean Shepherd reacts with humorous commentary.

A4 – Announcement by Guy Wallace (0:06)

Content
Introduction of contest prize.

Notes
H.H. Scott amplifier and preamplifier with full tone control system.

A reference example of high-end late-1950s hi-fi broadcasting culture.

A5 – It Never Entered My Mind (4:50)

Solos

• Miles Davis (Harmon mute)
• Red Garland

Voiceover
Guy Wallace + Jean Shepherd (0:00–0:59)

Notes
The piano remains noticeably out of tune until the end of the set.

Red Garland quotes Country Gardens (Percy Grainger).

This is the last known live recording of Miles Davis performing the piece with his signature stemless Harmon mute.

A6 – Walkin’ [Gravy] (4:20)

Solos

• Miles Davis
• Sonny Rollins (interrupted)

Voiceover (1:20–4:00)
Discussion between Guy Wallace and Jean Shepherd on jazz culture.

Notes
The segment reflects on differences between American and European jazz reception, highlighting Europe’s stronger institutional appreciation of jazz at the time.

A portrait of mid-century radio jazz culture emerges through the blend of performance and commentary.

B1 – Announcement by Guy Wallace (2:01)

Content
Live introduction from Café Bohemia.

Notes
Broadcast opening over an unidentified drum solo.

Guy Wallace presents the ensemble and re-establishes the live radio context of Bandstand U.S.A.

B2 – Dear Old Stockholm (6:18)

Solos

• Paul Chambers
• Sonny Rollins
• Miles Davis (closing solo)

Notes
Chambers quotes Bizet’s Carmen during his solo.

Miles unusually takes the final solo.

This is the only known live recording of Dear Old Stockholm by the Miles Davis Quintet.

Gil Evans is likely the arranger of this traditional Swedish piece.

B3 – Bags’ Groove (7:21)

Solos

• Miles Davis
• Sonny Rollins
• Red Garland
• Paul Chambers

Voiceover (2:37–5:20)
Guy Wallace introduces the “Ask the Stars” contest.

Notes
Miles quotes Ain’t She Sweet in his solo.

The original broadcast was interrupted during Rollins’ solo and partially replaced by S’posin’.
This edition attempts a reconstruction of the original sequence.

First known live recording of Bags’ Groove by Miles Davis.

B4 – Nature Boy (4:26)

Structure
Theme → Garland solo → coda

Notes
Sonny Rollins does not participate.

This is the first known live recording of Nature Boy by Miles Davis.

Previously recorded in studio with Charles Mingus (Blue Moods).

B5 – S’posin’ (2:24)

Structure
Reconstructed live performance

Solos

• Miles Davis
• Sonny Rollins (interrupted)

Notes
Only known live recording of S’posin’ by Miles Davis.

Includes commentary involving Maynard Ferguson discussing the evolution of jazz from Dixieland to modern styles.

B6 – Announcement by Guy Wallace (0:06)

Content
Closing broadcast announcement.

Notes
Transition from Café Bohemia to the Village Vanguard, where the Modern Jazz Quartet was performing.

No musical background.

TECHNICAL NOTE

Unfortunately, the only surviving mono tape transcriptions of these recordings were not always in optimal condition. Nevertheless, we have applied state-of-the-art equipment and advanced remastering tools to enhance the sound quality as much as possible.

To present the complete performances, we sourced the best available materials, bearing in mind that the recordings span a period of three years and were captured by different technical teams using varied microphone techniques and setups. This inevitably resulted in slight variations in audio quality.

This edition represents the most complete and best-sounding collection to date of the legendary Café Bohemia sessions, originally broadcast by the Mutual Network on Bandstand U.S.A.

Thanks to Piergiorgio Cupellini, Elisa Gabrielli, Paola Giordano, Igor Ebuli Poletti, and Fabio Sala.

Special thanks to Bob Belden, Jan Lohmann, Peter Losin, and Teo Macero.

Speed corrected and remastered by Enrico Merlin.

Supervision of the final remastering by Marco Lincetto.

Executive producer: Massimo Corvino for Groove Back Records.

Liner notes by Enrico Merlin, with special help from Giovanni Principe and Ginger Thomas Principe.

Cover picture by Marvin Koner, shot between May 25 and June 10, 1956, outside the Café Bohemia.

Artwork concept and album design by Roberto Mares.

Complete recordings with radio speaker announcements and voiceovers included.

GBR00125 – MADE IN EU   ®2026