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Conception is a compilation album issued by Prestige Records in 1956 as PRLP 7013, featuring Miles Davis on a number of tracks. The album features other notable musicians such as Lee Konitz, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, and Zoot Sims. The tracks had all been previously released by Prestige in discontinued formats, either on 10 inch LPs, or as 78rpm singles.

AllMusic Review by Stewart Mason:
A unique all-star set recorded in various combinations between 1949 and 1951, Conception is an underappreciated masterpiece of cerebral cool jazz. Although Miles Davis gets top billing, he appears on only half the album and then most often as a sideman with only occasional solos. Saxophonists Lee Konitz, Stan Getz, and Gerry Mulligan are the true stars of the album, with Konitz particularly shining. His two duets with guitarist Billy Bauer, a relaxed take on Victor Herbert’s standard “Indian Summer” and his own “Duet for Saxophone and Guitar,” are outstanding examples of cool jazz as the term was originally understood before it came to signify new age-leaning elevator music; Konitz’s solos in “Indian Summer” disassemble the melody entirely while remaining accessibly tonal, and Bauer’s filigree guitar lines stay clear of the uninspired comping of so many jazz guitarists while never sounding overly busy. Of the full-band pieces, Davis’ solo spotlight on George Shearing’s “Conception” finds the trumpeter in transition from the still soundscapes of the Birth of the Cool sessions to the more aggressive playing of his Capitol sets, and Stan Getz’s two showcases, the originals “Prezervation” and “Intoit,” feature the saxophonist in his early role as a committed Lester Young disciple, fronting a solid rhythm trio featuring the underrated pianist Al Haig. An excellent album featuring some outstanding and varied tracks, Conception is well worth seeking out (https://goo.gl/uhb389).

Track listing:

SIDE A:
A1 Odjenar
A2 Hibeck
A3 Yesterdays
A4 Ezz-thetic
A5 Indian Summer
A6 Duet For Saxophone And Guitar
SIDE B:
B1 Conception
B2 My Old Flame
B3 Intoit
B4 Prezervation
B5 I May Be Wrong
B6 So What

Personnel:
A1-A2-A3-A4

Lee Konitz – alto saxophone
Arnold Fishkin – bass
Max Roach – drums
Billy Bauer – guitar
Sal Mosca – piano
Miles Davis – trumpet
Recorded March 8, 1951

A5-A6

Lee Konitz – alto saxophone
Billy Bauer – guitar
Recorded March 13, 1951

B1-B2

Tommy Potter – bass
Art Blakey – drums
Walter Bishop – piano
Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
Recorded October 5,1951

B3

Stan Getz – tenor saxophone
Tommy Potter – bass
Roy Haynes – drums
Al Haig – piano
Recorded January 6,1950

B4

Stan Getz – tenor saxophone
Gene Ramey – bass
Stan Levey – drums
Al Haig – piano
Recorded June 21, 1949

B5

Gerry Mulligan – baritone saxophone
with Chubby Jackson’s Orchestra

B6

Gerry Mulligan – baritone saxophone
Charlie Kennedy – alto saxophone
Chubby Jackson – bass
Don Lamond – drums
Tony Aless – piano
Zoot Sims – tenor saxophone
Jay Jay Johnson, Kai Winding – trombone

_____________________________

Released: 1956
Recorded: 1949-1951
Length: 39:36
Label Prestige
PRLP 7013
Producer: Bob Weinstock