The first in the new series of all-analogue remastered (by Kevin Gray), reissues of the old OJC label in facsimile sleeves from Concord Music Group's Craft imprint, this sounds better, feels better and looks better than either the original Prestige and Jazzland issues or the subsequent OJC reissues.

George Avakian had indicated he would sign Miles Davis to Columbia following his performance as a last-minute inclusion at the Newport Jazz Festival on 7 July, 1955. It is often thought the trumpeter had to fulfil his contractual obligations with Bob Weinstock's Prestige label before signing with Columbia. In fact, Davis had already signed and had begun recording his Columbia debut Round About Midnight three weeks before he decided to discharge his contractual liabilities to Prestige, beginning 11 May 1956 (which included two tracks that appeared on Workin’). Davis’ quintet were then playing at the Bohemia on Barrow Street in New York, and simply replicated in the studio what they were doing on the band stand each night and, as far as we know, all were first takes.

So this album is a snapshot of the top small group in jazz of moment, performing in the moment. If Armstrong defined the soloist within the confines of a 78rpm recording with his Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings, then Davis showed the way to define the small jazz ensemble in the more expansive LP era. Thus Workin’, along with its companion releases Miles, Cookin’, Relaxin’ and Steamin’ constitute valuable historical documents.

This Craft reissue sounds warmer than the CD reissues, the 12-inch inch vinyl package is more attractive than a jewel case, and as an artefact is aesthetically more pleasing; plus there is also the sense of ritual when playing an LP: removing the recording from the inner sleeve and presenting it to the turntable, lowering the tone arm and so on. That's a whole load of subjective emotional responses which weigh heavily in favour of vinyl, quite apart from the actual sound quality.