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Avg: 4.5 (606 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1987
- Genre: Jazz
- Label: Columbia/Legacy
- Copyright: Originally Released 1959 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.; (P) 1988 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
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We Say...
Easily the most famous and recognizable (and written about) jazz album of all time, 1959's Kind of Blue had a deep concept you didn't need to know about to love the music. Fifty years later it still sounds fresh, from the finger-snapping grooves of "So What" and "All Blues" to the subdued, come-here-baby moods of "Blue in Green" and "Flamenco Sketches." Miles had been looking for ways to simplify his music, and he and pianist Bill Evans had already experimented with extended improvisations over a couple of chords (like Evans's "Piece Peace"). Kind of Blue took the idea one step further, popularizing the new trend of "modal jazz" — improvising on scales or modes, one at a time, instead of running a steeplechase over fast-changing harmonies. The three horn soloists are studies in contrast: trumpeter Miles dark and introspective, alto saxist Cannonball Adderley bright-toned and singing, and tenor man John Coltrane — already obsessing over scales on his own — eagerly squeezing in as many good ideas as he can. But the strength of the concept binds them together. Bill Evans' piano playing (except on "Freddie Freeloader" where he's replaced by the funkier Wynton Kelly) is a marvel of subtlety and soft lighting.
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They Say...
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. [Columbia Jazz Masterpieces' released the album in 1987. ]
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06 Total Tracks, 55:16 Total Length
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Credits
- Cannonball Adderley - Sax (Alto) // Cannonball Adderley - Sax (Alto) // Cannonball Adderley - Sax (Alto) // Cannonball Adderley - Sax (Alto) // Cannonball Adderley - Sax (Alto) // Cannonball Adderley - Sax (Alto) // Miles Davis - Trumpet // Miles Davis - Trumpet // Miles Davis - Trumpet // Miles Davis - Trumpet // Miles Davis - Trumpet // Miles Davis - Trumpet // Miles Davis - Trumpet // Miles Davis - Trumpet // Miles Davis - Trumpet // Miles Davis - Leader // Miles Davis - Leader // Miles Davis - Leader // Miles Davis - Leader // Miles Davis - Leader // Miles Davis - Leader // Miles Davis - Leader // Miles Davis - Leader // Miles Davis - Leader // Bill Evans - Piano // Bill Evans - Piano // Bill Evans - Piano // Bill Evans - Piano // Bill Evans - Piano // Bill Evans - Piano // Bill Evans - Liner Notes // Bill Evans - Liner Notes // Bill Evans - Liner Notes // Bill Evans - Liner Notes // Bill Evans - Liner Notes // Bill Evans - Liner Notes // Wynton Kelly - Piano // Jimmy Cobb - Drums // Jimmy Cobb - Drums // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // John Coltrane - Sax (Tenor) // Teo Macero - Producer // Teo Macero - Preparation // Ray Moore - Engineer
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Performers
John Coltrane played Sax (Tenor) // Bill Evans played Piano // Wynton Kelly played Piano // Jimmy Cobb played Drums // Julian "Cannonball" Adderley played Sax (Alto) // Paul Chambers played Bass (Vocal) -
Other Details
- Instruments:
- Piano //
- Trumpet //
- Bass (Vocal) //
- Drums //
- Sax (Alto) //
- Sax (Tenor)
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