Reviews (page 2 of 14)
Great
Quintessential jazz
absolute favorite. a masterpiece
Awesome!
An absolute masterpiece. 10/10
Loved it
A landmark of the genre!!!
One of my all time favorites.
I consider this the foundation of modern pop music and jazz and blues.
10
A perfect 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.
A far cry more laid back and chill than Bitches Brew, and a touch more inexplicably complex and emotional than Birth of Cool, this one took me for a pretty nice ride today. As I've stated before I am no jazz connoisseur, and it will seldom be the genre I reach for without prompting, but I am coming around to his style and can appreciate the artisty. Like Bitches Brew, it's a 4.5/5 that I'm hesitant to round up but may come back to.
Nice modal jazz!
Probably the definitive jazz album. A little overrated for me but sill very good, very memorable jazz and all the songs are very good
Good! I have heard parts of this one before cos I use jazz for background music quite often. I don't have the musical understanding to process the more revolutionary aspects of this album I'm aware of, beyond that the ways it meanders and progresses feel right with my trains of thought. It is technically in the rotation, but i don't think I appreciate it as much as I will eventually. 1 - i have negative feelings 2 - i have no feelings 3 - glad i heard it *4* - "oh i like that album!" 5 - in the rotation
I don't really know enough about jazz to understand why this album is considered groundbreaking. But I do really enjoy it and I enjoy this kind of jazz. It feels effortless and relaxed even though it's underpinned by a lot of very technical and exact playing. I like that it's both precise and spontaneous. I like that you can just sit back and let it wash over you, or you can pay close attention and really appreciate what each part is doing. I like how the instruments have the back and forth with the solo parts, which feels like a conversation. It feels like it does a lot with relatively sparse arrangements (compared to say, big band jazz which feels like someone is trying to stuff the jazz into my ears by force). I like that it is exactly 45 minutes long, the correct and perfect length for an album.
Sonically, the album is calming and smooth. It makes for great background music, but that makes it hard to truly engage with the music and write a solid review about how it made me feel. Very palatable, but jazz isn't my first choice when I'm looking for something to listen to while studying or relaxing. From a musical perspective, I can see why it's influential (supposedly, I don't know enough about jazz to back up that claim) and innovative musically. The Wikipedia article was interesting and I would like to learn more about modal jazz and explore similar albums in the future. tldr: The music student in me wants a video essay, the music listener in me wants a pillow.
I do quite like Miles Davis, and always have. Each instrument is highlighted and given a chance to shine. His trumpet is always ready to take over, but he gives the walking bass and piano center stage to remind you of their importance. I do think jazz is at its best when it leans into the blues and slows the tempo down, and Blue in Green is the perfect example of why I feel that. The trumpet is not a soft instrument, but Miles calms its boisterous nature to tell a sad tale with just notes. Plus, it features Coltrane which is always nice. While I get why many people don’t enjoy jazz, I truly appreciate how it asks for nothing other than to listen as closely as you feel like. Good Jazz will draw you in if you give it the chance, and Miles Davis is the best!
Great jazz songs with some awesome improvising. Nothing I listen to regularly but still wish there were more songs on this album. Guess I have to listen through it again.
This project has made me realize that in the same way that there is a lot rock music (some I like and some I don't like), there is alot of Jazz music (some I like and some I don't like). Although I haven't especially enjoyed Miles Davis's other albums, this one is pretty good. I like the mood.
I really want to give this a 5 in defense of one of my favorite genres, but this is not one of my favorite jazz albums. Too often I find myself zoned out and forgetting it's playing. Yet it has done great moments and smooth songs, so it's still a 4
nice and cool
so pleasant and clear!!! 8/10
sensual and intimate, jazz is always a dream for me.
Love this album and it is perfect for a rainy day (or any day, for that matter) but my heart belongs to wilder, weirder jazz than this.
Classic cool
As cool as it gets. Just full of vibes and energy.
What an incredible jazz record! This is the first Miles Davis record I got on vinyl, so every time I hear it, it just makes me so happy! What a smooth jazz record!
Very, very good jazz. Miles Davis is one of the best.
Ya Like Jazz? Better than Lofi for focusing music. Flawless album but music didnt hit the right level of meaning for me. Favourite Song: Blue in Green
Kind of a Jazz i like and understand
Given how few jazz albums overall there are in this collection, it seems a bit odd that we'd get four different Miles Davis albums (and this is the second so far for me), but I haven't listened to his music all that much, and always felt like I *should* listen to more, so I'm not complaining. Unlike his earlier "Birth of the Cool", this seems more like what I imagine Miles Davis' core sound became. It certainly seems to be his most popular and classic album, and I like the idea that he gave each of his incredibly talented band members a scale to work with and freedom to improvise (or that's what I gathered from the description of his "modal jazz" approach). The recording is also impressively clear and high-fidelity given that it was recorded in 1959. I'm not enough of a jazz aficionado to be able to call out any particular track or solo or instrument, but I *did* appreciate that this is more than just nice background music, largely because the tracks aren't really tunes per se (and "All blues" seemed to encapsulate the best of the album in this regard). And my apologies to Miles Davis and jazz connoisseurs everywhere for the four-star rating--it's all because of my ignorance of all things jazz that I didn't appreciate the album as fully as I should have....
I’m not really into jazz, but this is pretty great.
