5 Facts About Miles Davis’s Cookin’ Recording Session

The album was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s home studio in Hackensack, New Jersey. Van Gelder’s living room served as the recording space.

The session took place on October 26, 1956. This was part of a marathon day that produced multiple albums.

The Miles Davis Quintet recorded the entire album in a single session. The band played through the material live with minimal overdubs.

Cookin’ was one of four albums released from the same 1956 sessions. The others were Relaxin’, Workin’, and Steamin’.

The album’s relaxed, spontaneous feel came from the band’s tight chemistry. Davis, Coltrane, Garland, Chambers, and Jones had been touring together for months.