DAVIS, MILES - ASCENSEUR POUR L'ECHAFAUD (LP)

"Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud is a 1958 French film directed by Louis Malle. It was released as "Lift to the Scaffold" in the UK. Jean-Paul Rappeneau, a jazz fan and Malle's assistant at the time, suggested asking Miles Davis to create the film's Soundtrack. On December 4 1957, he brought four French Jazzmen (Barney Wilen / tenor saxophone, René Urtreger / piano, Pierre Michelot - bass and Kenny Clarke - drums) to the recording studio "Le Poste Parisien Studio" without having them prepare anything. Davis only gave the musicians a few rudimentary harmonic sequences he had assembled in his hotel room. Eventually "Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud" has become a great achievement of artistic excellence." (label info)