Listening to this album was like looking into a window to the past. You can see where the influences for rock, RnB, and even hip hop come from. The most underrated part of this album is the drumming, Jimmy Cobb’s ability to quietly lead the rhythm, timing, and flow of each song is something that should be appreciated. Another thing that I really appreciated from this album is that you can hear Miles give his all in every single song, there are no performances that are half baked, he is wailing from start to finish. This album is a truly a timeless piece of work.
this album has a very special place in my heart. in my senior year of college, I was able to take a 'History of Jazz' course and it was honestly one of my favorite classes I took in undergrad. I was in that class with some very good friends and one best friend of mine. We used to study for all the exams together and this album always brings that memory back. I know jazz isn't the easiest genre to get into, but this album is truly one of the greats. It's what defined Miles as a pioneer for the genre and brought jazz to a wider audience. It's a real masterpiece - and defines what would become smooth/cool jazz for years to come. All hail Miles Davis
Even though I listened to this probably not in the proper setting (ideally would have been on my porch or living room with a nice bourbon) and rather while on a run, I found myself more engaged with the music than I expected to be. It’s such a mocked concept now in jazz that it’s actually just about “the notes that aren’t being played” but I didn’t find that to be the case here. Even in the improvisations, everything seemed very purposeful. The background rhythm sections are very pleasant and nice to listen to. I also wish I could live the days of these awesome jazz nickname people, I.e cannonball adderly. Like there goes ol’ Jackhammer McEntire
I don't ask for much from jazz. What I mean is, I'm not a scholar. I can't tell you tit from tat about modal jazz, or about how exactly anyone here is playing. If I tried, I bet I'd come across as a huge poser. At best, I'd just be repeating something I might've heard in a Vox video. But even if I did have the ability to identify specific keys, modes and notes, I don't think I'd want to listen to jazz like that anyway. Putting it on specifically to analyze the music theory of it? Sure, I can appreciate complex playing, but I've never been one to tend towards music just because it's complex--or abstract or experimental, or however else "real, important jazz" is supposed to be impressive. I've grown up listening to pop and rock. Older stuff, mostly, but that's besides the point. As such, I generally tend more towards... Y'know, melodies. As long as I'm provided a good melody; something I can focus on or just have play in the background--and there aren't any external, non-music factors that'll discourage me from listening--I can't really complain. Now, that's not to say I'm a complete sucker; that as long as a melody's pleasing I'm perfectly pacified. There **has** to be more going on there. I mean, I can't tell you how many albums I've heard from this list that sound pleasant, but really had nothing else going for them. There needs to be a deeper layer, and that's where the complexity comes in. Even if I don't focus solely on it, just being aware that it's there really does a number for my enjoyment. The ol' "Ooo, I'm so smart" "big brain" feeling, y'know? And it's always appreciated where it's not too present; not distracting if you're not specifically listening for it. "Great players playing great melodies and solos." That's all I really ask for, in short, and that's what KIND OF BLUE provides. I mean, if I'm being 100%, I'm not sure if I'm gonna hold any specific differences between this or the other Miles Davis album my group listened to, BIRTH OF THE COOL. Like, if I ever listen to either of these again, it's probably gonna be a coin toss. In that sense, I don't think I can rate this any higher than I did BIRTH OF THE COOL--which I gave a 4, but still. Either way, this is some of the greatest work from one of the jazz men and group of jazz players to ever exist. If you're willing to not be such a jazz snob about its "simplicity," it's absolutely worth your time.
The thing about jazz for me personally is that it is difficult for it to sustain my attention for most albums. I usually have just little problems with jazz albums, such as songs that might take too long or most of the album sounding much of the same for its duration. I feel that, for me, these are issues that prevent me from giving Kind of Blue a perfect five rating. However, I would be remiss to not say that this is more than likely the quintessential jazz album. Miles and each of his company are at the top of their game on this album, each perfecting their craft to give one of the smoothest jazz albums in existence. Seriously, Blue in Green has to be one of the chillest jazz songs period in my opinion. As I mentioned, I personally can’t say that this was one of my favorites, but I do recognize the acclaim that this album has received and that’s good enough for me. Favorite Track: Blue in Green Other hits: So What, Flamenco Sketches, Freddie Freeloader
Supposedly the greatest jazz album ever. While I thought it was really good I just don’t have the genre understanding to know if that’s true. The musicians are all clearly masters of their instruments and a coherent vibe is created throughout. I’m caught between a 4 and a 5 here.
Maybe the most celebrated jazz album of all time. Are we not supposed to talk about the missed notes? Feels like I'm going to get in trouble for bringing it up. Best track: Freddie Freeloader
“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
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
I don't think I'm ever going to 'get' jazz. This is a cool record with tons of swagger. It's just not for me though. I've heard the bass line of 'So What' countless times when I have tried to get myself into jazz before. The playing is immaculate and it has it's rightful place in music history, it's just not my cup of tea.
Interestingly my favorite bits of this are the saxophones which would explain why I prefer Coltrane over Miles if I am listening to jazz. Incredible musicianship is what garners this a 3 for me, would be higher if I were a Jazz Guy, but I'm not.
