By late 1947 trumpet player Miles Davis was ready to leave the Charlie Parker Quintet and strike out on his own. His playing had improved immensely and he was no longer in the shadow of Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro. Miles was looking for an altogether different approach to modern jazz that utilized more space, color, and texture balanced with modern arrangements.
Miles Davis 1948-1949 - Episode 1
The recordings from this period are probably the least listened to, but are incredibly rich and poignant. His group from this period, often referred to as the Nonet or Roost Band, was groundbreaking in many respects---Miles surrounded himself with creative and forward thinking musicians. The recordings on this podcast are all live air checks from the Royal Roost Jazz Club in New York. These recordings pre-date the Birth of the Cool recordings made for Capitol Records in 1949 and 1950.
| Composition | Artist | Album | Year |
| Be Bop | Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars | | 1945 |
| Anthropology | Fats Navarro/Tadd Dameron | | 1947 |
| Budo (Hallucinations) | Miles Davis Nonet | Live Roost Sessions | 1948 |
| Move #1 | Miles Davis Nonet | Live Roost Sessions | 1948 |
| Move #2 | Miles Davis Nonet | Live Roost Sessions | 1948 |
| Half Nelson | Miles Davis Quintet | Live Roost Sessions | 1948 |
| 52nd Street Theme | Miles Davis Quintet | Live Roost Sessions | 1948 |
Miles Davis 1948-1949 - Episode 2
By 1949 Miles’ trumpet playing had reached new heights. His abilities could be compared to those of the other famous bop trumpeters like Howie McGee, Dizzy Gillespie, and Fats Navarro. In addition to leading the famous Nonet, Miles spent quite a bit of time collaborating with pianist, composer, and arranger Tadd Dameron in 1949. Miles travelled to Paris in May 1949 with Tadd and played brilliantly on the live recordings from the Salle Pleyel. These are Miles’ finest recordings in the bop style. After their return from Paris both Tadd and Miles were disillusioned about the lack of respect for jazz in the states after the overwhelming reception they had received in Europe.
| Composition Artist | Album | Year | |
| Wah Hoo | Miles Davis & Tadd Dameron | Quintet in Paris | 1949 |
| Overtime (long version) | Miles Davis | with the Metronome All-Stars | 1949 |
| Focus | Miles Davis with Tadd Dameron's Big Ten | | 1949 |
| Webb’s Delight | Miles Davis with Tadd Dameron's Big Ten | | 1949 |
| Good Bait | Miles Davis & Tadd Dameron | Quintet in Paris | 1949 |
| Don’t Blame Me | Miles Davis & Tadd Dameron | Quintet in Paris | 1949 |
| All the Things You Are | Miles Davis & Tadd Dameron | Quintet in Paris | 1949 |
| Ornithology | Miles Davis & Tadd Dameron | Quintet in Paris | 1949 |