THE ROBERT HERRIDGE THEATER - "The Sound Of Miles Davis" (1960)

 It's another Saturday Night and I ain't got nobody, so welcome to the Saturday Night Special in The Dungeon!

"The Robert Herridge Theater" was a dramatic series that was on TV for one season and had 26 episodes in 1960 to 1961. The stories were all over the place from Edgar Allen Poe's "The Telltale Heart," to an episode called "A Story Of A Gunfighter" that starred William Shatner, but the episode I find the most intriguing was episode number two that was more of a documentary concert, and it was called........

 

"The Sound Of Miles Davis."

 

"There are different ways of telling a story."

 

Robert Herridge was obviously a huge jazz fan, and should be considered a national hero for his accomplishments promoting it! This show was completely unorthodox, and I'll bet he took a lot of flak for it!

 

 What an incredible array of talent in one room together, and this is one of the few instances where you'll ever be able to see a live performance by John Coltrane before he died at the age of 40.

 

Miles Davis and John Coltrane are two of the most influential musicians there has ever been in all the history of music!

I've been listening to the music of Miles Davis for a few decades now, and yet somehow this song called "So What" sounds as fresh and new as anything you could hear today!

Not only is the music great, but the photography is equally impressive. I love this shot of John Coltrane! 

During Trane's solo, Miles stands down and takes a smoke break. That is so 1960's!!

I wish I had never smoked, but it sure was cool at the time!

Back in the 70's I had a college DJ gig on Sunday mornings that was a spiritual show, so I played lots of "Love Supreme,"and lots of Gospel and Reggae music.

This call board gives you an idea of the quality of talent there was on this show. They don't exactly do closeups on all the musicians, but according to the closing credits, besides long time Miles' combo with Paul Chambers on Bass, Jimmy Cobb on Drums, and Wynton Kelly on piano, there's also another true fave of mine, Julian "Cannonball" Adderly playing alto sax, and according to IMDB, Ahmad Jamal and Dave Brubeck are in there playing pianos too.

Long time associate of Miles Davis, Gil Evans does the Conductor work here on the last couple of songs.

This show was so good, it has literally left me speechless!

The next episode of "The Robert Herridge Theater" was "The Tell-Tale Heart" followed by "The Easter Story." In episode seven, Robert once again used the jazz theme, this time featuring the Ben Webster Sextet, and The Ahmad Jamal Trio.

Gil Evans was the conductor on one of the most iconic albums of all time, Miles Davis's "Sketches Of Spain" in 1957.

SO, if you know someone who thinks they don't like jazz, then sit them down with a nice bottle of wine and play this excerpt video of "So What." 

And if that doesn't do it, then they really don't like jazz, because this is one perfectly beautiful piece of music! I've just listened to it three, make that four, times in a row!

Robert Herridge is my new hero and I'm willing to bet that he had a supremely killer stereo in his home!

I'll just leave you with that bass line from "So What!" Go listen to it!