In the summer of 1955, Davis performed a noted set at the Newport Jazz Festival, and had been approached by Columbia Records executive George Avakian, offering a contract with the label if he could form a regular band. Davis assembled his first regular quintet to meet a commitment at the Café Bohemia in July with Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. By the autumn, Rollins had left to deal with his heroin addiction, and later in the year joined the hard bop quintet led by Clifford Brown and Max Roach.
At the recommendation of drummer Jones, Davis replaced Rollins with John Coltrane, beginning a partnership that would last five years and finalizing the Quintet's first line-up. Expanded to a sextet with the addition of Cannonball Adderley on alto saxophone in 1958, the First Great Quintet was one of the definitive hard bop groups along with the Brown-Roach Quintet and the Jazz Messengers, recording the Columbia albums Round About Midnight, Milestones, and the marathon sessions for Prestige Records resulting in four albums collected on The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions.
In mid-1958, Bill Evans replaced Garland on piano and Jimmy Cobb replaced Jones on drums, but Evans only lasted about six months, in turn replaced by Wynton Kelly as 1958 turned into 1959. This group backing Davis, Coltrane, and Adderley, with Evans returning for the recording sessions, recorded Kind of Blue, considered "one of the most important, influential and popular albums in jazz". Adderley left the band in September 1959 to pursue his own career, returning the line-up to a quintet. Coltrane departed in the spring of 1960, and after interim replacements Jimmy Heath and Sonny Stitt, Davis plus Kelly, Chambers, and Cobb continued through 1961 and 1962 with Hank Mobley on tenor sax.
The two rhythm sections from the Davis Quintet also achieved fame on their own. Garland, Chambers, and Jones recorded as a unit on Art Pepper meets The Rhythm Section and Sonny Rollins' Tenor Madness, while Kelly, Chambers, and Cobb toured and recorded as a trio under Kelly's name, in addition to appearing on the albums Coltrane Jazz and the solo debut of Wayne Shorter, as well as backing Wes Montgomery on Full House and Smokin' at the Half Note. The Kelly-Chambers-Cobb trio also backed Art Pepper on the album Gettin' Together, which included trumpeter Conte Candoli.
Mobley, Kelly, Chambers, and Cobb all left Davis by the end of 1962, and during 1963 he struggled to maintain a steady line-up. By the late spring, he had hired the core of the Second Quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums. Initially with George Coleman or Sam Rivers on tenor sax, the final piece of the puzzle would arrive in late 1964 with saxophonist Wayne Shorter.
The performance style of the Second Great Quintet was often referred to by Davis as "time, no changes", incorporating elements of free jazz without completely surrendering to the approach, allowing the five men to contribute to the group as equals rather than as a leader and sidemen peeling off unrelated solos. This band recorded the albums E.S.P., Miles Smiles, Sorcerer, Nefertiti, Miles in the Sky, and Filles de Kilimanjaro, and the live set considered by The Penguin Guide to Jazz to be their crowning achievement, The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965.
When Davis began to become more interested in the rock, soul, and funk music of the late 1960s, the Second Quintet unraveled. Carter departed during the sessions for Filles de Kilimanjaro, and Williams left in early 1969 to start his own band, the Tony Williams Lifetime, staying on with Davis to record the groundbreaking In a Silent Way. Davis would continue his innovations into jazz fusion with the album Bitches Brew and his work in the 1970s. As a result, the Second Quintet came to an end, though Hancock would contribute to subsequent sessions with Miles and appear on Jack Johnson, On the Corner, and Get Up with It. Players on In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew would go on to form the core jazz fusion bands of the 1970s away from Davis: Shorter and Josef Zawinul to Weather Report; John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham to the Mahavishnu Orchestra; Hancock and Bennie Maupin to Headhunters; and Chick Corea and Lenny White to Return to Forever.
Columbia/Legacy Recordings released Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series Vol. 5, a collection of previously unreleased tracks recorded by the Second Great Quintet between 1966 and 1968.
Bye Bye Blackbird
Miles Davis Quintet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low
Bye, bye, blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye, bye, blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye, bye
Bye, bye, blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye, bye, blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye, bye
The lyrics to Miles Davis's "Bye Bye Blackbird" express a desire to escape from a place where the singer feels unloved and misunderstood. He is tired of hearing "hard luck stories" and decides to pack up his cares and woes and leave, free as a "winging" bird. The chorus repeats the phrase "bye bye blackbird" as the singer imagines where someone waits for him - perhaps this is where he can find love and understanding. At the end of the song, he affirms that he will make his bed and "arrive late tonight," bidding farewell to the "blackbird" that represents his old life.
The song is a classic example of the Great American Songbook, a collection of popular songs written during the early 20th century that have become ingrained in American culture. "Bye Bye Blackbird" has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, including Ray Henderson, Al Jolson, Etta James, Julie London, and Keith Jarrett. The song has also been featured in numerous films and TV shows.
One of the interesting facts about "Bye Bye Blackbird" is that the song was originally written as a response to a failed Broadway musical. Composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon had written a show called "Blackbirds of 1928," but it was poorly received and quickly closed. However, one of the songs from the show, "Bye Bye Blackbird," became a hit on its own and has remained popular ever since.
