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Round About Midnight

'Round About Midnight
RoundAboutMidnightMilesDavis.jpg
Studio album by Miles Davis
Released March 6, 1957
Recorded October 26, 1955; June 5 and September 10, 1956
30th Street Studios
(New York, New York)
Genre Hard bop
Length 38:47
Label Columbia
CL-949
Producer George Avakian
Miles Davis chronology
Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet
(1957)
'Round About Midnight
(1957)
Miles Ahead
(1957)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
All About Jazz (favorable) link
Allmusic 5/5 stars link
The Guardian 4/5 stars link
MusicHound 5/5 stars link
Penguin Guide to Jazz 3/4 stars link
PopMatters (favorable) link
Rolling Stone 5/5 stars link
Virgin Encyclopedia 4/5 stars link
Warr 5/5 stars link

'Round About Midnight is an album by jazz musician Miles Davis. It was his debut on Columbia Records, and was originally released in March 1957 (CL 949). The album took its name from the Thelonious Monk song "'Round Midnight". Recording sessions took place at Columbia Studio D on October 26, 1955, and at Columbia's 30th Street Studio on June 5 and September 10, 1956.

Although it had a lukewarm reception upon its release, 'Round About Midnight has since been regarded by critics as a masterpiece of the hard bop genre and one of the greatest jazz albums of all time.

At the Newport Jazz Festival in 1955, Davis performed the song "'Round Midnight" as part of an all-star jam session, with the song's composer Thelonious Monk, along with Connie Kay and Percy Heath of the Modern Jazz Quartet, Zoot Sims, and Gerry Mulligan. Davis's solo received an extremely positive reception from many jazz fans, and critics. It was viewed as a significant comeback and indication of a healthy, drug-free Davis (he had in fact been free from heroin addiction for well over a year). Davis' response to this performance was typically laconic: "What are they talking about? I just played the way I always play."George Avakian of Columbia Records was in the audience, and his brother Aram persuaded him that he ought to sign Davis to the label. Davis was eventually signed to Columbia Records, and was able to form his famous "first great quintet" with John Coltrane on saxophone. 'Round About Midnight was to be his first album for his new label.


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Wikipedia

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