Kind of Blue is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was recorded on March 2 and April 22, 1959, at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, and released on August 17 of that year by Columbia Records. For the recording, Davis led a sextet featuring saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianist Bill Evans, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb, with new band pianist Wynton Kelly appearing on one track – "Freddie Freeloader" – in place of Evans. Influenced in part by Evans, who had joined the ensemble in 1958, Davis departed further from his early hard bop style in favor of greater experimentation with musical modes, as on his previous album Milestones (1958). Basing Kind of Blue entirely on modality, he gave each performer a set of scales that encompassed the parameters of their improvisation and style, and consequently more creative freedom with melodies; Coltrane later expanded on this modal approach in his own solo career. Kind of Blue is regarded by many critics as the greatest jazz record, Davis's masterpiece, and one of the best albums of all time. Its impact on music, including jazz, rock, and classical genres, has led writers to also deem it one of the most influential albums ever recorded. The album was one of fifty recordings chosen in 2002 by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry, and in 2003 it was ranked number 12 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2019, Kind of Blue was certified 5× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of at least five million copies, making it the best-selling jazz album of all time.
This is one of the most versatile albums of all time. You want a great record to listen to with your full attention, eyes closed with $3000 headphones on? Kind of Blue! You want a record playing in the background while you work door at a dinner party? Kind of Blue! Coffee bar? Kind of Blue! End of the evening on a date and you're sitting on the couch and you want the perfect soundtrack while make your big move? That's right, Kind of Blue!
Wow. Absolutely loved this album. I'm not a massive jazz fanboy, but this modal jazz stuff really gets me going. I love how all of the instruments feel like individuals talking to each other, each one saying something unique yet still talking about the same stuff. This is what I want when I want jazz. True Feelings: 5/5
Iconic, classic album in the history of music. Whereas the bebop before this is exhilarating like a rollercoaster with it's speed and complex chord progressions, this is like surrendering yourself to waves of key modulations as the most beautiful melodies swim around you. Hipster that I am, this isn't actually my favourite Miles Davis album but this Aussie still gives it five slices of avo toast for brekkie out of five.
This is the definition of a classic! What a flawless album from side A to side B. But that's to be expected with such a rockstar cast of performers. Everything is just solid. The songs are all jams, they transport me to a rainy city, a sunny island, a dream world. No trumpet has ever sounded as good as when Miles Davis plays on this album, it has such a rich and gorgeous sound that feels almost transcendent. I can't think of anything else to say, it's hard to put into words how amazing this album is, and how much of a joy it is to listen to. Favorite track: Blue in Green
Forget for a moment that the Wikipedia article says "Kind of Blue has been regarded by many critics as the greatest jazz record, Davis's masterpiece, and one of the best albums of all time." This is music we have heard our whole lives. There is clearly a reason for this. This is music that is composed, not just a jam session. This is technical art. You can either listen intently or just have it playing in the background. This is an album that has been STUDIED for decades. In the end, your opinion of whether you like it or not is completely irrelevant.
The idea of my adding something to the words written about Kind Of Blue is beyond ridiculous, so I'll just observe (which I'm sure is also far from original) what a hash ass mistress jazz seems to be in that era (I don't know about now, hopefully it isn't still cutting off geniuses in the prime of life right and left). Of the six musicians who accompany Davis on this album only 2 made it past 50, Bill Evans barely so, and among the whole crew only Jimmy Cobb reached what could reasonably be called old age.
If peeing your pants is cool, call me Miles Davis. Great album, great vibe, a Sunday in a chair sipping on a drink with a jazz cigarette
This is what they should have played when Peter Parker said, "Now dig on this". You can always count on Miles Davis to create such a beautiful but fun jazz album. Honestly, I wish I could have plopped on a zoot suit before diving into this album, would have made the experience much more authentic. But, even without the zoot, still fantastic. All instruments pairing with each other at all times and I'm used to listening to a lot of Herbie Hancock so most of my jazz listening is very chaotic and the instruments pair together by being all over the place, but this time, It's much better hearing them all fight the good fight altogether. Overall amazing, nothing else to say. (also quick quip for my Tim and Eric boys, anytime I listen to jazz now, I can't help but think of the jazz session bit, "Imma throw this atcha. RRA DOO-J RA JOOJ RUBBADY SA") https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCzq-uCSvfY&ab_channel=JignishTheMarvel
12/21 Masterpiece. Standout Tracks: Blue In Green, All Blues, Stella By Starlight, Love For Sale, Fran-Dance (alternate take), So What (Live at Kurhaus, The Hague)
Very blue.
