This series about Miles Davis’s composer credits will have many installments, and I’ll be jumping around chronologically. I’ve had several requests to discuss one particularly interesting case, “Nardis,” so I’ll focus on that now. On Tuesday, July 1, 1958, a quintet led by saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley recorded music that was later released as the album
Part of the problem causing Bill Evans to be credited with writing “Nardis” is due to the laziness of some record labels and artists about researching the composer and publishing company of songs, the other is the numerous bootlegs that credit Evans as composer of the song.
The same issue holds true for Denny Zeitlin’s “Quiet Now,” long a part of his repertoire but obviously never claimed by Evans as his piece. Yet the numerous live bootlegs crediting Evans as composer plus sloppy research for several recent historic releases of Bill Evans repeat this error.
If no one else associated with a release is going to do research about proper composer credits, shouldn’t the liner note writer take that responsibility? That is something I have always done since I began writing liner notes years ago and I have found various mistakes on nearly every release that I have worked on, not just composer credits, but also wrong song titles, songs omitted from medleys, incorrect spellings, missing instruments or co-composers and for historic concerts reissued, incorrect personnel and recording dates.
Ken, That is great to hear that you take on that responsibility. And yes, as I said in my very first post of this series, people who assume that Miles personally was responsible every time a song got credited to him do not know how these things work. Once he finished recording and left the studio, the listings of tunes and composer credits was always done by the label's staff, not the artist. Your point is also well taken that unauthorized bootleg labels do even less research (usually none!) and can spread misinformation. I'll be addressing all this in some summary comments later in this series. THANK YOU and keep up the great work!
I have a good one for you, coincidentally regarding Chuck Wayne’s Morning Mist, an album which I mentioned in a comment two weeks ago on Lewis’s post regarding Solar.
The final tune on the record features Chuck on banjo. The writer of the liner notes imagines this ridiculous scenario of Chuck walking into the studio and overcome in some sort of “aw-shucks” moment upon seeing a banjo sitting in the corner. First of all, it should be clear to anyone
Chuck is playing a banjo guitar. A six string instrument, not a four string tenor banjo, or a five string country and western style instrument.
Secondly, he’s playing the exact guitar arrangement style heard on all the other tunes on the record. Because of the limited number of strings and the non-guitar tuning of the four string and five string instruments, Chuck’s signature chord melody style would be impossible.
I am sure it’s obvious I can go on and on! The short story being, a particularly obnoxious example of a person writing liner notes with little attention to some basic details. I can elaborate on the subject, name the author and composition, etc. if Lewis requests of me.
It kind of burned my butt a little because it’s clear how much work Chuck put into the arrangement. He wanted to achieve a new and different sound with the banjo guitar and his effort it’s completely lost on, and in fact, diminished by the liner notes author.
I can hear the difference immediately because I write in the classic 1950s guitar chord melody style and have been playing tenor banjo in the Ma Rainey/Louis Armstrong/Duke Ellington Orchestra et al style for years. But in spite of that, it should be obvious there’s more going on in Chuck’s decision to perform that treatment on that particular tune.
Thanks, Charlie. It is always a bigger challenge to write liner notes if one didn’t attend the recording session or at least interview the artist. Having greater knowledge of the artist’s overall discography can help, but I try to avoid making any assumptions as to how the session or a particular arrangement came about.
I was fortunate that I happened to interview a few artists prior to their deaths then ended up writing liner notes for CDs of historic unissued performances, which in one case was challenging, since some of the originals were appearing for the first time on any recording.
Thanks for this series, enjoying it very much. As you've noted, Evans acknowledged Miles' authorship of Nardis a number of times - the case that is more controversial to me (which I trust you'll get to) is Blue in Green for which Evans did claim authorship with the apocryphal story that when Evans confronted Miles, Miles gave him $25 (or something to that effect). Thanks for the great research and exposition. (And a sidebar thanks to Ken Dryden for the great work he's been doing too!)
Thanks Nou--Yes, of course I'll get to Blue in Green. There is a LOT to this series, including many artists other than Miles who, unlike him, "get a pass" for the exact same situations. THANKS
Thank you for asking. No, I am simply saying that there clearly Was a leadsheet that Miles gave out at the first recording in 1958. I do wish we could see it! As you know, in Part 2, I showed the leadsheet that Evans gave to his bassists, but it doesn't give the whole melody. And of course it correctly credits Miles as the composer. THANK YOU.
Thanks for clearing this up!!!
Thanks--it's not cleared up yet--wait for part 2. THANKS!
Part of the problem causing Bill Evans to be credited with writing “Nardis” is due to the laziness of some record labels and artists about researching the composer and publishing company of songs, the other is the numerous bootlegs that credit Evans as composer of the song.
