Miles Davis was at a crossroads in the spring of 1956. He had signed a lucrative contract with Columbia Records but still owed the Prestige label four albums to fulfill his existing deal. Rather than spread the work out, Davis devised a bold plan: record all the material for those four albums in just two days.

The first session took place May 11, 1956 at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Hackensack, New Jersey. The band was Davis’ “First Great Quintet” including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and “Philly Joe” Jones. They played with the same energy and spontaneity as in their club gigs, capturing a live, unfiltered sound. The second date took place in October 1956.

In just 48 hours the quintet recorded the 26 tracks - all first takes - that became the Prestige LPs: Workin’, Steamin’, Relaxin’ (all released in 1957) and Cookin’ (all tracks recorded at the October session and released in 1961).

These four albums are considered among the greatest in jazz history, blending modal exploration, harmonic minimalism, and rhythmic innovation. They opened the door for small ensemble jazz to evolve into more abstract and complex forms.

Here is a link to a cut from Workin':

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