Editing Miles Davis (section)

=== 1955–1959: Signing with Columbia, first quintet, and modal jazz ===
In July 1955, Davis's fortunes improved considerably when he played at the [[Newport Jazz Festival]], with a lineup of Monk, Heath, drummer [[Connie Kay]], and horn players [[Zoot Sims]] and [[Gerry Mulligan]].{{sfn|''The Complete Illustrated History''|2007|p=73}}<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last= Natambu|first=Kofi|date=September 22, 2014|title=Miles Davis: A New Revolution in Sound|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&issn=10893148&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA393059770&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs|journal=Black Renaissance/Renaissance Noire |language= en|volume=14|issue=2|pages=36–40|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> The performance was praised by critics and audiences alike, who considered it to be a highlight of the festival as well as helping Davis, the least well known musician in the group, to increase his popularity among affluent white audiences.{{sfn|Morton|2005|p=27}}<ref name=":3" /> He tied with Dizzy Gillespie for best trumpeter in the 1955 ''DownBeat'' magazine Readers' Poll.{{sfn|Cook|2007|pp=43–44}}

[[George Avakian]] of [[Columbia Records]] heard Davis perform at Newport and wanted to sign him to the label. Davis had one year left on his contract with Prestige, which required him to release four more albums. He signed a contract with Columbia that included a $4,000 advance ({{Inflation|US|4000|1955|r=-1|fmt=eq}}{{Inflation/fn|US}}) and required that his recordings for Columbia remain unreleased until his agreement with Prestige expired.{{sfn|Carr|1998|p=96}}{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=192}}

At the request of Avakian, he formed the [[Miles Davis Quintet]] for a performance at [[Café Bohemia]]. The quintet contained Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, [[Red Garland]] on piano, [[Paul Chambers]] on double bass, and [[Philly Joe Jones]] on drums. Rollins was replaced by [[John Coltrane]], completing the membership of the first quintet. To fulfill Davis' contract with Prestige, this new group worked through [[The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions|two marathon sessions]] in May and October 1956 that were released by the label as four LPs: ''[[Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet]]'' (1957), ''[[Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet]]'' (1958), ''[[Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet]]'' (1960) and ''[[Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet]]'' (1961). Each album was critically acclaimed and helped establish Davis's quintet as one of the best.{{sfn|Chambers|1998|p=223}}{{sfn|Cook|2007|p=45}}{{sfn|Carr|1998|p=99}}

The style of the group was an extension of their experience playing with Davis. He played long, legato, melodic lines, while Coltrane contrasted with energetic solos. Their live repertoire was a mix of bebop, standards from the [[Great American Songbook]] and pre-bop eras, and traditional tunes. They appeared on ''[['Round About Midnight]]'', Davis's first album for Columbia.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

In 1956, he left his quintet temporarily to tour Europe as part of the Birdland All-Stars, which included the [[Modern Jazz Quartet]] and French and German musicians. In Paris, he reunited with Gréco and they "were lovers for many years".{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=186}}{{sfn|Early|2001|p=215}} He then returned home, reunited his quintet and toured the US for two months. Conflict arose on tour when he grew impatient with the drug habits of Jones and Coltrane. Davis was trying to live a healthier life by exercising and reducing his use of alcohol. But he continued to use cocaine.{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=209}} At the end of the tour, he fired Jones and Coltrane and replaced them with Sonny Rollins and [[Art Taylor]].{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=214}}

In November 1957, Davis went to Paris and recorded the [[Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] to ''Ascenseur pour l'échafaud''.<ref name="New Grove" /> directed by [[Louis Malle]] and starring [[Jeanne Moreau]]. Consisting of French jazz musicians [[Barney Wilen]], [[Pierre Michelot]], and [[René Urtreger]], and American drummer [[Kenny Clarke]], the group avoided a written score and instead improvised while they watched the film in a recording studio.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

After returning to New York, Davis revived his quintet with Adderley<ref name="New Grove" /> and Coltrane, who was clean from his drug habit. Now a sextet, the group recorded material in early 1958 that was released on ''[[Milestones (Miles Davis album)|Milestones]]'', an album that demonstrated Davis's interest in [[modal jazz]]. A performance by [[Les Ballets Africains]] drew him to slower, deliberate music that allowed the creation of solos from harmony rather than chords.{{sfn|''The Complete Illustrated History''|2007|p=97}}

By May 1958, he had replaced Jones with drummer [[Jimmy Cobb]], and Garland left the group, leaving Davis to play piano on "Sid's Ahead" for ''Milestones''.{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=224}} He wanted someone who could play modal jazz, so he hired [[Bill Evans]], a young pianist with a background in classical music.{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=229}} Evans had an impressionistic approach to piano. His ideas greatly influenced Davis. But after eight months of touring, a tired Evans left. [[Wynton Kelly]], his replacement, brought to the group a swinging style that contrasted with Evans's delicacy. The sextet made their recording debut on ''[[Jazz Track]]'' (1958).{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1989|p=229}}