Lady Be Good: Live in Europe with The Birdland All-Stars (RSD26)

The 1956 Europen sessions with Miles Davis and the Birdland All Stars lineup (with Lester Young and MJQ) see their 70th anniversary. New and exclusive vinyl only pressings will be available for RSD26 on heavweight colour edition gatefold LPs. Miles Davis broke up his ‘First Great Quintet’ in 1956 as a consequence of John Coltrane’s severe heroin addiction. Miles, having recovered from his own addiction, fired Coltrane and drummer Philly Joe Jones in March 1956 due to their struggles with the drug. At the same time Miles was struggling with the racial tensions and prejudice he suffered in the U.S., as well as his growing infamy and bad reputation domestically. Miles had previously toured Paris in 1949 and relished the experience of performing in front of a more accepting audience. In order to advance his career and enjoy some respite from his turbulent home, Miles accepted an offer to tour Europe with a new group of musicians. They were named the ‘Birdland All Stars’, and included Lester Young, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and many other top-tier jazzmen. These recordings are the only ones in history to feature both Miles and Lester, and took place over several concerts from the tour.