On The Steve Allen Show – 1964

After John Coltrane left the Miles Davis Quintet in 1960, Davis spent several years trying to put together a new group on the level of his 1955-60 bands.

Sonny Stitt joined Davis for a European tour with pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb, and Hank Mobley was the group’s tenor during 1961, but the group broke up altogether in 1962.

In 1963 Davis formed a new band with pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and a teenaged drummer, Tony Williams; George Coleman was the group’s tenor-saxophonist.

After Coleman’s departure, Sam Rivers spent a short time with the group and then Wayne Shorter, who was both a very individual saxophonist and a brilliant composer, joined on September 4, 1964.

The second great Miles Davis Quintet lasted for four years and created some very original and ultimately influential music.

Just a week after Shorter joined, the quintet appeared on the Steve Allen Show, performing “No Blues” (a medium-tempo blues), a rapid “So What,” and “All Blues” on Sept. 10-11.

Here are all three of the selections by the young group; even Miles Davis was only 38 at the time.

-Scott Yanow