Our first year music teacher, Ms. Gibson, taught us So What. Well, she didn't teach us So What, she taught us the two-note hook: doo, doo, duh-doo, duh-doo-dooooo... So What! On cheap, plastic recorders. She did most of the heavy lifting herself, seated at the piano. The obbligato in the left hand, what I recognise now as quartal chords in the right. Then, at the end of each phrase, half of us boys squawked a D falling to C; the rest, a B followed by an A. This may not be the same key or mode as the original recording - D Dorian, I've read - but it included four of the only five notes we knew on the recorder at that point. I don't think Ms. Gibson ever explained what harmony was or why playing those notes at the same time was pleasing. Or as pleasing as twenty-five recorders can be. It didn't sound great, but it was a lot of fun. She may not have been that good a music teacher, but she was a decent pianist. Maybe this performance was a way of avoiding teaching so she could do what she really loved: playing modal jazz. She wasn't a particularly harsh instructor, but she had no time for tootlers - those recorder instrumentalists who would play random noise, blowing indiscriminately and restlessly. Usually while she was talking. As a young boy, it's hard not to tootle, the spirit and the energy just passes through you, the music is already inside you and the recorder’s the only thing you’re legally allowed to channel it through. If you don't like such noise, you're not going to teach prepubescents for long. Ms. Gibson, to her credit, lasted longer than most, but, eventually, she left the school. She got a post teaching postgrad jazz students in the Caribbean. Very much not West Belfast. Along with not explaining harmony to us, she didn't explain the difference between tootling and bebop. Plenty of the jazz we've listened to so far in this journey could be accused of tootling. Certainly of trundling, toddling, tilting or teetering. Naming no names - even those who appear on the record here discussed - there is a tendency to meander, to throw out a line that sounds an awful lot like random noise. Or a line that doesn't end. Or a line that gets tangled up in itself. Maybe there’s a fine line between exploration and nonsense. My class probably didn't need to know where it was, but surely the Caribbean jazz grads did. That is the one thing I was hoping to understand from this weekend's listens to Kind of Blue: where that line is. What makes this record the one everyone agrees on, what makes it easy for people like me - people poorly schooled in jazz - to understand. The recording is beautiful: each instrument is clear, defined, yet never separate. You can hear the room they’re in. And the mood in the room is gentle. Only kind of blue, not depressed, not despairing; the sort of indulgent melancholy that could feel underplayed, but isn't. Davis's lines in Blue in Green remind you that, even if you're enjoy wallowing, there is a real pain in there. With a single note, he turns the dial from smooth to searing. Sometimes, I think about Ms. Gibson: why she ended up teaching boys like us instead of playing clubs, touring, session work. Part of it’s obvious: who really makes a living out of jazz? But she also had an arthritic finger. She would play and, then without losing a beat, shake the offending right hand with a wince: a moment of real pain that fed into the music. She incorporated it into the rhythm, so as not to throw off her inexperienced accompanists. A moment of weakness worked into the performance. My grandfather used to play Schubert with a similar kind of grace. And when he missed a note, he’d throw up his hands, grin, ask the composer’s forgiveness. Then he’d go on. The mistake not scrubbed out, but acknowledged, blessed even - and returned to the flow of the song. Of course, classical music is not jazz. One is beholden to the composer, which is why you beg forgiveness. Still, he kept going. The trick was not to be spooked or thrown off by the mistake, but to enfold it into the bigger performance: the performance of command. Back in the classroom, we could play as badly as twelve years old will, because Ms. Gibson had control over the music, even if she didn't always have control over the class. Within the boundaries of So What, tootling was no longer tootling. That is what is so evidently on display on Kind of Blue. The control. Not a smothering, tyrannical control - as we've already seen on Frank Zappa's Hot Rats - but an acceptance that, whatever happens, it's okay. Not perfection, but poise. Not strictness - the players roam, stretch, tease - but they know where they are. They know how to play within the boundaries and bring it home. If Coltrane or Adderley lets a line wander, they find a way to end it that makes it feel inevitable. But Davis, especially. He’ll let it hang in the air, let it go soft - and then drop in one of those pained (but never painful) notes that makes you think it was all planned from the start. Everyone talks about “blue” in this album: the sadness, the coolness. It’s there, yes. But I think So What is the real key. The two-note motif - simple enough for a bunch of wee Westie bastards to master - comes up again in Freddie Freeloader and All Blues at least. Maybe elsewhere. Although, unvoiced, those are the two words of lyric on the album. The So What we learned was a taunt: “So what! Who cares?” But it’s also an accepting, Zen-like shrug: “So what. No big deal.” You make a bold move - so what. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t - so what. If you own the decision, if you can take the pain or the misstep and fold it into the performance - that’s jazz. That’s life. Kind of Blue is all those things. It doesn’t care what you think. It doesn’t care, and it doesn’t really think either. It just is. Maybe that’s what Ms. Gibson was doing, within the stuffy boundaries of a West Belfast classroom. I doubt many of the boys I sat beside ever heard Kind of Blue again. I rarely do. But maybe - without knowing - they learned something from it. About control. About not being thrown. About letting the mistakes in - and going on anyway. Except for the ones who went to prison. 3.5 For as long as I have loved popular music I have been interested in hearing all the ‘big’ records. I love curated lists, Greatest Album and Greatest Singles lists. I always reasoned that the thrill of great music, while basically inexplicable, was still observable; if all these people, across cultures, across generations sometimes, are willing to testify that that special thrill is to be had with this record then surely I need only listen well a few times and it must reveal itself to me as well. And it worked. The first time (and second) I heard Sgt Pepper’s I thought it sounded idiotic except for A Day in the Life. Dark Side of the Moon I found boring. Well, trusting that it was me and not them I kept listening to these albums and it wasn’t long before I heard them. I single these ones out because they are, today as for many years, a couple of my absolute favourite albums as well as the favourites of millions of other people. They thrill me every time. I knew humans would keep me right. The readers of Q Magazine don’t lie. In Paul Gambaccini Veritas. Now I appreciate that Jazz is not Pop. But I’m not musically illiterate either. I’m absolutely bound to be as good a listener as the worst half a dozen of the hundreds of millions of people and their grannies that swear this album is, at least, as Rolling Stone’s 2003 poll puts it - The Twelfth Greatest Album of All Time. And how I have tried with this album. I know this album. I have played Freddie Freeloader with a big band. I taught GCSE classes on All