Circle in the Round

Circle in the Round is an album by jazz musician Miles Davis. It collects outtakes from a variety of sessions.

Despite its lack of unity, Circle in the Round was an essential release in that, apart from 1950s recordings with Davis's quintet and sextet, it documented key moments in his career, until then unknown to the record-buying public. By arranging the tracks in chronological order the album shows Davis's progression in sound over the years.

"Circle in the Round" is the first studio recording in which he departed from the acoustic quintet, and therefore marks the inception of his "electric" period. The title track, recorded in 1967, was the earliest released recording of Miles that featured the sound of the electric guitar (played by Joe Beck), something that would become prominent in his music over the years. The slightly later "Teo's Bag", "Side Car" (two takes), "Splash" and "Sanctuary" all show him experimenting with various formations, all including at least one amplified instrument. "Guinnevere" is from the same "electric" sessions of early 1970, with sitar and tabla, which yielded "Great Expectations", "Orange Lady" and "Lonely Fire" (released on Big Fun).

Track listing

All tracks by Miles Davis except were noted

Disc 1

1. "Two Bass Hit" (Dizzy Gillespie, John Lewis) (10/27/1955) – 3:43 originally released on 'Round About Midnight
2. "Love for Sale" (Cole Porter) (5/26/1958) – 11:52 also released on 1958 Miles
3. "Blues No. 2" (3/21/1961) – 6:51 previously unreleased
4. "Circle in the Round" (12/4/1967) – 26:17 previously unreleased

Disc 2

1. "Teo's Bag" (1/16/1968) – 5:58 previously unreleased
2. "Side Car I" (2/13/1968) – 5:00 previously unreleased
3. "Side Car II" (2/13/1968) – 3:37 previously unreleased
4. "Splash" (11/12/1968) – 8:33 previously unreleased. Available since 2001 on The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions
5. "Sanctuary" (Wayne Shorter) (5/2/1969) – 8:52 available on Bitches Brew
6. "Guinnevere" (David Crosby) (1/27/1970) – 18:06 previously unreleased. Available since 1998 on The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions

Personnel

Recorded between October 27, 1955 and January 27, 1970.

• Miles Davis — trumpet, bells, chimes
• John Coltrane — tenor saxophone (track 1, 2)
• Cannonball Adderley — alto saxophone (track 2)
• Hank Mobley — tenor saxophone (track 3)
• Wayne Shorter — tenor saxophone (tracks 4-10)
• Bernie Maupin — bass clarinet (track 10)
• Khalil Balakrishna — sitar (track 10)
• Joe Beck — guitar (track 4)
• George Benson — guitar (tracks 5,7,9)
• John McLaughlin — guitar (track 10)
• Red Garland — piano (tracks 1-2)
• Bill Evans — piano (track 2)
• Wynton Kelly — piano (track 3)
• Herbie Hancock — piano (tracks 4-9), celeste (track 4)
• Chick Corea — piano (tracks 8,10)
• Joe Zawinul — piano (track 10)
• Paul Chambers — bass (tracks 1-3)
• Ron Carter — bass (tracks 4-7,9)
• Dave Holland — bass (track 8,10)
• Philly Joe Jones — drums (tracks 1,3)
• Jimmy Cobb — drums (track 2)
• Tony Williams — drums (tracks 4-9)
• Billy Cobham — drums (track 10)
• Jack DeJohnette — drums (track 10)
• Airto Moreira — percussion (track 10)

References