The same issue holds true for Denny Zeitlin’s “Quiet Now,” long a part of his repertoire but obviously never claimed by Evans as his piece. Yet the numerous live bootlegs crediting Evans as composer plus sloppy research for several recent historic releases of Bill Evans repeat this error.
If no one else associated with a release is going to do research about proper composer credits, shouldn’t the liner note writer take that responsibility? That is something I have always done since I began writing liner notes years ago and I have found various mistakes on nearly every release that I have worked on, not just composer credits, but also wrong song titles, songs omitted from medleys, incorrect spellings, missing instruments or co-composers and for historic concerts reissued, incorrect personnel and recording dates.
Ken, That is great to hear that you take on that responsibility. And yes, as I said in my very first post of this series, people who assume that Miles personally was responsible every time a song got credited to him do not know how these things work. Once he finished recording and left the studio, the listings of tunes and composer credits was always done by the label's staff, not the artist. Your point is also well taken that unauthorized bootleg labels do even less research (usually none!) and can spread misinformation. I'll be addressing all this in some summary comments later in this series. THANK YOU and keep up the great work!
Lewis, thank you for your kind words. I have long admired your work as a musician and writer. I look forward to your future CDs, books and blog posts.
Thank you Very much, Ken! All the best, Lewis
Hi Ken, nice comment.
I have a good one for you, coincidentally regarding Chuck Wayne’s Morning Mist, an album which I mentioned in a comment two weeks ago on Lewis’s post regarding Solar.
The final tune on the record features Chuck on banjo. The writer of the liner notes imagines this ridiculous scenario of Chuck walking into the studio and overcome in some sort of “aw-shucks” moment upon seeing a banjo sitting in the corner. First of all, it should be clear to anyone
Chuck is playing a banjo guitar. A six string instrument, not a four string tenor banjo, or a five string country and western style instrument.
Secondly, he’s playing the exact guitar arrangement style heard on all the other tunes on the record. Because of the limited number of strings and the non-guitar tuning of the four string and five string instruments, Chuck’s signature chord melody style would be impossible.
I am sure it’s obvious I can go on and on! The short story being, a particularly obnoxious example of a person writing liner notes with little attention to some basic details. I can elaborate on the subject, name the author and composition, etc. if Lewis requests of me.
It kind of burned my butt a little because it’s clear how much work Chuck put into the arrangement. He wanted to achieve a new and different sound with the banjo guitar and his effort it’s completely lost on, and in fact, diminished by the liner notes author.
I can hear the difference immediately because I write in the classic 1950s guitar chord melody style and have been playing tenor banjo in the Ma Rainey/Louis Armstrong/Duke Ellington Orchestra et al style for years. But in spite of that, it should be obvious there’s more going on in Chuck’s decision to perform that treatment on that particular tune.
Thanks, Charlie. It is always a bigger challenge to write liner notes if one didn’t attend the recording session or at least interview the artist. Having greater knowledge of the artist’s overall discography can help, but I try to avoid making any assumptions as to how the session or a particular arrangement came about.
I was fortunate that I happened to interview a few artists prior to their deaths then ended up writing liner notes for CDs of historic unissued performances, which in one case was challenging, since some of the originals were appearing for the first time on any recording.
Hope your career is going well!
Thanks Ken!
Interesting example, Charlie. I do remember that album and simply reading that Wayne played "banjo." THANKS for clearing that up.
The background of composer credits on jazz tunes is more complicated than I ever realized.
Exactly--the musician, such as Miles, is not usually making those decisions. It's not like today when many cats put out their own albums. THANKS!
Thanks for this series, enjoying it very much. As you've noted, Evans acknowledged Miles' authorship of Nardis a number of times - the case that is more controversial to me (which I trust you'll get to) is Blue in Green for which Evans did claim authorship with the apocryphal story that when Evans confronted Miles, Miles gave him $25 (or something to that effect). Thanks for the great research and exposition. (And a sidebar thanks to Ken Dryden for the great work he's been doing too!)
Thanks Nou--Yes, of course I'll get to Blue in Green. There is a LOT to this series, including many artists other than Miles who, unlike him, "get a pass" for the exact same situations. THANKS
Great to finally hear who is the composer! You are also talking about a handwritten leadsheet. Does it still exist?
Thank you for asking. No, I am simply saying that there clearly Was a leadsheet that Miles gave out at the first recording in 1958. I do wish we could see it! As you know, in Part 2, I showed the leadsheet that Evans gave to his bassists, but it doesn't give the whole melody. And of course it correctly credits Miles as the composer. THANK YOU.