Miles Davis Band feat. Steve Grossman- So What (unreleased studio outtake), March 20 1970 | REMASTER

Miles' studio band jams on one of his most famous tunes
March 20, 1970
Columbia Studio, New York City, New York
MILES DAVIS STUDIO BAND
Steve Grossman- soprano saxophone
John McLaughlin- guitar
Dave Holland- bass guitar
Lenny White- drums
So What [breakdown] (M. Davis)
Studio session produced by Teo Macero
Here's an intriguing little curio- an officially unreleased studio outtake of So What from Miles' electric period.
Mid November 1969 to early June 1970 was a busy period for Miles Davis. There were sixteen studio sessions, none of them with his regular working band (who became known as the 'Lost Quintet'- actually a sexet by spring of 1970). Miles varied the pool of musicians from session to session, expanding and contracting the line ups and experimenting with groove and texture. In addition to this, there were live concerts recorded at the Fillmores East and West.
This prolificacy presented a problem for Columbia- there was simply too much music to release. Some of it came out quickly, on A Tribute To Jack Johnson and Live/Evil (both 1971) while other tracks were released on the grab bag albums Big Fun and Get Up With It (both 1974), a couple of outtakes compilations issued during Miles' temporary retirement, Circle In The Round (1979) and Directions (1981), and there were even a couple of singles (!). Still more unreleased material surfaced on the CD era boxed sets The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (1998) and The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (2003).
But there were yet more recordings that remained unissued and this is one of them. Recorded at the same March 20 session that yielded Sugar Ray (included on the Jack Johnson box), Miles sits out while the assembled band jam through So What, the piece written for the classic 1959 Kind Of Blue album. The tune became a staple of Miles' live sets throughout the sixties but had been dropped from the setlist for the concerts of late 1969. This would be the final recording of a Davis band performing the piece (not counting Michael Henderson sneaking the bass line into the 1975 Agharta performance of Right Off). Incidentally, Herbie Hancock has been listed in the personnel for this session but is not heard here or on the issued version of Sugar Ray.
The jam mostly features saxophonist Steve Grossman who, at just 19 years old, had recently replaced Wayne Shorter in Miles' working band. By this point, producer Teo Macero had a policy of keeping the recording machines running and although Miles' trumpet isn't heard, he's obviously in control of the session as he tells Grossman not to play the melody. Grossman's solo sees him working towards a personal style while using the vocabulary of John Coltrane, as he works through his stock of trademark runs and licks. After Grossman plays John McLaughlin steps up and, unusually, doesn't really take flight. After about 90 seconds, during which Dave Holland's walking electric bass dominates, Miles halts the take, saying "shh... ran out of tape."
Dave Liebman, who would play alongside Grossman in Elvin Jones' band and who would himself go on to play with Miles, said of him "he was into something very unusual with a lot of potential... it was one palette, basically one colour, but it was different and you would have expected that he would pursue it when he left Miles." Instead, after Grossman recorded with fusion band Stone Alliance alongside Miles alumni Don Alias and Gene Perla, he relocated to Amsterdam, then Italy, and recorded a string of fine hard bop styled albums for European labels where his playing bore more traces of the influence of Sonny Rollins. He also suffered spells of substance abuse and ill health and after making a late period US comeback he again faded from view and died in 2020 of cardiac arrest at the age of 69. Liebman said of him “he was the best of all of us. We, the tenor players of that time from our generation, all acknowledged that.”
This take has never been officially issued but turned up on the limited edition bootleg CDR Another Jack Johnson (So What! [Japan]), running off speed. The sound is less than optimal, with a fair amount of hiss and distortion. We posted the original version here back in 2016 but have attempted to clean up the sound and correct the speed.
So, why does this exist? Why was Miles letting the band jam on an 11 year old tune? Was it a warm up? A confidence builder for the teenage saxophonist? To work out a new arrangement for a signature piece? We don't know for certain. For now, it stands as a moment in the spotlight for a gifted musician who never really received his deserved recognition.
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[@RonCarterBassist]

Interesting old tape, thanks for sharing.

[@monsterjazzlicks]

ASTOUNDING gem!!!

[@zqa12swx]

whoaaaaa his opening phrases! wtf! Steve was the man

[@quisowens8025]

Is*

[@shaddjimenez4524]

19 years old

[@murkymurk8305]

so what in 1970? wow!

[@KP-td9gh]

Thanks so much. I love this.

[@royemiliani-musicandart1042]

Gezz... killing it on the soprano Sax... reminds me a BIT of dave Liebman but not out enough.. But same idea and energy. damm... he's killing it.

[@sloburnjo]

right on ! and thanks again

[@bobblues1158]

This is all great and interesting. But this is only concerning a handful of players, including Miles, who existed in New York City in this period. And being visible to the record companies in New York-the majors-who knew what was popular and would promote it the same way as pop music. i can promise you there was music of the same quality and originality(arguably more original than what was happening in NYC) in that period. All over the States. Miles was a late comer to Funk and Electric instruments. But the good borrow from the great and become better.

[@georgeneuman488]

That bass isn't walking it's running

[@radio.m.i.x]

[don't play the melody, steve]

[@jonathanweiss7716]

Steve Grossman recorded some great tracks (much better than this) while in Europe, including some original tunes. His demon was dope, smack, duuji. He once told a student, "the most important things in life are playing your horn, getting high, and getting laid." Kind of a weird philosophy. Fats Navarro, Bill Evans, Chet Baker, Bird, all probably even more talented than Steve, all succumbed to their love of getting high. It was always around the music scene, particularly from the '50's -'70's. Some people either lacked the will or the desire to kick the habit. Of course it is going to destroy the body, particularly because junkies often neglect to eat or do not eat a healthy diet.

[@kennethvenezia4400]

WTF kind of comment is this. Just listen to the music and stay out of people's personal lives. You sound like a critic

[@jiyujizai]

よくも…。🙄 限界だ。驚異の速さ。

[@shaddjimenez4524]

0:26

[@shaddjimenez4524]

1:17

[@MilestonesArchive]

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[@tomarikawa]

So What, so cool 😉 Thanks for this vital piece of human evolution

[@Alex-rs6vu]

He was only 19!!

[@flame-sky7148]

Dave Holland should be a shamed of himself, in a good way.

[@jeffjazzwraight]

Yes I reckon its just the band loosening up. Grossman at 19 is very advanced. White also at 19 (ish) supporting but not leading, hence this piece doesn't swing. McLaughlin probably hadn't had time to take his gloves off. Holland is on the one all the way - relentless! Just my personal take on this! lol. I didn't notice that the earlier version was a tad sharp, not having perfect pitch, so thanks for adjusting that & for the clean up. Best wishes J

[@pederlong1784]

Magic