Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet is an album recorded in 1956 by Miles Davis. Two sessions on the 11th of May 1956 and the 26th of October in the same year resulted in four albums - this one, Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet and Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet. Track 2 is a composition written for Davis by Eddie Vinson (see Blue Haze for more details). "Trane's Blues" (also known as "Vierd Blues", a tongue-in-cheek reference to Blue Note founder Francis Wolff's heavily-accented verdict on it), also credited to Davis, is in fact a John Coltrane composition (originally titled "John Paul Jones", and from an earlier session led by bassist Paul Chambers. Before the closing statement of theme, Coltrane and Davis play a bit of Charlie Parker's "The Hymn".

On "Half Nelson", Paul Chambers plays the bassline on a cello.

Track listing

1. "It Never Entered My Mind" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
2. "Four" (Miles Davis)
3. "In Your Own Sweet Way" (Dave Brubeck)
4. "The Theme" (Davis) (take 1)
5. "Trane's Blues" (a.k.a "Vierd Blues") (Davis)
6. "Ahmad's Blues" (Ahmad Jamal)
7. "Half Nelson" (Davis)
8. "The Theme" (Davis) (take 2)


All tracks are from the May session, apart from "Half Nelson", from October. Performers * Miles Davis - Trumpet * John Coltrane - Tenor saxophone * Philly Joe Jones - Drums * Red Garland - Piano * Paul Chambers - Bass