Blues. So What may have been the first piece of Jazz I ever really listened to, courtesy of Ms Gibson’s enthusiasm. Still, these advantages are nothing next to just listening until familiarity kicks in. Recognition is next to pleasure and is the key to opening up any music; it works with Mahler as with Trout Mask Replica (sort of). I don’t know how many times I have listened to Kind of Blue but it ought to be enough and I have been doing it not just out of a desire to connect with the particular adoration of its million worshippers but to connect with a whole genre. Here is, so they say, a major gateway to appreciating Jazz and I’ve been banging on this fecking gate for decades. Was this to be the weekend? No. Fiona, less familiar with the album, tells me it is evocative of Sex and the City. I can now at least make an addition to my list of advantages, having never seen a single episode. Is it something to do with New York I wonder? Might living in that city help? Kind of Blue is pretty, organic and human, while Manhattan is a massive, alienating steel and concrete shitpile. Is listening to Kind of Blue like a visit to Central Park? I am in no rush to visit that city again but regardless, Mahler works in my living room so Miles Davis should too, no? I even had Blue in Green and Flamenco Sketches on in the car again this morning going up the motorway in the rain thinking the setting might help. Nothing helps. I find this album merely iconic; full of musical symbols which are unmistakably its own but perhaps because, like car logos, I have been surrounded by them my whole life. I know Mercedes Benz when I see it but the logo doesn’t mean anything to me or impress me; indeed I don’t care about cars and I don’t understand people who do. Jazz…pfff. Maybe a Buddha statue is a kinder analogy. In any case, the millions who swear by Kind of Blue and its power and profundity are to me an alien people clutching their Lydian mode. It’s them, not me. 3/5
Wish I was into Jazz. I think its cool to experience, like go to a pub and they have a jazz night, there is a band there and they're all very talented playing intricately (idk how to spell). And I appreciate that for this record but I don't have any yearning to listen to it
I just, don't see the attraction in jazz. I'm trying, because the generator is throwing so much jazz at me, but I just don't get it. I can objectively hear that Miles is clearly a talented trumpet player, and I love brass instruments generally, but I just don't find the songs being played interesting at all. Maybe somewhere in this list, there will be a jazz album that scores more than a 3 from me (my current high score), but if something like Miles Davis doesn't, I'm not holding out much hope. I sort of wish I could hear what other people do, but alas... 2/5
Talent - abundance thereof Interest - lack thereof Just not my thing I played I listened I failed
Nice to listen to as background music, but there was nothing I really loved.
Het begon goed, dacht ik, maar ik werd er toch nerveus van.
I don't know if this is the greatest Jazz album of all time, but it certainly sounds like the worst. I have heard this before and I have heard some jazz albums jazz fans say are bad, but there seems to be little difference. Also, it is clear the site is trolling me after my Screaming Trees review yesterday. It also seems like the site promotes lemming behaviour - the fact that early promoters voted this high means that later reviewers will give the album a cursory five minute listen, not really get it, but assume everyone else is correct, give it five stars, and congratulate themselves. I don't believe for a second so many people genuinely believe this is as good as the score it currently has. The good thing is, having heard this already I never need to hear it again, so consider today a day off. I suppose I should say something positive. That two note bit which pops in and out... That's almost like a hook you can almost remember. It is no doubt influential, but there is also no doubt that living in the 1950s must have sucked if this was the peak of music. Thank fuck for The Beatles. A two star album dropped to one star for the frankly ridiculous fake fawning over it.
I don't know what makes this album good. It just sounds like too much trumpet to me. I know it's lauded as one if the best and most influential albums of all time, but I don't get it. It probably deserves to be on the list but I never want to hear it again.
So mellow it was like an acute case of narcolepsy.
Day 136 2nd Miles Davis album I’ve had and 2nd Miles Davis I really haven’t enjoyed at all. I’ve tried to enjoy jazz, and Kind of Blue is supposedly a really good entry point to do so but instead it just leaves me cold. The musicians are clearly talented, but the whole thing feels like a very long, very polite jam session where nothing actually happens to my uncultured ears. Definitely a me problem but I can only score on my own personal enjoyment so it’s a 1/5
Come on now, tuning up for 45 mins does not make for a good album. I'm not a jazz fan, i tried, i'm still not a jazz fan. Actually overran by 40mins into a random jazz playlist and couldnt tell. Had to relisten to the last 2 tracks to make sure I gave a proper review, which was annoying.
I've tried before, I've given it another go. It's just not for me. Call me a heathen. But I just don't get it. I saw two reviews whilst listening to this, one five star that said amazing background music, one two star that said boring background music. I agree with both, it's background music at best.
I really don’t like jazz. It genuinely sounds like anti-music to me at times. Maybe that’s the point. And if it is, ‘tis a silly point. This was very tough to listen to at times, and in a shrill, offensive way rather than an insipid, pathetic way. And the highlights of the album were when the saxophone wasn’t playing and some geezer was essentially just softly tapping a cymbal and some other geezer was playing Grade 1 double bass, which is pretty damning for poor old Miles. It’s hard scoring a musical “great/pioneer/major influence” so poorly, but, as a friend once said to me, the winner of The Biggest Loser is still a fat c*nt. And by that logic, jazz by one of the greatest jazz musicians ever is still jazz. It’s a 1 from me.
What is the point of jazz?
Another Coltrane album so soon? Wait this is a Miles Davis album...or is it a Bill Evans "Trio" album? Either way I'm not impressed. Apparently this was earth shattering and sent the music world reeling. Why? It's just boring jazz. More soft piano and squonkin' on the sax. Davis slows down the trumpet to a weepy crawl that does sound like he's Kind of Blue. You got to be some old guy or a smug sophistocrat to rate this so highly. Or maybe my lizard brain just can't appreciate this genre...0.95 stars.
This was my 100th album. Today, though, I woke up at 4 AM, threw up nonstop for about an hour, then went back to bed, waking up briefly at noon, and then I woke up at 8 o'clock, according to my phone. At first, I thought it was 8 AM tomorrow, and thought that I had missed my 100th album. However, I realised 20 minutes later that it was actually 8:20 PM today, and quickly pulled up the 1001 albums website to listen to this (keep in mind my stomach felt like it had a bunch of nails in it and I was so exhausted I could barely walk) - and this album nearly made me throw up again.
Awful. It's truly shocking that so many people have been conned into believing that this is good music. It is not. It's just cool to like it, so everyone has to pretend that it's a work of genius. It is not a work of genius. It is trash. The emperor is stark bollock naked. Can I give this zero stars?
