"The Theme (Take 1)" from Miles Davis's 1956 album Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet features a half-chorus bass solo from Paul Chambers over Davis's AABA composition in B-flat, a rhythm changes-based piece that the band used as a set-closer throughout their live performances. Chambers's brief solo at 139 BPM demonstrates the extraordinary facility and musicality that made him the most in-demand bassist of the late 1950s, his arco and pizzicato techniques equally assured. The composition, built on the chord changes of "I Got Rhythm," served a functional role in the quintet's live sets as a theme song, and this studio recording preserves the casual energy of a tune the band played every night. Chambers's featured spot within this compact performance highlights the elevated role of the bass in the Davis quintet, where every member was expected to contribute as a soloist. The recording comes from the prolific 1956 Prestige sessions, and the first-take approach captures the quintet's working-band camaraderie. The track's brevity belies its musical significance, documenting the transitional moment between traditional jazz rhythm section roles and the more democratic ensemble concepts that Davis would pursue.
