In the summer of 1955, after Davis performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, he was approached by Columbia Records executive George Avakian, who offered him a contract if he could form a regular band. Davis assembled his first regular quintet to meet a commitment at the Café Bohemia in July with Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. By the autumn, Rollins had left to deal with his heroin addiction, and later in the year joined the hard bop quintet led by Clifford Brown and Max Roach.

Whims of Chambers is a jazz album by the bassist Paul Chambers released on the Blue Note label circa January 1957. The album features performances by Chambers with trumpeter Donald Byrd, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Horace Silver and drummer ”Philly” Joe Jones.