Someday My Prince Will Come
The session that producedSomeday My Prince Will Comeis finally restored and collected together on one CD, and the transitional nature of the Miles Davis band at that moment is now clearer than ever.Hank Mobleyproduces some fine blues-inflected tenor solos, but when you hear guestJohn Coltrane(his last recording with Davis) on the alternate take of the title and on the modal "Teo," it's understandable why Davis was unhappy: Coltrane plays with a confidence and a bravado that no other saxophonist could have mustered at that time, and lifts the band from the first note on. And whenPhilly Joe Jonessits in on "Blues No. 2," playing with clarity and volatility, you know that Davis's working group was not quite up to his best. Still, Wynton Kelly is finely poised throughout; "Pfrancing" is one of Davis's most charming and durable works; and the muted trumpet on "Old Folks" and "I Thought About You" is vintage. Maybe not essential Davis, but very pleasurable nonetheless.--John F. Szwed