When asked to write about an up-and-coming or a classic jazz performance for this week's column I attempted to find something niche, but when it comes to jazz on YouTube, nothing beats the 1959 CBS performance by the Miles Davis Quintet of "So What." So what? So Much!
Yes, this performance features so many of the jazz legends that it is essential for any human being to check out. Googling the bios of all the quintet's members- Davis, Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb- will leave your head spinning into the web of jazz history. Cobb (drums) is the only surviving member of this legendary quintet, and if you're lucky, you might catch him coming through Philly sometime.
But it isn't listening as much as watching these legends that makes this clip so hip. Miles smiles, leans into his solo, and puffs on a cigarette throughout the tune. Trane's divine presence is humanized by seeing him just stand there, waiting for his turn to blow. In a time when it is common for jazzheads to eschew the old and clich‚, putting faces to the music creates a fresh experience for everyone to appreciate.
