The Sextet’s Personnel
Miles Davis, trumpet; Sonny Stitt, alto, tenor sax; J.J. Johnson, trombone; Wynton Kelly, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums
Dave recalls...
How’s that for an all-star aggregation? This sextet was too short-lived to record, but can you imagine a Columbia CD documenting their brief association together?
A short planning discussion among the frontline soloists—Davis, Sonny Stitt and J.J. Johnson—preceded the first set. Paul Chambers leaned over his bass and joined in, cradling his instrument in a precarious way that only a professional would dare attempt. Wynton Kelly at the piano looked up occasionally from the comic book he was reading. (I would have sworn from his intense focus that he was studying the changes to a new original.)
Although the actual starting hour hadn’t passed, everyone was waiting on Philly Joe, who casually strolled up to the stand in an impeccable overcoat, hat and gloves. He removed them with an air of sophistication, greeted everyone enthusiastically, flexed his hands and fingers, and sat down to check his tunings.
Miles got everyone’s attention, snapped his fingers just twice, and, oh, my, it was goose-pimple time! Each set contained everyone’s favorite Miles tunes from the middle- to late-1950s. With the inclusion of Stitt and Johnson, there were consistent surprises in both the ensemble blend and solo statements. Johnson gave the audience the impression that he never performed in a group better than this ear-opening sextet. Stitt alternated between alto and tenor, occasionally performing on both horns in the same selection. He pleasurably acknowledged phrasings conceived by Davis, Johnson and Kelly. Chambers and Jones strutted magnificently behind everyone else and soloed as if the world would end tomorrow.
Acting the part of a proud father, Miles left the stand very infrequently, staring at all his soloists intently as if in disbelief that this group actually existed and was performing together nightly. Johnson probably got more of his attention because the trombonist had played with Miles much less often than the others.
Point of interest: There’s no known recording to back up this reported sighting, and I’ve never talked to anyone else who had the pleasure of experiencing this sextet as I did.