Miles Davis mega Newport Festival 1955-75 Box Set for July Release

4 which will contain nearly four hours of previously unreleased music. This four-CD set covers all Davis’ groundbreaking bands that redefined the future direction of jazz, caught live at George Wein’s legendary Newport Jazz Festival.

It includes his first ever appearance at Newport, Rhode Island in 1955 in an all star jam with Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan and others; his Kind Of Blue band from 1958; the second classic quintet at the 1966 and 67 Newport Festivals; the first electric outing with the In A Silent Way musicians at Newport in 1969; the Bitches Brew band at the Newport Jazz Festival in Europe date in Switzerland 1971; the widescreen psychedelic modal funk of the Agharta band from the Newport In Europe date in Berlin 1973 and his final show in 1975 from a Newport event at Avery Fisher Hall in New York before his mid 1970s lay-off.

The original concerts were produced by George Wein and this box set is produced by Richard Seidel and Michael Cuscuna with co-producer Steve Berkowitz, the Grammy award winning team responsible for previous Bootleg Series sets. The 4 CD set runs to 296 minutes playing time, including almost 4 hours of previously unreleased tracks, and will be released exactly 60 years after Davis first played the Newport Festival on 17 July 1955. Miles Davis will be celebrated at this year’s Newport Festival from 31 July-2 August with a number of panels, events and performances that will be presided over by George Wein.

– Jon Newey