Track Listing

1. Someday My Prince Will Come
2. Old Folks
3. Pfrancing
4. Drad Dog
5. Teo
6. I Thought About You
7. Blues No. 2 [*]
8. Someday My Prince Will Come [Alternate Take][*]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #159204 in Music
• Released on: 1999-06-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .24 pounds

Amazon.com
The session that produced Someday My Prince Will Come is finally restored and collected together on one CD, and the transitional nature of the Miles Davis band at that moment is now clearer than ever. Hank Mobley produces some fine blues-inflected tenor solos, but when you hear guest John Coltrane (his last recording with Davis) on the alternate take of the title and on the modal "Teo," it's understandable why Davis was unhappy: Coltrane plays with a confidence and a bravado that no other saxophonist could have mustered at that time, and lifts the band from the first note on. And when Philly Joe Jones sits in on "Blues No. 2," playing with clarity and volatility, you know that Davis's working group was not quite up to his best. Still, Wynton Kelly is finely poised throughout; "Pfrancing" is one of Davis's most charming and durable works; and the muted trumpet on "Old Folks" and "I Thought About You" is vintage. Maybe not essential Davis, but very pleasurable nonetheless. --John F. Szwed

Customer Reviews

at last
It has been way, way too long since this wonderful lp has been properly released and treated with the respect it deserves.

Miles' band was in transition during this point. Coltrane had left the group 1 year earlier, and former Jazz Messenger Hank Mobley (a very competent tenor player) had joined the band literally weeks prior to going to record this lp, and it shows. Mobley seemed very uncomfortable in his new position, trying to find his place in it. His style had not meshed with the group's. Then again, the group was searching for its style, as well...

Mobley's main contributions to the lp, "Drad-dog," "Pfrancing," the sombre and beautiful "Old Folks," and "I Thought About You," all are fine tracks, with Mobley's blues orientation coming to the fore, though they didn't match well with Miles' solos...

The additions of John Coltrane and Philly Joe Jones were both chance happenings, but their playing re-ignits a fire under Miles, Wynton Kelly, and Paul Chambers, that can't be ignored. Coltrane's solo on the title track is a beautiful counterpoint to Mobley's- Trane brimming with ideas and confience while Mobley tries to find his place...

To be fair, by the time the "Blackhawk" concerts were released, both Mobley and the band are back in very high gear, with Mobley adding beautifully to the overall style and character of the group..

Perhaps in heinsight this lp should not have been recorded when it was, and allow Mobley to play live with the group to better fit in..but then again had they not recorded this lp, we would not have gotten Coltrane's last moments of glory with Miles, and that would have been a shame.

Essential Jazz and Essential Miles Davis
"Someday My Prince Will Come" is another in a line of recent re-issues by Columbia/Legacy of Miles Davis catalog. This ranks near the top of my list of Miles' Davis CDs (together with "Kind of Blue," "Miles Smiles," "'Round About Midnight," "In a Silent Way," "Porgy and Bess," and "Sketches of Spain"). This CD contains some of Miles' best ballads ("Old Folks"), blues ("Drad Dog") and swing ("Pfrancing"). As with all of the Columbia/Legacy reissues, there are two excellent bonus tracks ("Blues No. 2" and an alternative take of the title track). Columbia/Legacy does the best CD re-issues in the business (see The Byrds re-mastered catalog) and every Columbia/Legacy re-mastered Jazz CD I have purchased (Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Louis Armstrong, etc.) is worth buying. If you love Jazz this is an essential CD.

Slowly moving away from his old sextet...
During this period, Miles had a slight creativity draining after having released intense classics like Round About Midnight, Miles Ahead, Milestones, Porgy & Bess, Kind Of Blue and Sketches Of Spain. However, that is not evident on this LP. Made in 1961, Miles played with a solid group consisting of Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Also, John Coltrane and Philly Joe Jones stop by for an excellent reunion. Mobley's playing, while it is not bad, seems extremely uninspired on most of the songs and is easily outshined by Coltrane's virtuosic fire on the famous title track. Miles uses his trademark harmon mute and plays very well also. Also, note the rhythm section and how well they work together here. Miles is also muted on the breathy ballad "Old Folks", which is really a pretty, haunting melody. Pretty much what we've come to expect from Miles at this time. "Pfrancing", a song dedicated to his wife, is a great, playful little blues with Miles just stealing the show with an outstanding solo. Everyone really swings here, Wynton Kelly has a really cool solo reminding me a bit of his work on "Freddie Freeloader" (except more quickly paced). Paul Chambers also showcases his great sound on bass here, and even Mobley plays some hip stuff. Miles puts the harmon mute back in on "Drad-Dog", which is Goddard spelled backwards. The song is named after former Columbia Records executive Goddard Liberson. There is no melody to this tune, it's basically just Miles and the band playing off of each other in a ballad form. It's very beautiful. On the Spanish-tinged "Teo", Miles and company recall Kind Of Blue and Sketches Of Spain with an interesting latin tune. Coltrane shows up on this one and goes insane again. Miles plays a risky solo and keeps everything interesting, with Wynton holding everything together. The final song is yet another ballad, "I Thought About You". Here, Miles proves why he helped make this one of the most often recorded standards following this album. Wynton Kelly also supplies a masterful piano solo.

There are bonus cuts on the remastered version. One is called "Blues No. 2" and features Miles and the band jamming. Philly Joe Jones stopped by to play drums here and trades fours with Miles at the end. It's great. This tune can also be found on the Circle In The Round double-disc album released by Columbia.