Truly a masterpiece. Amazing clash of personalities of some of the best jazz players of all time recorded on a truly timeless album.
Boring, background music.
Awesome Jazz album
Smooooth. I really enjoyed this.
A perfect album
10
I consider this the foundation of modern pop music and jazz and blues.
One of my all time favorites.
A landmark of the genre!!!
Instant atmosphere.
Loved it
An absolute masterpiece. 10/10
Awesome!
absolute favorite. a masterpiece
Quintessential jazz
Great
Simply Beautiful
Great relaxing album...
GREAT for relaxing and cooking or doing other housework...or even just sitting around and listening to fantastic music. Easy listening.
Jazzy jazz jazz. One of the greats.
Can't be beat
Outstanding jazz masterpiece. A referential and milestone record of the XX century. Not a jazz connoisseur but I keep coming back to the vinyl every now and then, and every time is a great experience
Beautiful jazz album that ranges from fun and uptempo to emotional. Layering of bass strings, piano, trumpet and sax all keeping time with drums and cymbals. Covers multiple tempos that can feel like a fast conversation or argument like in So what to a somber reflection of blues in green. Amazing musicianship across the board. So what, All blues, flamenco sketches
This is probably the greatest jazz album of all time. It is also the best statement of cool jazz. The addition of John Coltrane makes this album also one of the greatest jazz collaborations to exist.
There’s nothing not to like about this album. The lineup and the compositions (tracks 1, 2 & 4 especially) are stellar. I like the decision to do the saxophone solos back-to-back, contrasting the warmth of Adderly and the edgier sound of Coltrane. This is the greatest selling jazz album of all time and the album most critics would put at or near the top of their all-time list, and I won’t disagree.
I've been busy the last couple of days with little time for listening to the music sent to us. There was no way I was going to slap a "did not listen" on this bad boy so have adopted the "better late than never" adage. A well played but not too loud trumpet played over subtle rhythms is magical. I could listen to a song like Blue in Green all night long and not get tired of it. The trumpet playing would be enough, but we also get to enjoy sax playing that is arguably as good.
One of those jazz albums that anyone, including people that don't normally listen to jazz, can listen to and appreciate. The only other Miles Davis record that I've listened to extensively is his aggressively eclectic 'Bitches Brew', which I'm inclined to argue is, at the very least, more memorable than 'Kind of Blue'. With all that said, this album is still incredible, and is the sort of thing that everyone should listen to at least once. Even non musicians can appreciate the exceptional musicianship on display here.
“The most complete jazz album ever recorded.”
It is evident from the moment it starts that we are in some very capable and caring musical hands. Listening to Kind of Blue feels like lying in a raft gently rocking on a calm sea. So soothing, so laid back. My soul feels lighter. Each track is its own subtle mood and the shift from one to the next creates a clear arc through the whole piece. Absolute perfection.
The best selling jazz album ever and with good reason. Even though I think this album is timeless, it's interesting to me that later in life Miles Davis refused to play anything from Kind of Blue because remaining static stylistically was the wrong option. But then why even make a jazz album? Albums are inherently static. Jazz is inherently improvisational and dynamic. It's a distinction that makes it hard sometimes for people to enjoy recorded jazz. Maybe jazz is always meant to be enjoyed live where the music can follow or lead the vibe of the whole room at a particular time and in a particular place but I do enjoy this album quite a bit. It is soothing and subtle and moody in all the right ways. It makes jazz accessible to everyone.
