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By BILL BENTLEY
 erfection is a funny pursuit, and is best accomplished in hindsight, a byproduct of greatness itself. By 1955, when Davis formed this band with saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, he was already an accomplished presence on the jazz scene. But this quintet really announced the ascendance of a new star. Davis’ trumpet took on magical tones, and he stepped up to the microphone like the champion he had newly become. And having John Coltrane on the bandstand made things even better, joining the two future heavyweights at just the right time. To hear all their recordings for the Prestige label in one place is overwhelming, a grin-inducing exercise in the real meaning of musical joy. There is something about discovering Davis’ first steps into the national spotlight, outside the inner world of jazz, that can only happen once in an artist’s career. Song after song comes alive on these four discs, originally recorded over a very brief period of time, and by the end there is no choice but to start again at the beginning and bathe in their glory. Astounding.
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