50 years later: How influential was “Kind of Blue”?
I bought Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” a decade ago after a friend suggested my CD collection wouldn’t be complete without this gem.
He was right. I was hooked a minute into “So What”.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of this jazz masterpiece and there is a ton of information on the “making of.”
A collector’s anniversary edition offers a two-disc box set that includes a poster, book, a 12-inch LP package pressed on 180-gram blue vinyl. Davis recorded the album with fellow musicians Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, among others.
NPR has a neat segment on “Kind of Blue” which includes an interview with music writer Ashley Kahn
Are you a fan of “Kind of Blue”? What was the project’s influence on jazz and music overall? What are your other Davis favorites?
(author: Shelia M. Poole)
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10 comments Add your comment
Palexander
February 12th, 2009
12:47 pm
I was told a long time ago, if U were stuck on a deserted island and had a choice of only 2 albums. This would have to be one of them. I agree!
Catmomma
February 12th, 2009
12:56 pm
If you do not have this Kind of Blue (Davis) and A Love Supreme (Coltrane), you are NOT a jazz enthusiast! These two are a must!
Milesfanatic
February 12th, 2009
1:11 pm
Miles Davis is the greatest trumpet player I have ever heard.When I listen to Miles Davis playing his horn,the sound is mesmerizing.Porgy And Bess and Kind Of Blue are the standards that all jazz recordings are measured.Summertime and Generique are my favorite selections.
deejazzfan
February 12th, 2009
1:23 pm
Miles Davis is one of the great ones, I was fortunate enough to be turned onto Miles and Jazz in general my 1st year of college. Another great trumpeter for those who don’t already know of, check out Freddie Hubbard for a great track called “Red Clay” The live version features Stanley Turrentine, Herbie Hancock, George Benson, and Ron Carter! 18 minutes of nonstop energy.
ALAN
February 12th, 2009
2:16 pm
I also love Otis Blue. Otis Redding sings his heart out on love songs…and what about Classic in Country and Western by Ray Charles? Another great one.
FM Fats
February 12th, 2009
2:56 pm
“Kind of Blue” is certainly among the greatest records ever made in any genre, and yet I think it has been less influential than Miles’s late 60’s recordings starting with “Filles de Kilimanjaro” through “In a Silent Way”, “Bitches Brew”, and “On the Corner”. KOB was a peak in modal jazz, a culmination of things Miles, Bill Evans, and George Russell, among others, had been working towards. The later albums were largely responsible for unleashing the forces of jazz fusin and jazz funk through the 70’s and open the possibilties of electronics to an entire generation of jazz musicians. Without Miles, we probably wouldn’t have Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon and Rockit, or Weather Report. Love fusion or hate it, it was hugely successful in the 70’s.
Jazzyfatnastee
February 12th, 2009
2:59 pm
This conversation would not even be possible without the contribution of one Louis Armstrong……..even Miles would admit that!
abc
February 12th, 2009
3:54 pm
‘Kind Of Blue’ is a seminal jazz recording because of the personnel on it. Miles’ most outstanding attribute was his ability to assemble great bands. Players he promoted became jazz stars in their own right, just as Miles himself did through Bird’s mentoring.
‘So What’ profoundly affected jazz that came after due to it’s modal construction. ‘All Blues’ is an interesting blues with a twist, the turnaround is characteristic.
I don’t enjoy Miles after ‘Bitches Brew’ (1969) all that much. My opinion of him plummets with his quote: “If somebody told me I had only one hour to live, I’d spend it choking a white man. I’d do it nice and slow.”
Miles demonstrated the importance of space. What you don’t play, and where you don’t play it, is as important (or more so) than what you do play. He helped introduce George Russell’s Lydian Chromatic Concept, a key component of music that followed — of course, so did many others. To some, Miles is just an out-of-tune trumpet player with poor range. To others, he’s the epitome of phrasing and concept. To me, he’s a racist due to being a victim of racism, and the person who assembled many of my jazz heros, bringing them into the international spotlight.
Mark
February 17th, 2009
11:22 am
I had a friend who died from throat cancer. The song his girlfriend played as she held him in his last moments was the song “Kind of blue”. RIP my friend.
Teetteherydut
April 8th, 2010
4:07 am
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