''First Miles'' is a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released on July 12, 1990 by

Savoy Records Savoy Records is an American record company and label established by Herman Lubinsky in 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. Savoy specialized in jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. In September 2017, Savoy was acquired by Concord Bicycle Music. ...

. The album includes tracks from Davis's first recording session, backing singer Rubberlegs Williams on April 24, 1945, and the first session produced under his name, leading the members of Charlie Parker's band on August 14, 1947. Davis plays no solos in the session with Rubberlegs Williams, only being heard as part of an ensemble. He says in his autobiography he was so nervous on his first ever recording he could hardly play, and he forgot most of the details as he put the experience out of his mind. Davis had already recorded several sessions by 1947 as a member of Parker's band for the Savoy and Dial labels, but whereas Parker usually recorded with no rehearsals, Davis had the group rehearse the material twice before recording. Davis wrote and arranged all four tracks, which were released as 78rpm singles under the name "Miles Davis All-Stars". The four tracks have also been compiled on numerous Charlie Parker Savoy compilations, including ''Bird: The Savoy Recordings (Master Takes)'' (SJL 2201). Davis' next recording session as leader would be the first of the '' Birth of the Cool'' sessions in 1949, after having left Parker's band.

Track listing

*Subsequent reissues often combined false start takes and reordered the Davis tracks first. A 2003 reissue CD contained bonus track "Now's The Time"

Original 78rpm Singles

The master takes of the tracks on this album were originally issued on the following 78rpm singles:Savoy Bop 900 series
at the Jazz Discography Project, accessed July 2, 2014 * Savoy 564: Rubberlegs Williams – That's the Stuff You Gotta Watch / Pointless Mama Blues * Savoy 5516: Rubberlegs Williams – Deep Sea Blues / Bring It On Home * Savoy 934: Miles Davis All-Stars – Milestones / Sippin' at Bells * Savoy 951: Fats Navarro & Leo Parker – Goin' to Minton's / Miles Davis & Charlie Parker – Half Nelson * Savoy 977: Charlie Parker – Chasin' the Bird / Miles Davis All-Stars – Little Willie Leaps

Personnel

Milestones / Little Willie Leaps / Half Nelson / Sippin' at Bells

Miles Davis All-Stars, August 14, 1947, Harry Smith Studios, NYC * Miles Davis – trumpet * Charlie Parker – tenor sax * John Lewis – piano * Nelson Boyd –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

* Max Roach –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

That's the Stuff You Gotta Watch / Pointless Mama Blues / Deep Sea Blues / Bring It On Home

Herbie Fields Band with Rubberlegs Williams, April 24, 1945, WOR Studios, NYC * Rubberlegs Williams – vocals *Miles Davis – trumpet * Herbie Fields – tenor sax,

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

Teddy Brannon Humphrey "Teddy" Brannon (September 27, 1916, Moultrie, Georgia – February 24, 1989, Newark, New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey) was an American jazz and blues pianist. Brannon began on piano at age nine. He played in dance bands in high school and ...

– piano * Leonard Gaskin – bass *Ed Nicholson – drums

Production

Teddy Reig Theodore Samuel Reig (November 23, 1918 – September 29, 1984) was a self-described "jazz hustler" who worked as a record producer, A&R man, promoter, and artist manager from the 1940s through the 1970s. As a record producer, he captured the wor ...

– original producer * Phil Schaap – compilation producer,

remaster Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used. Mastering A ...

ing assistant, liner notes *

Jack Towers Jack Towers (November 15, 1914 – December 23, 2010Matt Schudel.. ''Washington Post''. 28 December 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2011.) was in charge of radio broadcasting at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1952 to 1974 and became a noted r ...

and Joe Brescio – remastering *Dick Smith –

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

* William Gottlieb – cover photograph

References

{{Miles Davis 1988 compilation albums Albums produced by Phil Schaap Miles Davis compilation albums Savoy Records compilation albums Albums produced by Teddy Reig