"Four" is a 1954 jazz standard. It was first recorded and arranged in 1954 by jazz trumpeter

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

and released on his album '' Miles Davis Quartet''. It is a 32-bar ABAC form. The song composition officially credits jazz trumpeter Miles Davis as the writer. However, there is some controversy that it may have actually been composed by someone and purchased by Davis. The American jazz saxophonist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson has claimed ownership for the song.

Personnel

– trumpet *

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sc ...

– piano *

Percy Heath Percy Heath (April 30, 1923 – April 28, 2005) was an American jazz bassist, brother of saxophonist Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert Heath, with whom he formed the Heath Brothers in 1975. Heath played with the Modern Jazz Quartet throughout ...

– double bass * Art Blakey – drums

Recordings

The following artists have covered this composition. *

– '' Miles Davis Quartet'' (1954) * Stan Getz – ''West Coast Jazz'' (1955) * Miles Davis – ''

Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet ''Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet'' is a studio album by the Miles Davis quintet recorded in 1956 and released circa January 1960. Two sessions on May 11, 1956, and October 26 in the same year resulted in four albums—this one, '' Relaxin' ...

'' (1956) * Gene Ammons – '' Jammin' in Hi Fi with Gene Ammons'' (1957) *

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band app ...

– '' Anita O'Day Sings the Winners'' (1958) *

Phineas Newborn Phineas Newborn Jr. (December 14, 1931 – May 26, 1989) was an American jazz pianist, whose principal influences were Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Bud Powell. Biography Newborn was born in Whiteville, Tennessee, and came from a musical famil ...

– ''

The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr. ''The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr.'' is an album by American jazz pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. recorded in 1961 and 1962 and released on the Contemporary label.

'' (1962) * Maynard Ferguson - '' Maynard '62'' (1962) * Sonny Rollins – ''Sonny Rollins & Co 1964'' (1964) *Miles Davis – ''

Four & More Four' & More: Recorded Live in Concert'' is a live album by Miles Davis, recorded at the Philharmonic Hall of Lincoln Center, New York City, NY on February 12, 1964, but not released until 1966. Two albums were assembled from the concert recordi ...

'' (1966) * Joe Henderson – '' Four'' (1968) *

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz ...

- '' Red Garland Revisited!'' (1969) *

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

- '' Bouncin' with Dex'' (1976) * Harry Sweets Edison – ''Just Friends: Live at Bubba's Jazz Restaurant'' (1981) * Chet Baker – '' Chet Baker in Tokyo'' (1987) * Sam Jones – ''Right Down Front: The Riverside Collection'' (1988) *

Mulgrew Miller Mulgrew Miller (August 13, 1955 – May 29, 2013) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. As a child he played in churches and was influenced on piano by Ramsey Lewis and then Oscar Peterson. Aspects of their styles remained i ...

– ''

From Day to Day ''From Day to Day'' is a 1990 studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller recorded together with drummer Kenny Washington and bassist Robert Hurst. This is his seventh album as a leader. Reception Jack Fuller of ''Chicago Tribune'' n ...

'' (1990) * Madeline Eastman – ''Mad About Madeline!'' (1991) *

Terry Edwards Terry Edwards (born 10 August 1960) is an English musician who plays trumpet, flugelhorn, saxophones, guitar and keyboards. Biography Edwards gained a degree in music from the University of East Anglia in 1982, where he was also a founding me ...

- ''Executes Miles Davis Numbers'' (1992) *

Ron Affif Ronaldo Antunacci Charles Affif (December 30, 1965), known professionally as Ron Affif, is an American jazz guitarist of Lebanese and Italian origin. He is the son of boxer Charley Zivic, who was a jazz fan and encouraged his son. Career Born R ...

– ''Vierd Blues'' (1993) *

Guy Barker Guy Jeffrey Barker, (born 26 December 1957) is an English jazz trumpeter and composer. Early life Barker was born in Chiswick, London, the son of an actress and a stuntman. He started playing the trumpet at the age of twelve, and within a yea ...

– '' The Talented Mr Ripley - OST'' (with Pete King, Iain Dixon, Robin Aspland, Arne Somogyi and Clark Tracey) (1999) *

– ''Complete Anita O'Day Clef/Verve Sessions'' (2000) * Keith Jarrett – ''My Foolish Heart'' (2007) *

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their f ...

– ''Voices in Modern'' (2011) Lambert, Hendricks & Ross use Davis's solo on their 1958 album "The Swingers" which caused some conflict between Hendricks and Davis.

References

1954 songs 1950s jazz standards Bebop jazz standards Compositions by Miles Davis Songs with lyrics by Jon Hendricks {{1950s-jazz-composition-stub