Miles's Magnum Opus. What can I possibly say that hasn't already been said by people with far more jazz expertise than I? I'm just a plucky tone deaf lover of music who has no musical competency whatsoever. All I can tell you is that as a listener it feels right. There's a correctness in what I assume my ears are hearing. His renowned improvisational spirit fusing so wholly with his virtuoso proficiency; a true thing of beauty in its most pure form. I don't know jazz, but I know greatness when I hear it.
The man, the myth, the legend. Looks like the List God(s) heard my rant on the Beastie Boys review loud and clear. This isn't my favorite album from Miles Davis, but it's a welcome change of pace nonetheless. This is widely regarded as one of the all-time great jazz albums, and I think that's mostly about influence and what it represented in the '50s. I watched a couple videos explaining the birth of modal jazz that this album represents, which is huge. It's hard for me to hear it as revolutionary though, considering I worked sort of backwards through Davis' catalog. But it's a fantastic album either way. Not as engaging to me as Sketches of Spain or Bitches Brew (both of which BETTER be on this list), but it is very smooth, very cool, with fantastic solos from everyone involved. Big names in the ensemble too, John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley especially. Miles Davis was a creative force like no other. Favorite tracks: So What, Flamenco Sketches, Freddie Freeloader. Album art: Instantly recognizable because of how famous this album is, but pretty tame. Granted, many jazz albums had boring covers like this back in the day, but even compared to older Davis albums like Milestones or Porgy and Bess....there's room for improvement. I do like the font choice, though. 4.5/5
“Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis (1959) Classic jazz, with exquisite performances by Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Cannonball Adderly (alto sax), Bill Evans (piano). Listening today, we can recognize the roots of much of what was to come in music. Don’t look for chord structure or melody. This is pure improvisation by the above named musicians, taking turns leading the adventure, seeing how scales can be elaborated. It’s beautiful. That’s not to say that every note is perfectly attacked (or even chosen—surely the musicians would have improved details on a subsequent take or a dub, but that would violate the integrity of a jazz performance). Focus on the leading scales. The recording is unfortunately marred by distortion (especially on Coltrane’s feed), and the use of a minimum number of microphones results in a lack of definition, especially for the drums, which are very subdued in the mix. But overall, this album is an essential piece of our musical culture. Listen. Seriously. 4/5
Every music writer and listicle has told you this is the most iconic jazz album of all time. You brought a nice fillet of king salmon home. You're gonna cook a nice dinner for your sweetie. Take the night off sweetie, I got you, you deserve it. You cook the salmon too perfection - medium rare, still semi-translucent in the center, tender, simple salt and pepper. Exactly as specified in the recipe you found on The Spruce Eats. You've lit the candles - a 50 pack of tea candles from Amazon - and for the last two weeks have ritualistically consumed Cordyceps powder for sexual stamina. Bellies fulll. Romance is alive. Kind of Blue is dancing through your Sonos. You and your sweetie softly lock eyes, sensing something deeper. You remember the first time you met. Something feels different this time. Something is getting in the way. Something is obscuring the air between you. There's a trumpet playing. The carcass-like salmon skin fills your nostrils. Fish is not sexy! The medicinal mushrooms spike your pulse skyward. There's a trumpet playing! The cheap candles flicker and struggle to burn the mass produced wax. Amazon Prime! There's a trumpet playing! You hate jazz! You never loved your sweetie! B
‘So What’ and ‘Freddie Freeloader' are truly momentous, the gateway to new aural worlds no matter how many times you've listened. Their engine is joy. You can hear it in Coltrane’s sax and Miles' trumpet as they crest and lilt. But most of all, it resides in those goddamn drums. Oh boy. They’re irrepressible. It'ss impossible not to tap your foot to them until your shin ache. They subside in 'Blue in Green'. Once that happens, somnabulance takes over and I find myself a little lost. It's still undoubtedly beautiful, but never as revelatory as that opening one-two.
