Miles ’56: The Prestige Recordings

 My cataract surgery went well, and my eye is healing nicely.  I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone for their heartfelt wishes and support.



The 2026 Newport Jazz Festival was a blast — so many great acts, so much great music.  As always, Newport blended tradition with innovation, as the festival's headliner, Herbie Hancock was a living testament to.


At the1955 Newport Jazz Festival Miles Davis (who was not even listed in the official festival program), played a 23-minute set with an ad-hoc group featuring Thelonious Monk on piano, Gerry Mulligan on baritone saxophone, Zoot Sims on tenor saxophone, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums.  They were introduced by Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein as 'The Miles Davis All-Stars'.

The unexpected brilliance of Miles' performance caught the jazz world and music critics completely off-guard. Columbia Records producer George Avakian was so impressed that he got Miles' a recording contract with Columbia Records and secured him with a $4,000 advance, which adjusted for inflation would be worth around $50k in 2026.

Just one problem, Miles' still owed Bob Weinstock’s indie jazz label Prestige Records four albums, so his new Columbia recordings were held until that contract ended, leading to his iconic label debut, 'Round About Midnight'.  

To fulfill his Prestige contract Miles put together a group consisting of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, "Philly Joe" Jones on drums, and a not well known John Coltrane who was recommended to Miles by "Philly Joe".  This lineup would go on to be known as the "First Great Quintet".

Miles Davis and his quintet entered Rudy Van Gelder’s studio for two intense marathon sessions in May and October 1956.  There was little preparation beforehand. Miles treated both sessions as if he were playing a gig, calling out the song titles and counting in the band.  They quickly went from one song to another without any fuss or second takes, and they recorded enough material for four albums.

These recordings were eventually sequenced by Bob Weinstock into four different albums:

"Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet" released in 1957

'Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet released in 1958

"Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet" released in 1959



"Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet" released in 1961 

This set also has a few tracks featuring Sonny Rollins, that would be released on the Prestige album, 'Collector's Items'.

Today's freeload, 'Miles ’56: The Prestige Recordings' was released on June 19, 2026, by Craft Recordings, as a limited-edition 4-LP, a 3-CD box set and a 24bit/192kHz digital album.

The sound quality on this set is in a word: superlative, and is without doubt the best I've ever heard these recordings sound.  It was mastered from the original analog tapes by Grammy-winner Paul Blakemore and restored using Plangent Processes (see below) alongside lacquers cut by Kevin Gray.  The result is pristine audio clarity, vivid instrument presence, and a robust, warm low-end "thump".

The Plangent Process, an analog-to-digital audio transfer and restoration technology developed by Jamie Howarth, addresses tape transport speed errors like wow, flutter, and scrape flutter.  It achieves this by capturing the ultrasonic bias tone recorded on the original magnetic tape and utilizing it as a timing reference to stabilize pitch and clarity.

I do have one minor quibble, this set is in chronological order.  I would have much preferred them as the individual albums the way they were released, as the running order of "Cookin'", "Relaxin'", "Workin'", and "Steamin'" are entrenched in my psyche.

On June 19th, UPS delivered a box to the Button Factory containing promotional versions of the 4-LP, and the 3-CD box set.  Also in the box was an envelope with card that read "With the compliments of Craft Recordings" (I have low friends in high places).  In the envelope was also a card with a code to get the 24bit/192kHz digital album, which will be today's freeload.  If Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin' are deeply entrenched in your psyche, do what I did, and re-tag the files.

For the freeload, let's do another "Ask Babs".  Ask me anything (tasteful), and I'll answer your questions.