Birth of the Cool, the landmark collection by Miles Davis’ short-lived yet hugely influential nonet, is being re-released in honor of the 70th anniversary of its recording.
Featuring Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, Max Roach, John Lewis, Gil Evans, and a then 22-year-old Davis, The Complete Birth of the Cool is a collection of every studio and live recording by the group.
Due out May 17 on Blue Note/UMe, the album is available now for pre-order in two-LP vinyl and digital formats. The collection includes all 12 studio sides the nonet recorded in 1949-50, as well as the ensemble’s only extant live recordings, recorded at New York’s Royal Roost.
The new release marks the first time since 1957 that the recordings have been remastered for vinyl and the first time all the Birth of the Cool performances —studio and live—are available together on LP. The two-LP vinyl package includes a booklet filled with archival photographs and a new essay by music historian and regular JazzTimes contributor Ashley Kahn.
The music that Davis’ nine-piece group created together in 1949 and 1950 made little impact at the time it was recorded. Seven years later, however, the music was collected on a full LP for the first time, and the world took notice.
To pre-order The Complete Birth of the Cool, click here.
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