One of the greatest jazz records ever. Amazing lineup. A must!
Don't have to listen to it...because it's a five. And I'm going to listen to it...because it's a five.
Generational album
Classic
Great, great, great album. I liaten to this probably 3x a month, and it never gets old.
5/5 - You should hear this before you die. What else am I gonna say?
Gorgeous. Perfect for twilight/nighttime listening. Great blend of predictable and unpredictable, and feels as fresh today as it must have in 1959. Favorites: Blue in Green, Flamenco Sketches
It's sad that Kind Of Blue might be the only jazz album some people listened to, but on the bright side it's a damn fine album.
Great album, I loved this one! Blues lover here!
kind of Joni Mitchell’s Blue
Well I was going to listen to that anyway
Brilliant, of course.
I've never really been able to 'get' Miles Davis in the past, but this time I think I finally understood why this is such a well-regarded album. Superbly well-crafted. Every single note is perfect.
Still waiting for Kind Of Blue II. I gave Miles my credit card info after he and Trane DM'd me so they could fund the sequel. I also will need enough VBucks so I can buy the Miles Davis from Jazz skin in Fortnite.
I mean. Pretty close to perfect I think.
Classic
🥞
The best jazz album ive ever heard
It's hard to imagine a world without 'Kind of Blue'. The language seems, now, so easy and natural - but it must have been bracing in its simplicity when it came out. What an incredible album. What a cast of players.
5 songs 1 album,masterpiece. the template of jazz
I'm definitely going to start listening to this more frequently.
Peak jazz?
This is one of my favorite albums already. I've believe at least one of my kids was conceived while this was played. I'm sure lots of kids were conceived while this album played. Perhaps the greatest jazz band that I can think of. All these men lead their own bands - they move together, breathe together and spin a perfect musical spell... Timeless, beautiful, perfect, endlessly rich, complex, sweet, sad, mournful, sexy, awe-inspiring -- musical prayer.
perfect
no comments needed :-)
Fantastic, very classy
A perfect album. Recording quality is unbelievable for 1959. If you're going to own only one jazz album, this is a good candidate.
113. Kind Of Blue - Miles Davis (1959) 6.15.26 Variety: 4 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 5 = 4.6 rounded up to a 5 "Don't worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one." Wow. Three Miles Davis Albums already. Not that I'm complaining, but that's a pretty high hit rate. Having recently listened to "Bitches Brew" and before that "Birth of the Cool" will be curious how this compares as I have not heard it in a very long time. I think I claimed that it outclassed "Bitches Brew" as a pure listening experience. Let's see if that's still true. THE TRACKS Side one "So What" - I've read or heard this type of "modal jazz" described as "slow motion" jazz. As opposed to staying in the same place and having the wide open space to improvise in, I see this as more as one of those people movers at the airport. We ARE in fact moving. It's just a leisurely pace and we're being pulled along through it. "Freddie Freeloader" - Talk about leisure. This track oozes a sly kind of friendliness, and feels like a late afternoon in your favorite bar with your friends. It's a rare day when no strangers come in to disrupt the atmosphere, and you can let loose talk as loud as you want. "Blue in Green" - Evan's piano sets the mood for this one, and the mood is intimate. This is the ideal for romantic jazz in my mind, and the answer to the question "can you slow dance to Miles Davis?". But it's not all schmaltz and candles. This is your moonlit, possibly shabby apartment, and despite the mess and lack of perfect atmosphere, it's a spontaneous, maybe drunken slow dance that needn't end with anything more than some much needed sleep. Side two "All Blues" - The driving opening brush beat on this one indicates some measure of anxiousness, but it's not overwhelming, and after a minute or so develops into a less mysterious, and more laid back and curious vibe. Playful even. That person following you ended up just being an old friend you hadn't seen in years who wanted to say hi. "Flamenco Sketches" - Languid and relaxed, but not sluggish. Loose and unrestricted, this one ambles on with no particular destination in mind. We might not know where we're headed just yet, but the view sure is mighty pretty on the way to wherever that may be. I think we're alone on this stroll, but wouldn't be opposed to some company should it happen along. HIGHLIGHTS - All of it MIDLIGHTS - LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS It's very easy to see why this album was so popular and hit the mainstream pretty hard despite it being different. One of those rare instances where innovation and popular consciousness were at pace with each other? Anyways, this is calming, relaxing and all that, but not boring, which is a criticism I've seen levelled at this album. Two reviews in a row where I've made comparisons to Brian Eno, but the Ambient 1: Music for Airports ( see previous reference) stands as an apt one I think. This is perfect background music for various low key activities, AND it's an enjoyable listen on its own. You could have this on at a party, while reading, jogging ( maybe to keep your heart rate down?)... possibilities are, well maybe not endless. Not sure this would be good chase music or anything. But it's class through and through, and FAR more accessible than some people might think, especially if they've been thrown by "Bitches Brew" or somthing similar being their first attempt with jazz. It's so accessible now I think too because it's been around for so damn long that this is more or less what I hear in my head when I picture "jazz". I don't hear the more swingy early stuff, and I don't hear the cliche free jazz silliness. This is the sweet spot. And it's not because it's mediocre or trying for mass appeal. It's because the culture caught up relatively quickly and it's more or less the standard now. And it's a pretty high one. Going back to my earlier question, I would definitely rank this higher than "Bitches Brew" on a basic enjoyment level, and slightly lower than "Birth of the Cool" as far as favorites go. It's not as challenging, maybe less intellectually stimulating, but I think it pulls off the better trick of proving that mass appeal doesn't always mean the lowest common denominator. It's just as challenging as it needs to be, and not a lick more. A delight, as always. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - ? FURTHER LISTENING - A Love Supreme by Jon Coltrane - Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock - The Real McCoy by McCoy Tyner - JuJu by Wayne Shorter
have been listening to this album for years. great as ever, perfect as ever
The best album of all time.
