After playing cool jazz for a few years, Miles Davis recorded an album called Walkin’ and “hard bop” was born. The year was 1954. Hard bop was still slower than bebop, but more driving than cool jazz. Where cool jazz is sometimes referred to as ‘chamber jazz’, hard bop brought in elements of R&B and gospel. The Walkin’ album is now considered to be one of Davis’ most important albums, with his all-star rhythm section playing behind him, Horace Silver on piano, and the one-two punch of Kenny Clarke on drums and Percy Heath on bass delivering the goods, as they always did. Heath and Clarke went on to do another important session that year with Davis, but in addition to Horace Silver on piano there was another genius of the ivories, Thelonious Monk. This, of course, was the infamous Christmas Eve session, which eventually became two albums, Bags’ Groove (based on Milt Jackson’s theme), and Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants. These two albums are important because they are one of the few instances of Davis and Monk playing together. 1954 was also a significant year because it was Davis’ last year in relative obscurity, the following year he played, “Well You Needn’t” at the Newport Jazz Festival and the rest is history. All this happened in 1954. 

The double 180g album Miles 1954 collects Davis' seminal releases from that prolific year into one package, combining all the tracks from the landmark albums Walkin', Bag's Groove and Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants.

Miles Davis Miles 1954 Track Listing

1. Walkin'
2. Blue n' Boogie
3. Solar
4. You Don't Know What Love Is
5. Love Me Or Leave Me
6. Bag's Groove
7. Airegin
8. Oleo
9. But Not For Me
10. Doxy
11. The Man I Love
12. Swing Spring
13. 'Round Midnight
14. Bemsha Swing