Another interesting fact is that the song became associated with jazz music thanks to a recording by the influential trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke. Beiderbecke's recording in 1927 featured a virtuosic cornet solo that became famous and set the standard for future jazz performances of the song.
Additionally, "Bye Bye Blackbird" has been referenced in pop culture in various ways over the years. The chorus of the song is featured prominently in the film "The Godfather Part II," and the song is referenced in the lyrics of popular songs like "Blackbird" by The Beatles and "The Baroness and the Butler" by Frank Sinatra.
Chords:
Verse:
Gmaj7 / Bm7b5 / Em7 / A7
Dmaj7 / Bm7b5 / Em7 / A7
Dm7 / G7 / Cmaj7 / Am7
Bm7b5 / E7 / Am7 / D7
Gmaj7 / Bm7b5 / Em7 / A7
Dmaj7 / Bm7b5 / Em7 / A7
Dm7 / G7 / Cmaj7 / Am7
D7 / G6 / A7
Chorus:
Dmaj7 / F#m7b5 / G6 / Bb7
Em7 / A7 / Dmaj7 / F#m7b5
Bm7b5 / E7 / Am7 / D7
Gmaj7 / Bm7b5 / Em7 / A7
Dmaj7 / Bm7b5 / Em7 / A7
Dm7 / G7 / Cmaj7 / Am7
Bm7b5 / E7 / Am7 / D7
Gmaj7 / Bm7b5 / Em7 / A7.
Line by Line Meaning
No one here can love or understand me
I feel alone and disconnected from those around me because they do not comprehend who I am or care for me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
I am constantly told tales of misfortune and woe that make me feel even more downhearted
Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low
I have decided to move on and leave all my troubles behind, although I am doing so with a heavy heart and a sense of melancholy
Bye, bye, blackbird
This phrase is a farewell to the past, both the good and bad memories, as I embrace this new journey and the future ahead
Where somebody waits for me
There is a hope and a belief in my heart that someone, somewhere, is expecting me and will welcome me with open arms
Sugar's sweet, so is she
The person who is waiting for me is as sweet and pleasant as sugar, and I am anticipating the warmth and joy of their company
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
I am urging whoever is waiting for me to prepare for my arrival, as I will be arriving later than intended and wish for them to be ready for me
Blackbird, bye, bye
This final phrase is a repetition of the earlier farewell, emphasizing my determination to leave my troubles behind and move on, while expressing my gratitude for the good experiences and memories that are now coming to a close
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joe Rogan Official
A small list of some of Coltrane’s best solos:
Round midnight
Bye bye blackbird
Giant Steps
A love supreme part 2: Resolution
If I were a bell
Spiral
On Green Dolphin street(live version)
So What
Freddie freeloader
Russian Lullaby
Love thy neighbor
Equinox
(And then pretty much every song he solos in, these are just my personal favorites)
Roderick Berry
You can’t ....damn did you hear this shit?
Miles is telling life stories .....
Trane is working on ideas that will later become Platos for future horn players like myself to spend lifetimes trying to assimilate-he ......
WOW!
And again Miles is like the older well traveled man of life just layin the knowledge down.
This is why I embrace this music!
Thanks Pop
Thanks Paul Thompson
61 years of this and I’m still amazed.
Victor Manzanera
Just brilliant. The best saxophone player ever.
Eric Winter
I just spent a bunch of time learning Miles’s solo on this from the Round Midnight album. I think that may be part of why I’m having the reaction I am right now, which is...ecstasy. Even before Trane came in, I was already on cloud nine. What a magnificent performance. Simply stellar.
Guillermo Durán
Things like these are the ones capable of keeping us alive.... no politics, no warfare, no supermarket bullshit, just pure music... Rhythm and melody getting deep into ourselves and showing us what we really are: pure energy. Bless Dave Len Scott for sharing this jewel with the world.
inertia27
wonderful..I have never heard this before,,Coltrane is really pushing it here...
Anon Ymous
Just heard this yesterday.... Let me start by saying I've always admired Coltrane, even transcribing and then playing on alto and tenor sax his Giant Steps solo. His performance here, though, left me forever changed. Still shocked by its brilliance and depth of perspective, I see the world and my life as being more expansive than I had ever imagined, that everything I've done has been nothing but an exercise in naivete. But with that said, I now have a richer appreciation of the past and how my future should be shaped. In summary, his performance is life altering, as goosebumps don't lie; and this, my friends, is the truth and compelling essence of art--nourishing and liberating the soul!
Devilshark
Don't forget Rize n Shine solo insane
Joe Rogan Official
A small list of some of Coltrane’s best solos:
Round midnight
Bye bye blackbird
Giant Steps
A love supreme part 2: Resolution
If I were a bell
Spiral
On Green Dolphin street(live version)
So What
Freddie freeloader
Russian Lullaby
Love thy neighbor
Equinox
(And then pretty much every song he solos in, these are just my personal favorites)
Vidal Sbrighi
Yes,Anon
contactkeithstack
Anon Ymous agreed
Ernie Tollar
love this transitional stage of Coltrane - past present and future circa 1960 - it's all there