This famous material was last reissued as recently as last year, and reviewed enthusiastically in Jazzwise 242. That release on the Jazz Images label (Classic 1956 Sessions) reproduced the music in the order it was recorded at two lengthy dates for the Prestige label, whereas here it's grouped as originally issued on the four legendary albums titled Cookin', Relaxin, Workin and Steamin'. One immediate result is that Miles's renowned first version of ‘My Funny Valentine’ now opens the batting, as opposed to being the final track of the October session, but the repertoire as a whole is fascinating. As well as slow ballads spotlighting Miles' recently acquired harmon mute, there are medium-tempo standards whose interpretation (usually beginning with a two-feel) is clearly influenced by his fondness for the early records of Ahmad Jamal. The jazz tunes include several that he had already done on studio dates, such as Rollins's ‘Airegin’ and ‘Oleo’ and Eddie Vinson's ‘Four’ and ‘Tune Up’; plus more recent blowing vehicles like ‘Blues By Five’ and ‘Trane's Blues’ (also known as ‘Vierd Blues’ and ‘John Paul Jones’); and particularly revealing updates of bebop-era material in Gillespie's ‘Woody'n You’ and ‘Salt Peanuts’, Monk's ‘Well You Needn't’ and Davis' own ‘Half Nelson’.

These are treated in a more open and aggressive manner, allowing the still uncertain Coltrane enough space to feel his way towards the style that coalesced from the following year. But it's the rhythm section of this ‘First Quintet’ that really set a marker for everyone else and, possibly influenced by the current work of Horace Silver and Art Blakey, the electrifying collaboration between Garland and Philly Joe floats over the driving lines of Chambers.

This leaps down the decades, partly because of the crystal-clear definition of Rudy Van Gelder's recording, which of course means that any reissue can hardly go wrong with the sound. That was true of the Jazz Images release but, although AvidJazz has a probable lower price advantage and the original four liner-notes that both sets include, Jazz Images also had excellent photos of the five performers by Francis Wolff. And it's relevant to ask whatever happened to the AvidJazz concept of Four Classic Albums Plus, since there is one further item from these sessions (namely the Prestige version of ‘Round Midnight’, subtly different from the more renowned Columbia title track) which was included in the Jazz Images compilation. For no good reason, it's missing here.