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Cherry Red’s El label has recently turned its attention to two late titans of jazz for a pair of releases.  The Cinema of Miles Davis and The Quiet Passion of Bill Evans: Collaborations, Trios and Guest Sessions both focus on the artists’ early periods in which they were pushing the envelope and shattering preconceived notions of bop.

The Cinema of Miles Davis captures the trumpeter between 1954 and 1961 on a variety of performances either written for films or used in films.  Representing the former is Davis’ 1958 score to Ascenseur pour l’échafaud, or Elevator to the Gallows.  Davis was approached by director Louis Malle to pen the music for his film, and so, while in Paris performing, he and four sidemen (all French, save American expatriate and French resident Kenny Clarke) improvised to his rough harmonic sketches while sequences were projected for them to follow.  The result was a loose, atmospheric performance that anticipates the mood of Davis’ Milestones (which itself anticipated his breakthrough with Kind of Blue).  El’s release has the original ten tracks as released by Fontana in Europe.  (An expanded edition arrived in the CD era featuring alternate takes and mixes.)  The release is rounded out by early Davis performances from his Blue Note, Prestige, and Columbia eras as heard in such diverse films as Bob Fosse’s Lenny (1974), Kerouac the Movie (1985), and The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) – altogether proving how well Davis’ atmospheric jazz complemented the art of filmmaking.  Spoken word pieces from Kerouac and Bruce are included, as well, to underscore this point.

One of the tracks on The Cinema of Miles Davis, “Blue in Green,” has been reprised from Kind of Blue, featuring Davis accompanied by John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, and on piano, by Bill Evans.  The title of The Quiet Passion of Bill Evans describes the artist’s introspective style, whether as a sideman or a solo artist during his tragically-curtailed career.  Evans’ subtle, fleet manner at the keys lent him a distinctive and recognizable style, while his breakthroughs in modal jazz (basing performance on musical modes rather than chord progressions as a harmonic framework) still influence musicians today.

This 3-CD collection, packaged in a clamshell box with each disc in an individual, illustrated sleeve, captures the Plainfield, New Jersey native between 1955 and 1962 as accompanist, sideman, and leader.  Evans’ recorded career began in 1953; this set kicks off with one of his earliest recordings (“Because We’re Kids,” co-written by Dr. Seuss and sung by Lucy Reed) and then his classic “Waltz for Debby” from his debut album as a leader, 1956’s New Jazz Conceptions.   But Evans continued to hone his skills as a sideman, as evidenced by the tracks here from the groups of George Russell, Dick Garcia, Charles Mingus, Joe Puma, Eddie Costa, Art Farmer, Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, and more.

The set is presented chronologically, and features Evans’ light touch as both an accompanist (singer Helen Merrill offers Cole Porter’s “All of You”) and as a member of larger orchestras and bands (Michel Legrand, Bill Potts, Tadd Dameron).  Throughout all of these various performances, Evans’ “quiet passion” comes through – intimate, poetic, and provocative, forcing the listener to experience a familiar standard in a new way that’s respectful to the original composition but forward-thinking in its approach.  Evans was no slouch as a composer himself, and his own works are featured here, too – not just via multiple, ever-evolving versions of the delicate “Waltz for Debby” but also “Interplay (Blues – F Minor),” “Skidoo,” and “Peace Piece.”

Both of these collections from El are made possible through current U.K. public domain laws, and feature booklets with liner notes and original credits for all of the musicians involved (although discographical annotation is missing).  You can order both of these titles at the links below!

Miles Davis, The Cinema of Miles Davis (El/Cherry Red ACMEM330CD, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. It Never Entered My Mind – The Miles Davis Quartet
2. Well, You Needn’t – The Miles Davis Quartet
3. Tempus Fugit – The Miles Davis Sextet
4. What Is – Lenny Bruce
5. Blue Haze – The Miles Davis Quartet
6. The Beat Generation – Jack Kerouac
7. Saeta – Miles Davis with the Gil Evans Orchestra
8. Solea – Miles Davis with the Gil Evans Orchestra
9. Blue in Green – The Miles Davis Quintet
10. Nature Boy – The Miles Davis Quintet
11. Générique
12. L’ Assassinat de Carala
13. Sur L’Autoroute
14. Julien Dans L’Ascenseur
15. Florence Sur Les Champs Élysées
16. Dîner au Motel
17. Évasion De Julien
18. Visite Du Vigile
19. Au Bar du Petit Bac
20. Chez Le Photographe Du Motel

Bill Evans, The Quiet Passion of Bill Evans: Collaborations, Trios, and Guest Sessions (El/Cherry Red ACME329BOX, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. Because We’re Kids – Lucy Reed
2. Waltz for Debby – Bill Evans
3. Concerto for Billy the Kid – The George Russell Sextet
4. Like Someone in Love – The Dick Garcia Quartet
5. Conversation – The Charles Mingus Sextet
6. Mother of Earl – The Joe Puma Quartet
7. If I Were a Bell – The Eddie Costa Quartet
8. All of You – Helen Merrill with the Bobby Jaspar Quintet
9. Stella by Starlight – The Miles Davis Quintet
10. Jitterbug Waltz – The Michel Legrand Orchestra
11. Round Midnight – The Michel Legrand Orchestra
12. Nardis (Take 5) – The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
13. Straight Life – The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
14. The Touch of Your Lips – The Art Farmer Quintet
15. Manhattan-Rico – The George Russell Orchestra
16. Peace Piece – Bill Evans

CD 2

1. Alone Together – The Chet Baker Septet
2. I Loves You, Porgy – The Bill Potts Big Band
3. Blue in Green – The Miles Davis Quintet
4. Honeysuckle Rose – The Bob Brookmeyer/Bill Evans Quartet
5. Misery (To Lady Day) – The Tony Scott Quartet
6. Spring is Here – The Bill Evans Trio
7. Waltz from Outer Space – The George Russell Orchestra
8. Black Coffee – The Kai Winding Trombones
9. Haunted Heart – The Bill Evans Trio
10. Nardis – The Bill Evans Trio
11. Elsa – The Bill Evans Trio
12. Who Cares? (Take 5) – The Cannonball Adderley Quartet
13. Elsa – The Cannonball Adderley Quartet
14. Waltz for Debby – The Cannonball Adderley Quartet
15. Yearnin’ – The Oliver Nelson Sextet

CD 3

1. My Foolish Heart – The Bill Evans Trio
2. Waltz for Debby (Take 2) – The Bill Evans Trio
3. My Man’s Gone Now – The Bill Evans Trio
4. Why Not (Impressions) – The Dave Pike Quartet
5. Wild is the Wind – The Dave Pike Quartet
6. Swift as the Wind – Tadd Dameron and His Orchestra
7. My Funny Valentine – Bill Evans and Jim Hall
8. How My Heart Sings – The Bill Evans Trio
9. Skidoo – The Bill Evans Trio
10. I Fall in Love Too Easily – The Bill Evans Trio
11. When You Wish Upon a Star – The Bill Evans Quintet
12. Interplay (Blues – F Minor) – The Bill Evans Quintet
13. Let’s Go Back to the Waltz – Shelly Manne and Bill Evans with Monte Budwig
14. Danny Boy – Shelly Manne and Bill Evans with Monte Budwig