Billboard : 04/14/1956
Score of 76

The trumpet king of the “cool” era is heard here in several sound-enhanced sessions transferred over from earlier 10-inch LPs. Davis has cut more cohesive performances, but these feature meaty solos strung together by such hornmen as Sonny Rollins, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims on tenors; Bennie Green and Sonny Truitt on trombones, and by the brilliant, influential John Lewis on piano. Lewis’ popular progressive Morpheus is a good demo band. There’s plenty of good Miles for the followers in all numbers, and some indication of things that were to come in the later arrangements of Cohn and Lewis.

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Liner Notes by Ira Gitler

Miles Davis Sextet
recorded January 17, 1951

This LP is not called Davis and Horns because Miles was sporting bony appendages from his head at the time of the sessions. Though there are both Devil and Pan in him, these influences have not as yet manifested themselves in a physical manner. Rather there are two and three additional horns to Miles in the instrumental make-up of the groups here, as opposed to the quartet or quintet with which he usually records.

The 1951 session was Miles’ first for Prestige and also the first time he and Sonny Rollins recorded together. Bennie Green is heard in solo on Whispering and Down. Miles contributed the latter and the other original, Morpheus, is by John Lewis.

Miles Davis Plays the Compositions of Al Cohn
recorded February 19, 1953

The fusion of the two talents such as Miles Davis and Al Cohn could not help but produce warm, moving jazz. With another great soloist like Zoot Sims on hand, there is much playing of more than passing merit spring from the sincere simplicity of Al’s compositions.

Tasty Pudding, a tune that has been recorded several times since its debut here, is all Miles with the ensemble. Everyone works out on Floppy with Zoot and Al capping things with a chorus apiece followed by a chorus of “eights” and one of “fours.” Miles and Al are the soloists on Willie The Wailer. Each plays a chorus and then returns for an encore of the same length in that order. For Adults Only is sort of a modern day Through For The Night. Zoot’s opening solo is sadly beautiful and Al and Miles heighten this feeling in their portions.