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album review
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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
See all-
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- The Rudy Van Gelder Edition: Birth Of The Cool
- Released 1949
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- The Complete Birth Of The Cool
- Released 1998
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- Kind Of Blue (Legacy Edition)
- Released 2009
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- The Essential Miles Davis
- Released 2001
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listener reviews
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An album that changed jazz
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- By Carter Dean
- 11/16/2009 21:03:14
- This album is a major turning point in jazz and in many ways it is the perfect album. Every player on the album is a legend in their own right and the group dynamic is amazing. It might be the best album ever made, and not just in the genre of jazz.
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New to Jazz
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- By piratesyar
- 10/1/2008 22:28:42
- I haven't realy been a jazz listener previously but instead of looking for new music I've been working my way backward in time. Even on first listen, I knew this album was one of my favorites. It continues, after quite a few listens, to be something that calms me and engages my senses.
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