The Miles Davis Prom

After a somewhat lacklustre first half and a similarly underwhelming resumption, last night’s Prom concert commemorating the centenary of the birth of Miles Davis finally took wing in a sold-out Royal Albert Hall with a sultry version of “Once Upon a Summertime”, Michel Legrand’s melody delivered with understated elegance by the great trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in front of the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Miho Hazama. Miles recorded the tune with Gil Evans in 1962 for Quiet Nights, which turned out to be his most disappointing album. He’d come across it through the singer and pianist Blossom Dearie, who in turn had found it during a stay in Paris in 1954. She was introduced to it through the sponsor of her trip, the record executive Eddie Barclay, who had co-written the original words with the lyricist Eddy Marnay. Back then it was known as “La Valse des Lilas”. Back in the US, Johnny Mercer wrote an English lyric for her to sing. Whenever her friend Miles showed up to hear…