Cookin’, Relaxin’, Workin’ and Steamin’
Passing this along to my faithful readers …
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was a musician who let nothing stand in his way. The late 1950’s were an especially fertile time in his recording career. For the first half of the decade, Miles was under recording contract with Prestige records. His reputation grew, as well as his ambition. Prestige was sometimes known as the “junkies” recording label, because of its willingness to let musician’s walk in, spontaneously record, and get paid cash on the spot. For those players with drug addiction problems, this was a splendid business arrangement. Miles himself finally beat his heroin troubles in 1954, and made a notable appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1955.
It was at the Newport Jazz Festival that Miles finally agreed, in principle, to signing with Columbia Records. George Avakian at Columbia had long wanted Miles at his company, but Davis was under contract with Prestige until 1956…
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