Absolute mastery.
Great
I'm not a jazz guy but that speaks for itself.
Хороший и качественный альбом, как говорится база. Определенно буду возвращаться, чтобы переслушать
Excellent album.
Love it, opening track is beaut
Ive liked it for a while
One of the best jazz albums of all time! The lineup on this is incredible, Miles Davis (trumpet/bandleader), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (alto saxophone), Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Jimmy Cobb (drums). Top tier modal jazz for the ages.
am i crazy for liking this more than time out? it’s the smoothest of smooth jazz. it’s buttery and soulful and reminds me of my grandpa who i never saw in anything but dress clothes and who took a cat nap every evening on the couch in the middle of appetizer hour holding a glass of wine and a piece of cheese, listening to jazz.
Perfect album.
Sublime. Utterly atmospheric and beautifully crafted.
I adore this album. I think summer is the wrong season for it though. It always makes me want it to be cold outside and warm inside, lights low, dark out, book on the go with some kind of hot drink. Just classic Jazz. I really do think this album is without peer in the genre.
Blue in the Green sounds so familiar and very beautiful but sad at the same time. I very much enjoyed listening to this. Its no wonder that blue in the green and so what are so popular, they grabbed my attention instantly
A masterclass in the blues, in composition, in improvisation, and in group dynamics. It simply doesn’t get any better.
Gorgeous album. Every song a classic.
Not a jazz expert
Very jazzy. I love you
Great stuff.
The album that got me into jazz music, and it’s still one of the best. The epic ‘All Blues’ remains one of my all time favourite pieces, and every other track is something special. For all the technical prowess on display here, the album still has an understated feel, and the music slowly evolves. As a result, attention is drawn to the intricacies of each person’s playing. I also love the overall atmosphere and feeling the album gives off, like walking through New York in the late evening.
I have nothing to say about this legendary, iconic jazz album that hasn’t been said before, but of course it’s brilliant, pretty much flawless even. Not only do we get Miles Davis at the peak of his powers, but also John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans (among others), a frankly ludicrously good line-up. Like so many people, this was quite possibly the first jazz album I ever listened to in full, and to this day it’s still one of my absolute favourites. It’s so good that even being first exposed to it in GCSE music didn’t dampen my enthusiasm.
okay
96/100. A timeless jazz masterpiece. It gave me a warm, cozy feeling, like a form of musical therapy. The atmosphere is so smooth and calming, it’s hard not to feel completely relaxed while listening. Easily one of the best jazz records ever made.
I was all excited to get "Kind of Blue" on 1001 Albums – it's in contention for my favourite album ever – and I went on YouTube to listen and got this different version that (for whatever reason) wasn't marked as such, and after the initial "Huh? Wha?," I settled in to listen to that one (faster rhythm section, slower – in the sense of less jam-packed, hence less adventurous, but as a result actually more percussive and better suiting the faster rhythm) and now it's one of my favourite albums too. I'm sure we could repeat that process indefinitely. That's the amazing thing about jazz in general and modal jazz (=less closely bound to chord progression) in particular, but I feel in some way I can't explain like musicologically about this album in particular: That sense of a structure built to support infinite possibilities.
I don't know much about jazz. This was an enjoyable, interesting listen, recorded by some clearly expert musicians.
Stone cold classic. No dispute. Love it!
Excellent, no notes!
great one to listen while doing homework or to focus on your task
awesome
god that was amazing
This is the jazz album for people who don't "get jazz", a category that I'd include myself in. It almost perfectly straddles the line between the more accessible hard bop jazz of the previous era and the experimental direction things would head in the 60s. In even my generally limited jazz knowledge, I'm partial to Bill Evans who shines here, but also Coltrane's playing is just superb. First two tracks are all-timers and Blue in Green is just a melancholic masterpiece with the piano playing and muted trumpet. Virtuoso performances all around from a group of legends getting together to do their thing at the height of their craft.
This shit is so good. Man it’s so fucking good.
What an album.
I thought this album was stunning. Not really sure what to say about it. Blue in Green almost made me cry, which is probably partly due to tiredness, but is also a testament to how well the music creates a mood. I think it has to be my favourite from the album, but I also enjoyed the energy of the first song a lot. There wasn’t a song that I didn’t like and each one brought its own feeling. I like jazz, but it isn’t something I would normally listen to, however I can see myself returning to this album. Fav song: Blue in Green Least fav: All Blues (but I still really enjoyed it)
I love this type of music. Great for focusing or relaxing.
This is the classic Miles record
Miles Davis does it again, and I think that he is truly one of the best artists of all time. This is just a great, great album that I need a physical copy of, yesterday,
EXCELLENT!
Amazing, super chill, smooth, you know the deal. Must-listen #352.
One of the best ones.
I feel kind of blue that this album is over.
