On this day (July 5) in 1969, trumpeter Miles Davis appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, to perform music he was working on for a new album. This was at the very early stages of his “electric period,” and the new album would further develop his unique blend of jazz, funk and psychedelic rock. The band he brought along with him for the gig included Chick Corea on keyboards, Jack DeJohnette on drums and Dave Holland on bass. Wayne Shorter was supposed to join the group on saxophone but got caught up in Newport traffic. As history would have it, the new album Miles happened to be developing material for was Bitches Brew, and many of the tunes that Miles performed that day in Newport — including today’s Song of the Day, “Sanctuary” — would go on to become building blocks for this now-classic recording. Consider this a “heard it here first” moment.
Feature photo of Miles Davis courtesy Sony Legacy Recordings.
