The Jazz Real Book

“Four” and Miles Davis’ First Great Quintet 
“Four” became one of the signature performances associated with Miles Davis’ First Great Quintet, one of the most influential small groups in jazz history. Formed in 1955, the ensemble featured John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones. Their version of “Four,” particularly the recording on the album Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, helped establish the tune as a modern jazz standard.
The group balanced bebop sophistication with blues feeling, swing, and melodic clarity. Miles Davis approached the tune with restraint and space, allowing his phrases to breathe rather than relying on technical excess. John Coltrane, still developing the “sheets of sound” approach that would later define his style, brought urgency and harmonic depth to the performance. Red Garland’s elegant block chords, Paul Chambers’ flowing bass lines, and Philly Joe Jones’ explosive yet conversational drumming created one of the greatest rhythm sections in jazz history. Together, the quintet transformed “Four” into a model of hard bop interplay, sophistication, and rhythmic drive.
Miles Davis (1954) 
Miles Davis with the First Great Quintet 
The Jazz Real Book Podcast Vol. 2

Chick Corea- Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (Solid State Records) 
Released December 1968 
Now He Sings, Now He Sobs captures Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitouš, and Roy Haynes in a rare moment of complete musical connection and creative freedom. Although somewhat ignored upon release,  the album has since become one of the defining piano trio recordings in modern jazz history. Corea’s compositions balance angular post-bop lines, open improvisation, rhythmic experimentation, and abstract textures, while Vitouš brings the fearless intensity of a young bass virtuoso and Haynes supplies his legendary snap-crackle rhythmic imagination. Tracks such as “Steps – What Was,” “Matrix,” and the title tune reveal a trio functioning as a single organism rather than a pianist backed by rhythm section players. The music channels the adventurous spirit of Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet and the Bill Evans Trio while pushing the piano trio format into more exploratory territory. This is not casual background jazz or music aimed at mass appeal. It demands attention, openness, and patience. For listeners willing to engage with its intensity and complexity, the album remains one of the true masterpieces of late-1960s modern jazz. (S5-EP 19)

Oteil Burbridge and Lamar Williams Jr. represent two generations of Southern-rooted improvisational music coming together through groove, soul, and message-driven songwriting. Burbridge is widely known for his work with the Dead & Company, the Allman Brothers Band, Aquarium Rescue Unit, and Tedeschi Trucks Band, where his fluid bass playing and deep jazz-funk vocabulary made him one of the most respected improvisers in modern jam and fusion music. Williams Jr., son of former Allman Brothers bassist Lamar Williams, has emerged as a powerful vocalist carrying forward the emotional intensity and Southern soul tradition connected to the Allman legacy.
Their 2026 collaborative album, The Offering, blends gospel harmonies, roots music, improvisational rock, and reflective songwriting into a warm and spiritually minded recording. Recorded in Iceland’s Flóki Studios, the album favors feel and atmosphere over flashy virtuosity, though the musicianship throughout is excellent. Songs like “The Way We Rise” and “Love & War” balance uplifting lyrical themes with earthy grooves and melodic depth. The project feels less like a commercial crossover effort and more like two musicians searching for sincerity, community, and healing through music.
Oteil Burbridge and Lamar Williams Jr.- The Offering

“Forest Flower” and Charles Lloyd (133) 
“Forest Flower” stands as one of the defining jazz compositions of the 1960s and remains closely associated with Charles Lloyd and his groundbreaking quartet. Built around shifting modal harmony, alternating Latin and swing feels, and a floating melodic structure, the composition captures both sophistication and openness. Rather than relying on traditional bebop harmonic movement, the tune unfolds through colorful major seventh sonorities and spacious melodic phrasing, creating an atmospheric and almost spiritual quality. The famous live recording from the album Forest Flower: Charles Lloyd at Monterey became a rare jazz crossover success, reaching rock audiences and helping expand jazz visibility during the late 1960s.
Lloyd’s performance balances lyricism with freedom, while the quartet featuring Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee, and Jack DeJohnette demonstrates extraordinary collective interplay. Jarrett’s piano work is especially dynamic, and DeJohnette’s explosive rhythmic energy adds dramatic momentum. More than simply a jazz standard, “Forest Flower” represents a bridge between modern jazz, world influences, and the countercultural spirit of its era, helping establish Lloyd as one of jazz’s most spiritually expressive and enduring voices.
Chico Hamilton 
Charles Lloyd 
The Jazz Real Book Podcast Playlist Vol.2

The Symphonic Jazz Orchestra’s “Salute to Maurice White” concerts take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026 (7:30 PM) and Sunday, May 10, 2026 (7:00 PM) at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, California. Tickets and additional information are available through the orchestra’s official site: SJOMusic.org.
Under the direction of Mitch Glickman, the program features orchestral arrangements of Earth, Wind & Fire material by a strong lineup of jazz composers and arrangers, including John Clayton, Derrick Hodge, Vince Mendoza, Marshall Gilkes, and Glickman himself. These contributors reshape White’s catalog into a symphonic jazz setting while maintaining its rhythmic vitality and melodic identity. The program also includes the world premiere of White’s rediscovered orchestral work Passages, co-composed with Bill Meyers and reconstructed for this performance