L'album du jour, c'était Kind of Blue, de Miles Davis ! Ah, il y avait plus de deux mois que j'étais pas tombé sur un album que je possède déjà. Et quel album, l'un des premiers de jazz que j'ai acheté. Je ne connais toujours pas très bien le genre, mais celui-ci est un classique. Un album très calme, très posé, un peu l'idée qu'on se ferait d'un album de jazz qu'on entendrait en fond dans un bar lounge à boire du whisky. Mais attention, c'est aussi un album qu'il faut écouter avec attention. Parce que derrière ses mélodies discrètes, son attitude très détendue et apaisante, qui passe très bien en fond, il est aussi plein de subtilité, de mélodies léchées par lesquelles on se laisse porter. Et il n'est même pas très long, il se termine bien avant que l'ennui s'installe. J'avais lu quelqu'un écrire quelque part que si on n'aimait pas cet album, c'est qu'on aimait pas le jazz. Aujourd'hui, je me dis que cette personne a bien raison. Parce que même si c'est un album de jazz assez complexe et riche, comme attendent les fans du genre, il reste dans le même temps accessible (plus qu'un Kulu Sé Mama, par exemple). C'est peut-être pour ça qu'il a été une porte d'entrée pour moi dans le monde du jazz, avec Allan Holdsworth et des artistes entre plusieurs mondes comme Exivious et Magma. Oui oui, je change de sujet, mais cet album, il est assez personnel pour moi, alors je m'étends un peu sur les artistes qui m'ont conduit jusqu'à lui. Ah et enfin, est-ce qu'on parle de qui il y a sur cet album ? On a déjà du Bill Evans (découvert grâce à cette liste) et surtout on a putain de John Coltrane, comment tu pouvais faire autre chose qu'un classique avec un album qui regroupe Miles Davis ET John Coltrane ? Et je suis sûr qu'un spécialiste de jazz qui passerait là m'engueulerait de pas mieux connaître les autres noms.
An album I found boring at first. Now it’s transcendent. Davis+Coltrane=God.
Another of my desert island discs. Not much to add to what has already been said.
5/5
A great album even if you aren’t a jazz fan.
what a album
I don't get people who don't like jazz
Love it.
Love flamenco sketches
phenomenal!!!
Miles’ consensus masterpiece… and rightly so.
Motherfucking king of jazz
Peak
temendo disco. Qué placer volver a escucharlo.
Certified classic. Holy what an album. Absolutely terrific playing from everyone on here.
The jazz album I know better than any other. Owned this one a long time ago and still love the feel.
Just amazing. The album everyone who says they don't like Jazz should listen to.
Just awesome, probably the best album ever, makes me 😢 it’s so beautiful “Flamenco sketches” - Miles, John Coltrane together - what a magical combination - 🤝
Bill Evans & Miles Davis‼️
My rating is based on what Miles Davis represents, on his importance to music, and also on this Sunday, since it seemed like the perfect choice for the day! I think I was in the right frame of mind to listen to this; if I wasn’t, then this album put me in a good mood - as if the generator were some kind of wizard, sending the right albums at the perfect moment. In any case, a great choice, a great album, and an album everyone should listen to before they die ;-)
literally the jazz avengers, holy crap Would I listen again: yes please Deserves to be on this list: absolutely 5. straight
PEAK I LOVE DAVIS So What: I LOVE BILL EVANS AND COLTRANE HOLY MAMA Freddie Freeloader: So bouncy I like. Blue in Green: Beautiful trumpet and saxophone I could cry to it. So much expression coming from Coltrane, and it's shocking to see how well he pairs it with Bill Evans' piano. All Blue: Again Coltrane does wonderful under pressure. I think this is the first time we see Coltrane's style develop through the way he experiments in modal jazz. The minor scale that it starts off with brings so much tension, and Davis' trumpet with the bass is so uniquely dark. Flamenco Sketches: I think I'm gonna cry.
Already familiar with this, but I'll never decline a re-listen. Still as great as I remember.
Listened in the car. This is THE jazz album. When I was doing my classical music degree I took a Jazz Techniques class for the Education portion, and we were given an assignment: transcribe the first chorus of Miles' solo in So What. At the time I didn't really appreciate Jazz and thought this was a silly exercise. But as I'm listening and re listening and writing the notes down this whole new language opens up to me like I'm reading the Rosetta Stone. Since then I've been a huge fan and treat talented jazz musicians like they're rocket scientists. It's another perfect album and anyone who rates this less than 4 stars and tries to use more than five words to justify themselves are contrarian morons. I think it's okay to just not like jazz and so this album isn't for you, but to try to understate the skill, influence, and musicality of this album just shows your hand as a tone-deaf dullard. Five stars.
I don't know jazz but I don't really need to.
If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis. GOO!
I have probably listened to this more than all but 5 others in my collection. Perfect - from the otherworldly piano to Miles sweet and raspy style. Beautiful, touching, playful, and played by jazzbos at their peak. I mean COME ON man, you have Coltrane AND Cannonball Adderly, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb all in the same room. All at their peak. Compositionally groundbreaking, Kind of Blue sets the tone for Jazz forever after. You can not overstate how important this album is. If I could own a single album, it might be this one. Needs more stars than 5.
Smooth and great to listen to during work, while cooking, or just chilling at home.
Un clásico. Lo tengo en vinilo y lo amo
Really makes me want to buy a nice condo in the city and play this while making a big Sunday dinner.
Not my favourite jazz album (Waltz for Debby) nor my favourite Miles album (Sketches of Spain), but unquestionably one of the greatest albums of all time. It’s so somber and introspective for such a popular choice. It’s a perfect late night meeting with the soul.
Listening to this on a Saturday morning, my head laid on the bartop in my sisters apartment, the coffee maker chugging away for its life while it’s finishing brewing was the exact right vibe for this. Fantastic. I enjoyed this immensely and was immediately transported to a smokey club, a steamy back alley, and the offices of Sterling Cooper. Worth the 5 stars for Blue in Green alone.
Loved it!
>>>>> the Beatles A masterpiece
Da goat
It become my new distrees album. It’s perfect
Somebody give that man a trumpet
The GOAT
Like a true basic B this and A Love Supreme are my two favorite jazz albums
It would be stupid to give this anything but a 5. It's the goats being goated. I don't get how this isn't a 5 like what would be wrong? What could you say?
I love Bill Evans and this is one of the best Jazz records of all time if not the best of all time. Easy 5.
Classic album. Wonderful to hear in its entirety.
My favorite modal jazz album of all time. Miles Davis is my favorite trumpet player of all time. Best: All Blues Worst: Freddie Freeloader
Look who’s playing. Yeah own if and heard it, No jazz expert have no idea why it’s so revered But just listen to it. Cause it’s 5 star
smooth mellow tunes made my day a whole lot better.
