On the occasion of the death of Teo Macero, Miles Davis’s longtime producer, I offer an illustrated overview of the recordings of Miles’s second great quintet – Wayne Shorter (ts), Herbie Hancock (p), Ron Carter (b), Tony Williams (d) – as well as those contemporaneous albums that feature alternative incarnations of the band.
In recent years Mosaic Records compiled comprehensive vinyl box set reissues of Miles’ work at the Columbia label (these boxes were also available on Sony CDs). One box serves as an overview of how the second great quintet slowly came together: Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis, 1963–1964 collects the studio and stage recordings of various transitory lineups. Miles tried out saxophonists George Coleman and Sam Rivers before finally luring Wayne Shorter from Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.
Mosaic vinyl box / Sony CD box
The first live LP of the second great quintet (included in the above box) is Miles in Berlin from 1964.
In 1995 Mosaic/Sony issued a brilliant box, The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel, recorded in Chicago at the end of 1965.
What makes these recordings quite distinct from the studio LPs is the focus on standards rather than original compositions. There are other MDQ2 concert albums of dubious legality, usually available as imports from the European market. Two DVDs from Impro-Jazz are derived from European television broadcasts: Milan 1964 and European Tour 1967.
The core studio albums of the MDQ2
E.S.P. (recorded January 1965)
The template is set: elastic freebop alternates with introspective chamber jazz with an emphasis on timbre. Original compositions by every member of the band. ‘Iris’ is one of Wayne’s best melancholy slow tunes and Ron’s ‘Mood’ ends the record in a quiet minimalist groove.
Miles Smiles (October 1966)
All first takes. Tony and Ron drive a particularly flexible groove on ‘Orbits’. Contains Wayne’s famous 6/4 blues ‘Footprints’.
Sorcerer (May 1967)
Miles contributes no tunes. Four of the six principal tracks are by Wayne, including the great composition ‘Masquelero’. The melody worked almost as well in 1970 on the electric It’s About That Time: Live At The Fillmore East and Black Beauty live albums.
Nefertiti (June–July 1967)
Miles reverses the roles of the horns and the rhythm section on the title track –Tony and Ron solo while Miles and Wayne cycle the melody. Once again Miles contributes no tunes. Nefertiti finds the quartet in a slightly brisker mood than Sorcerer although the two albums, recorded closely together, are of a piece.
Miles in the Sky (Jan, May 1968)
A funkier album. Herbie plays electric piano on ‘Stuff’ while Miles has fun trying to throw Wayne’s timing off as they state the long melody. George Benson turns up on ‘Paraphernalia’.
Filles de Kilimanjaro (June 1968)
The MDQ2 appear on three tracks. On the other performances Chick Corea replaces Herbie and Dave Holland replaces Ron. Gil Evans had some role in arranging.
Several LPs released in the late 1970s featured previously unissued tracks by the MDQ2: Water Babies (three tracks from June 1967), Circle in the Round (five tracks), and Directions (two tracks).
All of this MDQ2 studio material, with the inevitable outtakes and alternates, is included in the box The Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings.
Mosaic vinyl box / Sony CD box
The MDQ2 essentially dissolved as Miles incorporated electric instruments and new musicians for albums like In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew.
Contemporaneous recordings without Miles
Many additional recordings, including the solo albums of Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams, feature reconfigured versions of the MDQ2. Tunes originally featured on the MDQ2 albums are sometimes revisited.
This does not attempt to be a complete discography. For example, I have not attempted to document the numerous collaborations between Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock that continue to this day (I recommend 1997’s 1+1). I have generally focused on albums retaining the core Hancock-Carter-Williams rhythm section that share something of the acoustic chamber idiom of the MDQ2. VSOP, a reunion of the MDQ2 with the great Freddie Hubbard replacing Miles Davis, was an attempt to recall this mode.
Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles June 17, 1964
Freddie Hubbard: cornet; with Hancock-Carter-Williams
Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil December 24, 1964
Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; Wayne Shorter: tenor sax; Herbie Hancock: piano; Ron Carter: bass; Elvin Jones: drums.
