Miles Davis – Ascenseur Pour L’Echafaud (2LP)

Ascenseur Pour L’échafaud (or Elevator to the Gallows in English) is a 1958 French film directed by Louis Malle. The film, a romantic film noir thriller proposed a new ideal of cinematic realism, a new way to look at a woman (in this film’s case Jeanne Moreau).

Jean-Paul Rappeneau, a Jazz fan and Malle’s assistant at the time, suggested asking Miles Davis to create the film’s soundtrack. He showed Davis a screening of the movie, and afterwards Miles knew exactly how to portray the smoky hazed or frantic scenes through sonic imagery.

On December 4 1957, he brought four musicians (Barney Wilen on tenor saxophone, René Urtreger on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass and Kenny Clarke on 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. The music was recorded while the film showed on a screen, in a mere four hours, The rest, as they say, is history.

Ascenseur Pour L’échafaud and its soundtrack became a benchmark of the French Nouvelle Vague moment and jazz improvisation.

For the first time since its original release in 1958, Music On Vinyl combined the original soundtrack and the additional recordings and created an essential 2LP set with the original artwork.

TRACKLIST

SIDE A
1. Générique
2. L’Assassinat De Carala
3. Sur L’Autoroute
4. Julien Dans L’Ascenseur
5. Florence Sur Les Champs-Élysees

SIDE B
1. Dîner Au Motel
2. Évasion De Julien
3. Visite Du Vigile
4. Au Bar Du Petit Bac
5. Chez Le Photographe Du Mot

SIDE C
1. Nuit Sur Les Champs-Élysées (TAKE 1)
2. Nuit Sur Les Champs-Élysées (TAKE 2)
3. Nuit Sur Les Champs-Élysées (TAKE 3)
4. Nuit Sur Les Champs Elysees (TAKE 4)
5. Assassinat Visite Du Vigil
6. Assassinat Julien Dans L’ascenseur
7. Assassinat L’Assassinat De Carala
8. Motel

SIDE D
1. Final (TAKE 1)
2. Final (TAKE 2)
3. Final (TAKE 3)
4. Ascenseur
5. Le Petit Bal (TAKE 1)
6. Le Petit Bal (TAKE 2)
7. Séquence Voiture (TAKE 1)
8. Sequence Voiture Sur L’Aut (TAKE 2)