Requisites

Jazz at The Plaza, Volume 1  ~ The Miles Davis Sextet | By Eddie Carter

Submitted for your approval this morning is the first of two unique 1973 albums, capturing an unforgettable event. Jazz at The Plaza, Volume 1 (Columbia C 32470) is a live recording of a jazz party hosted by Columbia Records in The Persian Room of New York City’s Plaza Hotel on September 9, 1958. This celebration represented a significant moment in Columbia’s history, acknowledging the impressive talent of jazz artists on the label’s roster. The guests enjoyed a performance by The Miles Davis Sextet during the first set: Miles Davis on trumpet, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley (tracks: A1, B2) on alto sax, John Coltrane (A1, B1, B2) on tenor sax, Bill Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. My copy is the original U.S. Stereo release.

The album opener is misidentified as Jazz at The Plaza on the back cover and record label, but it is Thelonious Monk’s Straight, No Chaser. The song’s brisk pace sets the stage for the sextet’s lively introduction and theme. Miles delivers a vigorous opening statement, followed by John’s adventurous interpretation. Cannonball provides an energetic solo next. Bill makes a concise contribution before the ensemble returns for the finale and a brief presentation of the sextet’s theme. The pace slows for Bill’s introduction to the Rodgers and Hart classic My Funny Valentine. This highlight of the quartet sees Miles switching to the mute for the gentle melody and a beautiful solo. Bill follows with an enchanting statement, and Paul walks delicately toward the closing chorus and sensitive climax.

If I Were a Bell by Frank Loesser opens the second side with a short piano introduction that segues into the ensemble’s medium melody. Miles takes the lead with an agile, muted opening statement. John continues wailing in a spirited performance. Bill sinks his teeth into a captivating interpretation next, leading to the theme’s restatement and conclusion. Oleo by Sonny Rollins raises the tempo for Miles’s muted introduction, which leads to the sextet’s quick theme. Miles starts the opening statement with infectious heat, while John fuels the following performance with electrifying notes. Cannonball launches into a furiously hard-driving solo next, and then Bill keeps the fire burning with a concise comment. Paul has his turn in a short interlude before Miles guides the way to a speedy culmination.

Teo Macero and Irving Townsend produced Jazz at The Plaza, Volume 1, with recording engineer Russ Payne capturing the event for posterity. While the sound quality may not meet Columbia’s usual high standards, its unique charm conveys the exhilarating energy of the group’s performances. After listening to this album, I’ll be looking to find its companion, Jazz at The Plaza, Volume 2, featuring Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, Billie Holiday, and Jimmy Rushing. If you appreciate the trumpeter’s work from the fifties, I recommend exploring Jazz at The Plaza, Volume 1 by The Miles Davis Sextet, on your next record hunt. It offers a compelling snapshot of the ensemble’s fiery live performance and should make a worthy addition to any jazz enthusiast’s library!

Postscript: The owners of the long-out-of-print Mosaic Records box set, The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis With John Coltrane, also has a copy of Jazz at The Plaza, Volume 1.

~ Jazz at The Plaza, Volume 2 (Columbia C 32471), The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis With John Coltrane (Mosaic Records MQ9-191) – Source: Discogs.com

~ Straight, No Chaser – Source: JazzStandards.com

~ If I Were a Bell – Source: Wikipedia.org

© 2025 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Jazz Poems

Miles’ muted horn penetrates

like liquid, melancholy medicine

to the pinched nerve

of an old misery. I’d hit

the winning shot at State that night;

teary-eyed, Tina kissed me—

way past any doubt, then

wore distance like

a torn red dress the next day.

I feel the rend again–in the piano,

I hear her long, practiced excuses

in Coltrane’s troubling tenor—

mixed with the loneliness

I’d felt at seventeen, standing

between rusted railroad tracks

in July.

I turn the lights off–

they go black.

Spare, midnight tones tug at me,

I lean back hard into the past:

I see that winning shot go in,

I see her run at me, again,

and for a moment—she’s there

mingled in Coltrane’s tenor.

What if

I never get past this pain,

just then Miles wavers back in

with an antidote—

traying eights behind

the ivorys. It works

this time, if I only knew

how it means.

DARRELL BURTON

from Jazz Poems ~ Selected and Edited by Kevin Young

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Jazz Poems

LESTER YOUNG

Sometimes he was cool like an eternal

blue flame burning in the old Kansas

City nunnery

Sometimes he was happy ‘til he’d think

about his birth place and its blood

stained clay hills and crow-filled trees

Most times he was blowin’ on the wonderful

tenor sax of his preachin’ in very cool

tones, shouting only to remind you of

a certain point in his blue messages

He was our president  as well as the minister

of soul stirring Jazz, he knew what he

blew, and he did what a prez should do,

wail, wail, wail. There were many of

them to follow him and most of them were

fair–but they never spoke so eloquently

in so a far out funky air.

Our prez done died, he know’d this would come

but death has only booked him, alongside

Bird, Art Tatum, and other heavenly wailers.

