Part one in a forthcoming ten part DVD series called The Stars of Jazz Collection is this classic 1959 set from the Miles Davis Quintet (featuring John Coltrane on sax, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums) and the Gil Evans Orchestra that was seen on national television, hosted by Robert Herridge. Miles leads this "big band" through four numbers of sterling jazz with a touch of blues, and the quality of the footage is very good considering the age of the source material. My one complaint, and one that I am sure will be shared with many, is the short running time of the DVD, which is under 30 minutes with no bonus material. What you get here is a stunning rendition of Davis' classic piece "So What", featuring a killer solo from Coltrane, Dave Brubeck's "The Duke", the lovely Gil Evans piece "Blues for Pablo", and a blistering version of Amad Jamal's "New Rhumba", all led by the unmistakable trumpet playing of Davis.
For the collector and fan of Miles Davis, this is a must own, but I'm certain that a more comprehensive DVD could have been put together containing at least one more performance to increase the content here. Still, The Cool Jazz Sound is vintage Miles, and that will be enough for most.
Track List
1) So What
2) The Duke
3) Blues for Pablo
4) New Rhumba