A notebook owned by Miles Davis, and filled with musical notations, drawings and notes regarding an unreleased album.  We acquired this from Davis’ producer, Randy Hall, who explains the notebook’s history in his accompanying letter of authenticity:

“I first worked with Miles Davis on his 1981 album The Man With the Horn.  In 1985 and 1986 I again worked with Miles, producing, writing and playing on a new album project.  While we worked on the music, he would write musical ideas and sketch pictures in his music notebook.

This was a daily journal and creative release for him.  I asked him about the sketches and their meaning, and he told me the sketches influenced how he wanted to create the music.  I saw that his art was just as important to him as his music.  In fact they were one to him.

I knew the journal was important by the way he always kept up with it.  When we finished the album, he was very pleased with it.  He handed me the  journal and told me, “Randy, I want you to have this as a reminder of what we did together.”  I told him I would always cherish it.

The album’s name was Rubberband, so  I called it “The Rubberband Journal”. Rubberband was never released, but tracks from it appeared on the compilation Perfect Way: The Miles Davis Anthology: The Warner Bros. Years (tracks have since been included on a second compilation, 1986-1991 The Warner Years.)  Recently I heard that the Rubberband album may finally be released.

Miles passed a few years after he gave me this special piece, but I took comfort in it when I looked at this special piece. (signed) Randy Hall.

A chapter in George Cole’s book The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis 1980-1991 is devoted to Rubberband, which he calls “the lost Miles Davis album”, and Cole quotes Randy Hall extensively.

The notebook includes 15 pages of writings, drawings and musical notation.  There are phone numbers for Newport Jazz Festival promoter George Wein, Japanese promoter Toshinari Koinuma, clothing designer Bill Whitten, Randy Hall, and on the first page a crude “Miles” signature.

In 1998 Randy Hall sent copies of the notebook to the Estate of Miles Davis, who sent him a letter of authenticity entitled “Provenance: Miles Davis Artwork”, which is included.  A museum quality Miles Davis artifact with multiple pages of musical notations and drawings from a rare genius of modern music.  Also included is a copy of The Last Miles and Miles Davis: The Warner Years box set.