I'm a filthy millennial, so I'm clearly not educated enough to understand or conceptualise this properly. Kids these days just don't understand what the jazz is all about. So now that my ignorant and stupid position is established... this is fine. You know, in a kind of reasonably nice, background, boring way. There's some nice trumpet in there. My thoughts on this may be more easily summarised with a slow head-nod and a lip sticking out, in a kind of 'not bad, but ultimately I don't really care' face. 2.5 rounded up.
Het begon goed, dacht ik, maar ik werd er toch nerveus van.
Beautifully played… but I hate jazz
Must’ve been groundbreaking in 1957 but it’s just background jazz music
eh
no jazz pls
Dit is niet iets wat ik langer dan 1 nummer vol kan houden.
way too jazzy!
God damn it Miles Davis! Does this place look like a fucking coffee shop? What do you mean "Kind Of Blue"? Is this supposed to be "blue" as in "sad"? Am I supposed to feel any emotion while listening to this? Because the only thing I'm thinking about while listening to this is "That guy sure loves to blow into that saxophone" and also "Where's my damn coffee". I used to think that I hate jazz, but then I got into people like Charles Mingus and Frank Zappa (thanks to this site!), and that's when I realized that jazz is a huge genre full of great music, and that I just hate this specific subgenre of boring elevator music made by a random music generator AI that Miles Davis falls into. Throw in some god damn flamenco guitars like a real man, Miles. You will never convince me that this is one of the greatest artistic statements of the 20th century or whatever. Call me ignorant. More like "Kind of Shit", bozo! This is a Charles Mingus household! Next album!
I think it's overrated, with my current gold standard of jazz being Black Saint and The Sinner Lady. But that said it is amazing and I would feel bad giving it 4 stars.
The sticking power of Kind Of Blue isn't exactly due to "timelessness". The entrance to Blue In Green, in particular, seems very much of a time. The magic of the tune, and the rest of the record, is the ground everyone is able to cover. Thus, a recording that compares favorably with any of the music released after it. There's fast playing, bluesy licks, and a high degree of freedom in playing. Often all in the same track, and all easy to listen to and just fit-together enough. The first two tracks, especially, go lots of places but always come back home. I'm not a huge fan of the subdued B side, where I hear the most minimal compositions. But many compositions would be improved if players of this caliber picked them up and spun them into something new.
FUCKING MASTERPIECE
Found an old friend.
Platte ist bekannt. Ich bleibe dabei: das Album ist dort am stärksten, wo Miles NICHT zu hören ist! Und trotzdem: wegen der Mitspieler ein großes Album.
2 horas escuchando la versión de "legado" no noté cuando terminó pero también es de entender que este disco tiene 61 años, ya pasa por música de fondo
Ch-ch-ch-Chanclas in the mix, here to judge them tracks and count them stacks, today were diving deep into that Jazz, with “kind of blue”. Chanclas likes the jazz, and after talking to Chanclas Batman, who also enjoys a nice jazz, we’ve agreed that this meets our criteria for “perfect” album. We’re giving the album 5/5 not in the sense that it’s filled with bangers but in the sense that the songs flow well into each other and keep you in the same kinda groove start to finish. Pairs well with a joint. True feeling: 4.2/5 stars Saved tracks: 3/5 Noteworthy note: 45:45 runtime (nice) Standout tune: all blues
Not Bitches Brew, thank god
I think it's hard to rate jazz on the same scale as popular music but it's really good. 9 I guess
Well Stevie…look at the album we manifested. Our anger yesterday at the lack of black musicians was heard. This album also answers a lot a questions. Namely, this is the first album on this list I have on vinyl and this is the first album on this list to get five stars. Kind of Blue is one of my favorite Jazz albums. I’ve listened to it going to sleep. I’ve listened to it while road tripping to Texas. I’m listening to it right now on vinyl as opposed to Apple Music. This is one of those albums with a shorter track list but longer songs. They are all great and perfect to listen to at any time. Whether you are happy, sad, or just kind of blue. Miles Davis quickly became one of my favorite Jazz musicians a few years ago with this album and Bitch’s Brew. I can’t express how happy I am to finally have an album of this caliber on this list. The album cover is simple enough. The songs are magical. I was worried a five star album would take forever to arrive with the content we have been given but here it is. And it’s Friday.
