Music and Recording Features

On Thursday, December 5, 2024, Miles Davis came back to New York City. Miles was escorted by Acoustic Sounds' Chad Kassem. This "from beyond the grave" appearance was one of the most memorable listening sessions I have ever experienced. Kassem previewed for us his Analogue Productions' issue Miles Davis—Birth of the Blue (Sony/Columbia APJ 172, 2024). Birth of the Blue will be available on 180gm vinyl and SACD. The release date is set for December 13th.

Innovative Audio hosted the sessions in their listening rooms on 58th Street in New York. We heard the vinyl, played by a top-tier system featuring the towering Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX loudspeakers driven by D'agostino Relentless 800 Monoblocks. This system delivered a time-traveling, holographic audio experience: Miles stood right there in front of us, his Harmon mute pressed up against the mike.

Birth of the Blue is an important historical recording, presenting (for the first time on a single, stand-alone release; see footnote 1) four tracks Davis laid down with his then-new sextet in 1958, a year before the immortal sessions that became Kind of Blue. These tracks had been somewhat orphaned, released piecemeal. One reason was the timings: The four tunes total a bit under the average running time Columbia Records would have issued as a full LP in those days. On the new album, the four songs are sequenced as they were recorded: "On Green Dolphin Street," "Fran-Dance," "Stella by Starlight," and "Love for Sale."

Kassem introduced Steve Berkowitz, whose extensive catalog of work for Sony/Columbia Legacy has won several Grammy awards. Berkowitz supervised the new release. Vic Anesini mixed the original three-track tapes directly to two-track stereo tape. Berkowitz confirmed there was no digital stage and noted that the original tapes were in excellent condition, apparently not played too much over the years. Matthew Lutthans performed the vinyl mastering at Quality Record Pressings, directly from the new two-track tape master. Ashley Kahn, the author of the book Kind of Blue, provided notes, while Stoughton Printing provides the fine, archival-quality packaging.

Chad Kassem, Steve Berkowitz.

After we listened, I told Kassem that the first few opening notes by Miles on "On Green Dolphin Street" gave me chills. There is a whole lot more to say about this music and the players in a full review. For now, consider this a direct order: get a copy of this milestone and appreciate it for yourself.

Footnotes
1 I think these performances have appeared together on at least one compilation, Miles '58. Three of the four appeared on Basic Miles, a compilation released in 1973.–Jim Austin