In 1957, Miles Davis is in Paris for an engagement at the Club Saint-Germain and a wonderful concert at the Olympia Theatre. Once in Paris, Miles came into contact with many members of the modern existentialist cultural environment in the neighborhood of Saint-Germain-des-Près. These include the director Louis Malle who had just finished his first movie : "Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud". Jean-Paul Rappeneau, a Jazz fan and Louis Malle's assistant at the time, suggested asking Miles Davis to create the film's soundtrack. A private sceening has been organized. On December 4 1957, Miles Davis brought three French Jazzmen - Barney Wilen on tenor saxophone, René Urtreger on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass and his american compatriot Kenny Clarke on drums - to the recording studio Le Poste Parisien without having them prepare anything. Miles Davis only gave the musicians a few rudimentary harmonic sequences he had assembled in his hotel room. This recording was made at night in a most informal atmosphere. The soundtrack was not released on it's own in the USA but ten songs from this soundtrack were released as one side of the album "Jazz Track" which received a 1960 Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Performance, Solo or Small Group. "Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud" has become a great achievement of artistic excellence.
Tracklist:
A1 Générique
A2 L'Assassinat De Carala
A3 Sur L'Autoroute
A4 Julien Dans L'Ascenseur
A5 Florence Sur Les Champs-Élysées
B1 Dîner Au Motel
B2 Évasion De Julien
B3 Visite Du Vigile
B4 Au Bar Du Petit Bac
B5 Chez Le Photographe Du Motel
