New Miles Davis Stamp Debuts in Los Angeles

By: Hillary Crosley | Posted: June 30, 2012 at 11:23 AM

Vince Wilburn Jr., Henry Rollins, Cheryl Davis, Erin Davis (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

At this year's Hollywood Bowl Jazz series in Los Angeles, music heavyweights including Herbie Hancock and Vince Wilburn Jr. gathered to play but also celebrate one of their own. The United States Postal Service held an unveiling of the Miles Davis stamp, which was announced earlier this year, for the California crowd, according to LA Weekly.

Before the show, there was the West Coast unveiling of the U.S. Postal Service's stamp in his honor at the Bowl's museum. Pianist Herbie Hancock mingled with featured bassist Marcus Miller, while Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo (in a snazzy Joker-esque suit) posed for photos with our man Henry Rollins. Rollins has long been a Davis fan and friend of the Davis family. "When they call, I come," Rollins said. The unveiling was a nice gesture that had many people asking: What would Miles think of this?

The show opened with drummer Jimmy Cobb's "So What" band. Cobb is the last surviving member of Davis' 1959 classic jazz session Kind of Blue. Dressed in suspenders and a NASA baseball hat, Cobb took the drum stool behind a sextet of talents both young and old.

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt filled Davis' place with force, delivering a brighter sound on "So What" while tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson went the other way in interpreting the role of John Coltrane, offering confident solos but nothing approaching the barrage of notes Coltrane was capable of. Pianist Larry Willis offered some hard swinging piano, pounding through a rapid-fire "All Blues." Cobb still has the touch and was given his chance in the spotlight at the end with a popping solo turn.

The set was a pretty straight-forward reading of the classic session.

Read more at LA Weekly.

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