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In May and October of 1956, the Miles Davis Quintet recorded sessions that were released separately as four individual albums: Relaxin’, Steamin’, Workin’ and Cookin’ With the Miles Davis Quintet. Cookin’ was the first album in the series to be released, though the tracks here were recorded during the October sessions. This group was dissolved in 1957 and Davis began a period of searching and regrouping that would lead to several great recordings. However, these four recordings are considered the apex of the first Davis quintet’s work, and stand among the trumpeter’s most beloved recordings. Already having released Workin’ and Relaxin’ as part of its Rudy Van Gelder Remasters, Prestige now presents Cookin’ in the remastered format.

Needless to say, the four individual releases are all of a piece, with this well-honed group performing various selections from its standard book in a relaxed atmosphere. These performances are likely very similar to seeing the group performing a set or two at a jazz club at the time, with everyone relaxed and ready to play. The tunes presented here create a balanced set, with “My Funny Valentine” leading things off in a smoky, introspective mood. Davis recorded this standard a number of times, often live, with various personnel, and this particular performance is a nice one, with a doubletime lilt in the bridge during Miles’ solo. Drummer Philly Joe Jones and bassist Paul Chambers set the tone while Red Garland provides a nice set of chord voicings beneath Miles and takes a swinging piano solo himself.

Garland’s “Blues By Five” follows, a straightforward blues on which everyone gets a chance to solo. Miles jumps right in and plays a fairly restrained, well-constructed solo, and then Coltrane comes in, stretching the blues format a bit. Coltrane’s blues playing has not always received the attention that it should, as evidenced by his excellent Coltrane Plays Blues recording. The Sonny Rollins original “Airegin” is taken at breakneck tempo, making the conciseness of both Miles and Coltrane’s phrasing amazing. Both of them solo, Trane heating things up nicely, before Miles returns to take the thing out on the head.

The final track, the longest of the album, is a medley comprised of Davis’ own “Tune-Up” and “When Lights Are Low.” Again, the tempo is increased (Davis had previously recorded both of these at a slower tempo with a quartet), and everyone gets in some solo time, sounding for all the world like the professional quintet they were playing, not in a recording studio, but in some smoky dive. One can imagine Miles, at the conclusion of this number, saying “Thanks, we’re going to take a short break, and then we’ll be back with another set.”

Fortunately, the group was back with three more sets. Prestige has repackaged these in a couple of box sets: the 8-CD Chronicle, which includes all of Davis’ work for the label between 1951 and 1956 and the 4-CD Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions, which includes all four of the final Quintet albums plus live recordings from 1955-58. The complete Quintet set is essential, but the remasters of these four quintet albums certainly will fill the bill in any jazz collection. Newbies should keep in mind, though, that once you’ve heard any of the Davis quintet Prestige albums, you’ll definitely want all four.