Angels of Jazz–they don’t die–they live

they live–in hipsters like you and I

TED JOANS

from Jazz Poems ~ Selected and Edited by Kevin Young

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Requisites

Please Send Me Someone To Love ~ Phineas Newborn Jr. | By Eddie Carter

Phineas Newborn Jr. was an exceptional pianist and one of my favorite musicians growing up. The first album I encountered by him as a teenager is this morning’s selection from the library. Please Send Me Someone To Love (Contemporary Records S7622) hit the stores in 1969 and is an excellent trio album. It was his fourth release for Lester Koenig’s label and is a companion to Harlem Blues, released six years later in 1975. Both albums were recorded during the same sessions, with the superb rhythm section of Ray Brown on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. My copy is the 1969 U.S. deep groove Stereo release.

The first side opens with Percy Mayfield’s Please Send Me Someone To Love, featuring a smooth, slow-tempo melody. Phineas delivers a dreamy solo, evoking a sense of longing and comfort, resulting in one of the album’s most beautiful moments. Ray and Elvin’s gentle accompaniment leads the trio back to the theme and a quiet, reflective conclusion. Rough Ridin’, an upbeat piece by Ella Fitzgerald, Hank Jones, and Bill Tennyson follows with an energetic melody by the ensemble. Phineas showcases his joyful groove with impressive skill as the only soloist, culminating in the group’s lively finish.

Come Sunday by Duke Ellington is a beautiful ballad that starts with Phineas’ tender solo introduction and flows seamlessly into the trio’s lovely melody. The pianist shines as the centerpiece, delivering an attractive, elegant interpretation with great warmth before a soft and gentle ending. Ray’s bass steers the course into Brentwood Blues by Phineas Newborn Jr., setting the stage for the ensemble to swing effortlessly through the melody. Phineas initiates the opening statement, articulating each note and verse with clarity. Ray then takes a brief, soulful walk to the closing chorus and climax.

Side Two starts with He’s A Real Gone Guy by Nellie Lutcher. Elvin’s Latin-flavored introduction breathes life into the track briskly, setting the stage for the trio’s lively theme. Phineas takes the lead with a vigorous interpretation, and Elvin’s electrifying brushwork fuels the finale, bringing the trio’s ending theme to a dynamic close. Black Coffee by Sonny Burke and Paul Francis Webster opens with a profoundly moving piano introduction by Phineas, transitioning into an intimately soft melody. His beautiful performance is anchored by the solid foundation laid by Ray and Elvin ahead of a lovely finale.

Little Niles is a jazz waltz by Randy Weston that is a tribute to his son. The trio’s version is delightfully vibrant, with Ray and Elvin’s introduction effortlessly shifting into the melody. Phineas showcases his impeccable technique during the song’s only solo, leading smoothly to the reprise and the song’s close. Stay On It, by Count Basie and Tadd Dameron, secures a swinging makeover with Phineas’ solo introduction. The trio’s lively opening chorus follows, with Ray and Elvin providing a solid foundation, allowing Phineas to deliver a remarkable interpretation in the song’s only solo, leading to the trio’s exit.

Lester Koenig was the producer and recording engineer for Please Send Me Someone To Love. The album’s impeccable sound quality creates the illusion that the trio is performing live in your listening room. If you seek an outstanding trio album, I wholeheartedly recommend Please Send Me Someone To Love by Phineas Newborn Jr.  It is an excellent addition to any jazz library, serving as a perfect introduction for new listeners to his music and a delight for seasoned collectors and fans. This album also pairs beautifully with Harlem Blues and is a must-have for any jazz enthusiast of piano trios!

~ Harlem Blues (Contemporary Records S7634) – Source: Discogs.com

~Come Sunday – Source: JazzStandards.com

~Black Coffee, Little Niles, Please Send Me Someone To Love – Source: Wikipedia.org

© 2025 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Jazz Poems

PARKER’S MOOD

Come with me,

If you want to go to Kansas City.

I’m feeling lowdown and blue,

My heart’s full of sorrow.

Don’t hardly know what to do.

Where will I be tomorrow?

Going to Kansas City.

Want to go too?

No, you can’t make it with me.

Going to Kansas City,

Sorry that I can’t take you.

When you see me coming,

Raise your window high.

When you see me leaving, baby,

Hang your head and cry.

I’m afraid there’s nothing in the cream, this dreamy town

A hinky-tonky monkey-woman can do

She’d only bring herself down.

So long everybody!

The time has come

And I must leave you

So if I don’t ever see your smiling face again:

Make apromise you’ll remember

Like a Christmas Day in December

That I told you

All through thick and thin

>On up until the end

Parker’s been your friend.

Don’t hang your head

When you see, when you see those six pretty horses pulling me

Put a twenty dollar silver-piece on my watchchain,

Look at the smile on my face,

And sing a little song

To let the world know I’m really free.

Don’t cry for me

‘Cause I’m going to Kansas City.

Come with me,

If you want to go to Kansas City.

KING PLEASURE (CLARENCE BEEKS)

from Jazz Poems ~ Selected and Edited by Kevin Young

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