Miles Davis Handwritten “Lady Bird” Music Score

1951/52. What a rare and historic treat for fans of the great Miles Davis are to be found perusing these five pages of handwritten music for "Lady Bird," a Tadd Dameron composition first performed by the Miles Davis Sextet at New York's legendary Birdland on September 29, 1951. On stage with Davis were a bevy of now legendary jazz greats, including Billy Taylor, Charles Mingus and Art Blakey. Though the tapes were rolling on this particular evening, the performance remained unreleased for more than 50 years; finally seeing the light of day in January 2004 with the release of "Miles Davis at Birdland 1951." A subsequent performance with Jimmy Forrest was recorded at The Barrel in St. Louis in ‘52, also released years after the fact. Davis' handwritten music appears on five of the ten pages in red and black pencil. The 9.5 x 12.5" pages are finely aged, top and bottom edges exhibit varying degrees of creasing. Estimate $1,500-$2,500.