Kind of Blue isn't merely an artistic highlight for Miles Davis, it's an album that towers above its peers, a record generally considered as the definitive jazz album, a universally acknowledged standard of excellence. Why does Kind of Blue posses such a mystique? Perhaps because this music never flaunts its genius. It lures listeners in with the slow, luxurious bassline and gentle piano chords of "So What." From that moment on, the record never really changes pace -- each tune has a similar relaxed feel, as the music flows easily. Yet Kind of Blue is more than easy listening. It's the pinnacle of modal jazz -- tonality and solos build from the overall key, not chord changes, giving the music a subtly shifting quality. All of this doesn't quite explain why seasoned jazz fans return to this record even after they've memorized every nuance. They return because this is an exceptional band -- Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb -- one of the greatest in history, playing at the peak of its power. As Evans said in the original liner notes for the record, the band did not play through any of these pieces prior to recording. Davis laid out the themes before the tape rolled, and then the band improvised. The end results were wondrous and still crackle with vitality. Kind of Blue works on many different levels. It can be played as background music, yet it amply rewards close listening. It is advanced music that is extraordinarily enjoyable. It may be a stretch to say that if you don't like Kind of Blue, you don't like jazz -- but it's hard to imagine it as anything other than a cornerstone of any jazz collection.
So Momma B & I were talking yesterday & being that she is really into the book I am working on, she had some great suggestions for me. One thing she really wanted me to impart to all you is an author that both she & I adore. Frank Conroy. He's a music prodigy & one hella writer... brought jazz to Nantucket... sadly it's my Mum who should be writing this post - hopefully she will & I can add ...
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It really is a cliche: "Kind Of Blue" is the best music album ever. Not best jazz or instrumental album, is the best MUSIC album ever produced. It would be my choice if I only had to live with one album for the rest of my life. A full mosaic of deep emotions and feelings, "Kind Of Blue" is perfect when you feel sad, happy, upbeat, downbeat, creative, introspective, kinky, you name it, is the pe...
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When I was in college, my roommate Peter bought the new Album “Flood” by They Might Be Giants. For a period of three months, he was obsessed with the album, and played it repeatedly. Our CD had a “repeat album” button on it, so he could just keep listening to it in a continuous loop. By the end of those three months, although I enjoyed the album very much, I was ready never to hear any son
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So I've been going to a local Blues and Jazz bar lately. Either on Tuesday or Thursday nights. Always by myself, though. Just to grab a few beers and listen to the live music and meet some new people. I enjoy it, kind of my getaway from the Blues of my house. And I've really learned to love Jazz in doing this. So I ask this question... is it kinda creepy that I go by myself? I don't go to pick...
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So Momma B & I were talking yesterday & being that she is really into the book I am working on, she had some great suggestions for me. One thing she really wanted me to impart to all you is an author that both she & I adore. Frank Conroy. He's a music prodigy & one hella writer... brought jazz to Nantucket... sadly it's my Mum who should be writing this post - hopefully she will & I can add ...
More >
So I haven't added a post in quite sometime. I've actually have had plenty I wanted to say but have found things somewhat busy. I have been listening to a lot of Jazz and also listening to as much new music as I usually do. So my Jazz collection has grown exponentially and here are some of my layman's reflections on Jazz:1) There is no way that I will ever catch up on several decades of Jazz.2)...
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This is October for me:ooh, and this:Thanks to Brian for replacing my lost album; Brian has yet to MOG, but I'm workin' on him
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Not mine. Today is the 50th anniversary of the release of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. Slate's Fred Kaplan has a pretty good article on why this was such an important album, but he leaves out a key point.With the exception of Flamenco Sketches, every cut on that album was the first time the song had been played through from beginning to end. While modal playing allowed for a wider expanse for imp...
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Kind of Blue was both a radical stylistic experiment and an album parents could put on after dinner without waking the kids. It's a manifesto, a meeting of musical minds, and it's moved millions of copies to remain the bestselling jazz record of all time. Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue," released in August 1959, featured what might be the finest group in jazz history; it virtually founded a new mus...
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When I was in college, my roommate Peter bought the new Album “Flood” by They Might Be Giants. For a period of three months, he was obsessed with the album, and played it repeatedly. Our CD had a “repeat album” button on it, so he could just keep listening to it in a continuous loop. By the end of those three months, although I enjoyed the album very much, I was ready never to hear any son
More >
Fifty years ago today, the Miles Davis Sextet began recording for Columbia Records the music that ultimately made up the album called Kind Of Blue. To observe the occasion, Jan Stevens of The Bill Evans Web Pages commissioned an essay about that imperishable recording and its most recent CD reissue. The piece, by John Varrallo, is exclusive to the Evans site. It is worth reading. Evans, who was...
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Most people, even people like me who don't have a lot of jazz knowledge, would say Miles Davis was brilliant. "Kind of Blue" is one of the most expressive albums you'll ever hear in any genre, and I think you could reach that conclusion even if you'd never heard a jazz record before. Davis was also a bit of an ass. He wasn't known as the friendliest dude -- I've heard stories about how he would...
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So I've been going to a local Blues and Jazz bar lately. Either on Tuesday or Thursday nights. Always by myself, though. Just to grab a few beers and listen to the live music and meet some new people. I enjoy it, kind of my getaway from the Blues of my house. And I've really learned to love Jazz in doing this. So I ask this question... is it kinda creepy that I go by myself? I don't go to pick...
More >
Miles Davis is a great artist to start a jazz phase with. It's great background music for studying, it starts making you think about different things, and it's very relaxing. This is also probably why he's been played on the Weather Channel.Anyway, if you folks like what you hear, I recommend picking up the full album, Kind of Blue, either off of iTunes or your local music store.Every jazz coll...
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I finally got a chance to check out a little record exchange in the area that's been on my mind for awhile. I was expecting the pickings to be pretty slim, but instead found this little gem on the stacks. Every tune on the album is worthy of a hard listen, but unfortunately, due to the compression rate I used, this is the only one I could upload.
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It really is a cliche: "Kind Of Blue" is the best music album ever. Not best jazz or instrumental album, is the best MUSIC album ever produced. It would be my choice if I only had to live with one album for the rest of my life. A full mosaic of deep emotions and feelings, "Kind Of Blue" is perfect when you feel sad, happy, upbeat, downbeat, creative, introspective, kinky, you name it, is the pe...
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 So What |
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| 2 Freddie Freeloader |
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| 3 Blue in Green |
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| 4 All Blues |
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| 5 Flamenco Sketches |
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| 6 Flamenco Sketches [Alternate Take][*] |
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 "Kind of Blue")
