The famed extended recording sessions of the Miles Davis Quintet, wherein they taped the band's basic repetoire (and what a marvelous mixture of jazz originals and standards) in the manner of nightclub sets rather than the repetition of the usual studio takes. Cookin' was the first to be released and it excited listeners not only with its contents but with its promise of more to come. Davis, Coltrane, Garland, Chambers, and Philly Joe : one of the classic groups in the history of jazz. It established a level of excellence that was to foster a long, successive line of oustanding Davis quintets and sextets through the 50's and 60's. From the muted eloquence of "My Funny Valentine", through the finger-poppin' "Blues by Five", to the urgent swing of "Airegin" and "Tune Up", Cookin' has the ability to thrill the listener no matter how many times it is played--the mark of an all-time great performance.