Grachan Moncur III: Some Other Stuff July 6, 1964
Grachan Moncur III : trombone; Wayne Shorter : tenor sax; Herbie Hancock : piano; Cecil McBee : bass; Anthony Williams : drums.
Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage May 17, 1965
Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; George Coleman: tenor sax; with Hancock-Carter-Williams
Sam Rivers: Contours May 21, 1965
Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; Sam Rivers: tenor sax, soprano sax, flute; Herbie Hancock: piano; Ron Carter: bass; Joe Chambers: drums.
Bobby Hutcherson: Components June 14, 1965
Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; James Spaulding: alto sax, flute; Bobby Hutcherson: vibes, marimba; Herbie Hancock: piano; Ron Carter: bass; Joe Chambers: drums.
Tony Williams: Spring August 12, 1965
Wayne Shorter: tenor saxophone; Sam Rivers: tenor saxophone; Herbie Hancock: piano; Gary Peacock: bass; Tony Williams: drums.
Wayne Shorter: The All Seeing Eye October 15, 1965
Freddie Hubbard (tp, flh) Alan Shorter (flh -5) Grachan Moncur III (tb) James Spaulding (as) Wayne Shorter (ts) Herbie Hancock (p) Ron Carter (b) Joe Chambers (d)
Wayne Shorter: Adams Apple February 3, 1966
Wayne Shorter (ts) Herbie Hancock (p) Reggie Workman (b) Joe Chambers (d)
Lee Morgan: Standards January 13, 1967
Lee Morgan : trumpet; James Spaulding : flute, alto sax; Wayne Shorter : tenor sax; Pepper Adams : baritone sax; Herbie Hancock : piano; Ron Carter : bass; Mickey Roker : drums.
Wayne Shorter: Schizophrenia March 10, 1967
Curtis Fuller : trombone; James Spaulding : alto sax and flute; Wayne Shorter : tenor sax; Herbie Hancock : piano; Ron Carter : bass; Joe Chambers : drums.
Lee Morgan: The Procrastinator July 14, 1967
Lee Morgan (tp) Wayne Shorter (ts) Bobby Hutcherson (vib) Herbie Hancock (p) Ron Carter (b) Billy Higgins (d)
Herbie Hancock: Speak Like A Child March 6 & 9, 1968
Herbie Hancock: piano; Ron Carter: bass; Mickey Roker: drums; Thad Jones: Fluegelhorn; Peter Phillips: bass trombone; Jerry Dodgion: alto flute.
Herbie Hancock: VSOP June 29, 1976
The quintet incarnation of VSOP (featured on one LP of this 2-LP set) is the original MDQ2 with Freddie Hubbard replacing Miles Davis.
Herbie Hancock: The Herbie Hancock Trio July 13, 1977
Hancock-Carter-Williams
VSOP: The Quintet July 18, 1977
VSOP: Tempest In The Colosseum July 23, 1977
Ron Carter: Third Plane July 13, 1977
Hancock-Carter-Williams
VSOP: Live Under The Sky July 26-27, 1979
Herbie Hancock Trio: With Ron Carter + Tony Williams July 27, 1981
Herbie Hancock: Quartet 1982
Wynton Marsalis with Hancock-Carter-Williams
Hancock-Shorter Sextet: Conrad Silvert Presents Jazz At The Opera House February 22, 1982
Wynton Marsalis (tp) Wayne Shorter (ss, ts) Bobby Hutcherson (vib) Herbie Hancock (p) Charlie Haden (b) Tony Williams (d)
Herbie Hancock: Town Hall Concert February 22, 1985
Joe Henderson: tenor saxophone; Bobby Hutcherson: vibes; Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; James Newton: flute; with Hancock-Carter-Williams
Bertrand Tavenier’s film ‘Round Midnight featured a mid-1980s gathering of mostly Miles Davis alumni backing Dexter Gordon. There were two soundtrack albums featuring Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams in various ensembles, although never altogether at once.
‘Joshua’, MDQ2, Milan, 1964
‘All Of You’, MDQ2, Milan, 1964
‘So What’, MDQ2, Steve Allen Show 1964
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