Billboard : 04/06/1957
Jazz Special Merit Album

Walkin’, the elongated blues, has been Davis‘ best-known disk performance in the last few years, and it’s now on 12-inch, and featured in the cover design. Only one track in the set new to disks, but the total collection makes this the most valuable Davis package since his historic Capitol set. Cohorts include J.J. Johnson, Lucky Thompson, Horace Silver, Kenny Clarke, etc. – all liberally represented. Smart cover is a help. Strong standard jazz inventory.

—–

Down Beat : 05/16/1957
Nat Hentoff

And one of the indispensable Miles Davis collections is now Miles Davis All-Stars which contains the Walkin’ and Blue ‘n’ Boogie sessions with J.J. Johnson, Lucky Thompson, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke, previously on 10″ LP, plus three other valuable tracks, one of them a previously unreleased Love Me or Leave Me. We don’t always have the space to review recouplings into 12″ sets, but many of them are worth investigating if you don’t have the original issues.

—–

Liner Notes by Ira Gitler

The story of Walkin’, insofar as I know it, goes back to 1950 when Prestige issued a record by Gene Ammons entitled Gravy. Its theme is almost identical, but not note for note, to Walkin’ and the tag is a slightly abbreviated version of what now serves as the introduction as well as the tag to Walkin’ as it is played today. For collectors: the 78 rpm version of Gravy was number 717; on 10 inch LP it is 112.)

My next encounter with the tune was when Miles Davis and the Jazz Inc. group with Milt Jackson played it at Le Downbeat on 54th St. in 1952. Gravy had been pushed into my subconscious and all that occurred (besides my enjoyment of the number) was that irritating feeling that you’ve all had… the feeling of knowing that you know something but not being able to place it. All I knew was that it reminded me of El Sino (a tune recorded by Leo Parker in the Forties) but wasn’t. My curiosity was aroused anew several times in the next few years but not until Miles recoded it in 1954 and it was dubbed Walkin’, did I go back and finally solve my dilemma by uncovering Gravy.

Since Miles’ recording, Walkin’ has become a standard at sessions, ranging from the amateur to the professional. It has been recorded by Hampton Hawes, Tal Farlow and Paul Bley (under a different title on the latter’s version), and others.

Walkin’ is a 12 bar blues and its theme is an example of “funky” modern, a characteristic which has been infused into Bop in the Fifties to produce a new musical alloy. It is only fitting that pianist Horace Silver, one of the outstanding “funk” dispensers, is present here. After the introduction, the insinuating, swelling theme enters. Miles plays seven telling choruses. Then Jay Jay constructs a solo of the same length which illustrates why he is considered to be the modern master of the slide trombone. Lucky Thompson celebrates, what was then, his return to records with a soulful effort that made people aware of his talent once again. During one point, the other horns play the theme behind him. Horace plays two and Miles comes back for two before the ensembles punches out a blues riff with Kenny Clarke underlining and then returns to the theme.

The blues continue as the topic of conversation with Dizzy Gillespie‘s Blue ‘N Boogie. The tempo is up and everyone is in fine form. First Miles, then Jay Jay and third Lucky dig in and sink their teeth in to the meaty blues. Lucky’s choruses receive a sendoff from the brass with the same figure that Diz used on his original recording and Miles and Jay also riff behind him. Then Horace comes in for nine (everyone has approximately this many) intensely swinging choruses and Miles finishes off two more choruses before they take it out.

In the remainder of this LP, the scene shifts away from the blues and to a recording session of the same month and year as Walkin’ wherein Miles placed a mute in the bell of his horn and didn’t remove it until he was finished playing for the day. His partner is Davey Schildkraut, an “ornithologist” who has been heard with Stan Kenton, Pete Rugolo and George Handy. He comes through powerfully on Solar, which he, and many others, consider to be his best solo on record. The rhythm section of Silver, Heath and Clarke is at its zenith with Kenny’s brushwork extremely articulate.

Solar is a Davis expedition in the general direction of the moon with the main locomotion supplied by Kenny’s brushes. Solos are by Miles, Schildkraut and Silver with the leader returning for a short one before heading back to earth.

You Don’t Know What Love Is but you may have more of an idea after you hear Miles tell his story. Jazz is of the emotions and Miles makes use of the haunting, penetrating melodic structure to convey his.

Love Me Or Leave Me is heard here for the first time. Its length prevented its inclusion in the original 10 inch LP version of this session. (Note: I’ll Remember April which was included, can now be heard in Blue Haze, Prestige LP 7054). Miles states and embellishes the melody in the first chorus and Horace trades thoughts with the ensemble in the second. Solos by Davis (two choruses), Schildkraut (four) and Silver (two) follow. Then Miles and Kenny Clarke exchange four bars apiece for two choruses with Kenny making expressive use of his brushes. He carries their pulsating drive into the next two choruses which are handled by Miles with fluent heat. Then Miles states the melody with Percy Heath’s swing coming to the top for the bridge.