Dug this one up at Super Flea for a dollar. I know what you’re thinking, and yeah, that’s no big surprise. This isn’t a rare or hard to find record. Usually.
The copy I picked up turned out to be a little different than your average. An older neighbor of mine used to come over, drink beer, and listen to jazz records with me. One afternoon he pulled this one from the shelf, stared at it, and started reading the catalog number out loud. Just kept repeating it. A little odd. Then his eyes went wide and he looked at me, “Where did you get this? It’s an original pressing from the first run.”
After that I did some digging and found out my specific copy is extremely rare, especially in the condition it’s in. But honestly? Who cares. I’m not in the business of dealing records. I just like listening to them, and this is one of my favorite albums to put on.
For me, there’s no better example of Miles’ range than his playing on this record. He’s delicately soft, piercingly bold, and everything in between. His horn doesn’t just play Porgy and Bess; it personifies it. Porgy’s innocence, Bess’ comfort in him, and eventually her fear for him and of Sportin Life. All of it lives in the bell of his trumpet.
I’ll fully accept that Gershwin wrote this piece, but Miles was supernaturally cast to play it. Do yourself a favor: get familiar with the story first, light some candles, kill the lights, and put this record on. It’s transcendent.