The term "cool" which has become part of our every day colloquialisms, stems originally from the jazz world. Particularly, it was a term that came when Miles Davis left Charlie Parker and went out to form his own group. Miles, who never was the type of player that one would associate with Dizzy Gillespie or Roy Eldridge, economized on notes. Miles had the sound, and it was kept in the lower registers and ranges of the trumpet. As Gil Evans once remarked about Davis' playing: "Miles is a singer, his is a voice. When I write for Miles, it's like writing for the voice."

In the late Forties thus "Cool Jazz" was born. With Gil Evans, formally writing for the great Claude Thornhill band doing the new charts for Miles, he put together an ensemble that was indeed an unusual instrumentation for a jazz group at that time. Using the French horn and tuba to get a smoother and more polished orchestral sound over Miles' horn, the birth of the cool was born. With such great soloists to work with Miles, like Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz and Max Roach, a new approach and softer sound was introduced to jazz.

The following is a listing of "Birth of the Cool" showing the musicians and compositions as it was recorded:

THE REAL BIRTH OF THE COOL

(Tokuma/Bandstand TKCB-30024; TT = 58:13)

(a) Why Do I Love You? (J. Kern-O. Hammerstein)*

(a) Godchild (G. Wallington)

(a) S'il vous Plait (McIntyre-Maurant)

(a) Moon Dreams (C. McGregor-J. Mercer)

(a) Budo (B. Powell-M. Davis)

(b) Darn That Dream (DeLange-Van Heusen)*

(b) Move (D. Best)

(b) Moon Dreams (C. McGregor-J. Mercer)

(b) Budo (B. Powell-M. Davis)

(c) 52nd Street Theme (T. Monk)

(c) Half Nelson (M. Davis)

(c) You Go to My Head (Gillespie-Coots)*

(c) Chasin' the Bird (C. Parker)

On (a), Royal Roost, New York: On (b), Royal Roost, New York:

Miles Davis trumpet

Michael Zwerin trombone Ted Kelly trombone

Junior Collins french horn

Bill Barber tuba

Lee Konitz alto saxophone

Gerry Mulligan baritone saxophone

John Lewis piano

Al McKibbon bass

Max Roach drums

Kenny Hagood vocal (*)

On (c), Royal Roost, New York:

Miles Davis trumpet

Lee Konitz alto saxophone

John Lewis piano

Curley Russell bass

Max Roach drums

Kenny Hagood vocal (*)

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