Fantastico
One of the greatest jazz albums of all time.
Ultra rzadki jazzowaty pick jednego z najwazniejszych albumikow w davisowej dyskografii, jesli mozna mowic tutaj o waznych i wazniejszych, bo przeciez davis to ikona jazzu od hardego bopa, po modalne jazzowanie, malo ktory artysta tak zmienil swoje brzmienie na przestrzeni lat, a kind of blue jest wlasnie pierwszym materialem w pelni modalnego jazzowania, plyta nagrana w 59, w dwoch sesjach, jedna sesja jedna strona krazka, jak to w tradycji milesowej, zbyt duzych przygotowan do nagran nie bylo, powiedzial tylko ekipie jak maja grac, ale bez wyraznych nakazow, stworzyl sekstet z najbardziej wplywowymi jazzmanami tamtego okresu, w sklad tej ekipy wchodza takie nazwiska jak coltrane czy evans, wiec kocury z najlepszych kocurow na swoich instrumentalach, chociaz preferuje bebopowanie, to jednak taki modalny jazz pozwala takze na dowolna interpretacje co slychac na tej plycie, zwlaszcza na pierwszej stronie i trakach jak blue in green gdzie blyszczy evansowanie, nie wrzucam pojedycnzych trakow, bo i tak mam caly album na dope shietach, wiec leci tylko do listy albumikowej gwiazdkowej
10 out of 10. Just a wonderful album. Need on vinyl.
Sounded so nice! Excellent vibes, 9/10 for me
its so good, 10
Almost the definition of an incredible album. Ticks every box.
Not a jazz fan but this is a great album.
I am not a huge fan of jazz, but this is absolutely wonderful.
Love it
One of the most groundbreaking, infectious, and listenable jazz record of all time.
daora demais esse
Отличный мягкий блюз
Amazing blues album
Hammer
Dentro del universo del jazz está considerado uno de los mejores álbumes de la historia (y dentro del mío también). Cómo no considerarlo así teniendo en él no sólo a Miles Davis, sino a John Coltrane, Bill Evans y Cannonball Adderley, JO-DER. Con 5 temas, cada uno de ellos mejor que el otro y todos juntitos en mi playlist de jazz desde su creación. Eargasm asegurado.
5/5
Puto albumzazo
4.5/5 Ideal para estudiar y poner de fondo. Relajante. Para concentrarse.
Like green olives, blue cheese and red wine this album is better every time. If you want to know what Jazz is this is it.
One of the all-time greats.
Ya like Jazz?
Loved this one
an album worth all it praise it gets, crips and clear sound, all instruments solo or in ensemble are just magical
This is one of the very best jazz albums EVER!
My introduction to classic jazz, and what an album. I have a very good vinyl pressing, containing 2 albums one of which is the original release, the second record includes the corrected speed version of side 1, which apparently was cut at a slightly too fast speed as well as an alternate version of Flamenco Sketches. This sounds just so amazing and the music is so brilliant. It really belongs in the collection of anyone with even a passing interest in jazz. A no-brainer 5 🌟album
All time classic album
Could’ve listened to it all day long…great album!
BUSSIN, but at what cost?
Favorite jazz album. Listened to this on a rainy day in 2018 summer when I had a job. The mood and the vibe this gives is just untouchable. 10/10
Know this album well. One of my favorites from the Genre. 5/5. Standouts: So What, Freddie Freeloader
This was my first jazz album. I had heard plenty of jazz before, but this was the first jazz album I sought out, bought, and listened to on repeat. I studied it. I learned it. I could hum along with basically the entire thing. It is no longer my *favorite* Davis album, I think that goes to Sketches of Spain, but it is still probably objectively his best one, and holds such an important place in my heart.
Absolute fucking classic
I can never get enough of this album.
A very relaxing album in my opinion 5/5
What a lovely jazz album.