Miles Davis/Unreleased Studio Sessions 1978-1981

This release is the first “studio session” since “Unreleased Bitches Brew Session”. I heard some fans say, “I think there’s going to be a Kind of Blue session collection soon,” but we were able to pleasantly disappoint those expectations, and the album is now commonly known as the “Comeback Sessions” among fans. This will be the appearance of a valuable session that was previously held. Miles, who came to Japan in 1975, produced super heavyweight masterpieces called “Agartha” and “Pangaea”, and went into a hiatus period without losing the impact. This hiatus was broken in 1981 with the release of “The Man with the Horn” and the resumption of the concert tour, including performances in Japan. At that time, fans would have been anxiously waiting for the release of “The Man with the Horn.” Meanwhile, Miles, who was taking a hiatus, didn’t just lie on the sofa in the living room and watch TV every day. They held secret sessions and repeatedly experimented with exploring new directions. What is recorded here is exactly the culmination of the sessions that were held during this hiatus period, commonly known as “Comeback Sessions”. The 1978 session on Disc 1 features extremely rare members, with Larry Coryell on guitar and TM Stevens on bass. The drummer is Al Foster, who is reliable. Miles researcher Yasuki Nakayama wrote, “I think Miles was just issuing instructions from the control booth,” but the organ, which has a very Miles-like tone, is echoing everywhere, and it seems like it would be a good idea to listen to the studio session. It is likely that he also participated. However, this session itself turned out to be a phantom session as no album was ever produced with these members. The 1981 sessions on the same disc include two sessions for “Back Seat Betty,” which was included in “The Man with the Horn.” These are both alternate versions and both long versions exceeding 10 minutes. In particular, Alternate 2 is a passionate performance that lasts nearly 20 minutes. And the 1980 session recorded on Disc 2 is commonly believed to be the session for “Shout” recorded in “The Man with the Horn”, but it is almost a different song. However, this song is a very high-quality pop and funky masterpiece. It includes footage of him exploring the finished form and trying out sessions using various approaches. Although it has a very high level of perfection, it is an unreleased song, making it a fantastic masterpiece. It can be said that this is a transitional session until the members of the revival tour are decided before Marcus Miller joins the band. All of these are valuable sessions that focus on the trajectory of Emperor Miles’ recovery, and are a must-have session collection following the “Unreleased Bitches Brew Session”. DISC 1 Recorded at Columbia Studios, New York City, NY, March 02, 1978 01. MISS LAST SUMMER 02. MISS LAST SUMMER 03. MISS LAST SUMMER04. MISS LAST SUMMER 05. MISS LAST SUMMER 06. MISS LAST SUMMER 07. MISS LAST SUMMER 08. MISS LAST SUMMER 09. MISS LAST SUMMER 10. MISS LAST SUMMER 11. MISS LAST SUMMER Miles Davis – conductor, organ Larry Coryell – electric guitar George Pavlis – keyboards unknown – keyboards T.M. Stevens – electric bass Al Foster – drums Recorded at Columbia Studios, New York City, NY, January, 1981 12. BACK SEAT BETTY (Alternate Version 1) 13. BACK SEAT BETTY (Alternate Version 2) Miles Davis – trumpet Bill Evans – soprano saxophone Barry Finnerty – electric guitar Marcus Miller – electric bass Al Foster – drums Sammy Figueroa – percussion DISC 2 Recorded at Columbia Studios, New York City, NY, May, 1980 01. Session for SHOUT 02. Session for SHOUT 03. Session for SHOUT 04. Session for SHOUT 05. Session for SHOUT 06. Session for SHOUT 07. Session for SHOUT 08. Session for SHOUT 09. Session for SHOUT 10. Session for SHOUT 11. Session for SHOUT Miles Davis – trumpet Bill Evans – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute Robert Irving III – electric piano Randy Hall – synthesizer, electric guitar Barry Finnerty – electric guitar Felton Crews – electric bass Vincent Wilburn – drums Sammy Figueroa – percussion Unreleased Studio Sessions in 1978-1981