Bags Groove (Remastered)

Miles Davis was famous for his pickup bands during this era, and this unit included Thelonious Monk (on the title track), Sonny Rollins, and Horace Silver, as well as The Modern Jazz Quartet’s Milt Jackson, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke. While the tension between Monk and Davis is well-documented (and perhaps illustrated in Monk laying out while Davis solos on both versions of the title track), the song is a fascinating study in the differences between these two giants. Speaking of giants, Sonny Rollins was in fine form throughout, also contributing three of his classics here–there’s a lovely version of “Airegin.” And while he takes a lot of liberties with his solo on “Doxy,” “Oleo” was the first time in the studio that Davis used the horn mute that would become a part of his signature. The two versions of “But Not for Me” are noteworthy as well, with Rollins again offering freewheeling and timeless solos. Davis would go on to record more definitive works, but this is nonetheless crucial on a lot of different levels.