So cool. This group of musicians. Their virtuosity. That sound. Incredible.
I don't know what makes good jazz, but I liked this.
The best jazz album of all time? In the running for best album of all time, period? Incredible stuff; a powerhouse of talent here and not a note played that sounds like it shouldn't be there.
One of my all time favorite albums. Freddie Freeloader is such a fucking mood. The album doesn't over stay it's welcome and it gets better on each listen.
It's a bit of a cliche, but this record (along with Coltrane's "Giant Steps") finally helped me understand jazz. Or, at least enjoy it. Have heard it probably a hundred times, and still hear new things every time.
I don't have much to say is the big Miles Davis, is like others albums quietly, emotional, executed in perfection, exciting
Really really good. I think I've pavloved myself into falling asleep immediately when listening to jazz. Beautiful stuff, and great for falling asleep to lol.
My first 5/5! Amazing, historic, and I would actually put it on in most contexts. Amaze.
Turns out I like jazz when it minds its manners.
Kind of perfect
The people in my life who love Kind of Blue: music theory professor, singer in a skate punk band, country musician, jam band guitarist, show tunes enthusiast, old drunk hippie, bassist in a hardcore band, my mom, record store owner, automotive writer, my spouse, etc etc etc This record is a miracle. Miles had off the charts musical intelligence AND feel/intuition. Just an outrageously good bandleader -- he not only picked the best people to work with, he also knew how to fit those pieces together. Books and books and books have been written about this album, so there's not much else to say -- it's just one of the best musical recordings ever.
great album
this album redefined jazz music, making it less structured and more prone to improvisation. it holds a big part of how we understand jazz nowadays and the sounds of each one of the compositions demonstrate this
Increíble álbum para romantizar la vida
Very relaxing! I will study to this in the future. 9.5/10!
padreada
A go to for smooth chill jazz 9/10
Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, entre tantos otros músicos geniales: imposible que este álbum no sea completamente cautivador e hipnótico. Siempre en un tono intrigante, fascinante: propone algunos caminos para después ser atravesados por solos de saxofón que recorren cada parte del cuerpo. Mágico, genial.
here's another all time "c'mon man"
This miles davis fella may go somewhere
All timer, great jazz.
I've listened to this album probably hundreds of times at this point. It's a masterpiece and probably the first album I'd suggest to an alien who had never heard jazz music before in their lives. There is no need for me to write any more on this matter, if you don't think this album is perfect you're wrong and an idiot. THAT BEING SAID I still think Miles in the Sky is his best work due to childhood bias, but I digress.
This is sublime. There is so much emotional depth in this music. The album speaks to me in a way that is very hard to define
muy buen álbum ambiental, nunca había escuchado un álbum sólo de jazz instrumental; fue una experiencia que volvería a pasar. genial para acompañar una lectura o aislarte del mundo.
Good. Chill
Very good for reading. I listened to it while reading and then there were none by Agatha Christie:)
It’s a perfect album to listen to calmly, to enjoy and create your own atmosphere, but also to approach in a more sophisticated way and analyze it as a whole—without even taking into account all its historical importance and the legend who created it
El mejor álbum de jazz
TUUU tuu pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa....
Genre defining piece. Timeless. Detractors can suck it.
My dad used to play this album while he was working in his office when I was a kid. Reminds me of warm Saturdays at home. As an adult, I think I have a much deeper appreciation for Davis’ talent. Great stuff
facile
I can hum and scat this entire album, this one hit me in my early twenties. So cool, accessible and translates the feelings conveyed through instrumentation.
One of the greatest albums of all time
Favorite Song: So What
This album is a marvel.
Generational classic. Perfect album.
Foundational. Strong contender for best album if all time. A 5, because there is no 6.
What can you even say?
kind of blue is kind of genius, kind of common knowledge : )
IMO not only the greatest jazz album of all time, which it is, but top 5 all time on my list. It’s the essence and pinnacle of live improv music. A rare perfect moment in musical history captured and preserved. A beautiful confluence of the greatest players of that generation, possibly any generation. Pure magic.
It's like witnessing a beautiful building. Following the lines, curves, shapes, and how they blend into the sky around it. It's precise, a mix of elements, all working within the space. It defines the negative space. Perfection.
Kind of...extraordinary, incomparable, unrivalled, divine, preeminent, chill, engaging. Perhaps the first mood album. Not to discount the playing but the tone and ambience are what makes this singular. It's not my favorite MD album but along with JCs Giant Steps it opened the door for me. And it still just SOUNDS brilliant, luminous, celestial, otherworldly...
The best jazz album … the GOAT!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Jazz är inte riktigt i min bekvämlighetszon, men detta album är en sån klassiker. Det är fantastiskt från början till slut. Ett album man bara sätter på och faller in i ett meditativt lugn. Fantastiska musiker där man nästan upplever att instrumenten talar till varandra. Bäst är So What, Flamenco Sketches och allt därimellan, det är väl egentligen inte ett album där man lyssnar på enskilda spår. Det får bli en 5a.
What a way to end the week! One of the most essential albums ever created, regardless of genre. This is the jazz album that you recommend to someone when they say they are trying to get into jazz. An all star cast of players (I always forget both Coltrane and Cannonball are on this album). The definition of a flawless album. On a personal note, this album taught me how to swing. This isn't hyperbole, my drum teacher told me to put this album on and just keep time with what Jimmy Cobb is playing. It transformed the way I play jazz. Playing so laid back while at the same time being incredibly locked in the pocket does wonders to a developing jazz drummer. Last side note: I had a teacher once say that this album is/was so popular that Billboard had to stop counting it because otherwise it would continue to appear on the chart. While I can totally see that as feasable for an album of this magnitude I have yet to confirm the truth behind his statement. Take that as you will. Oh and if it wasn't already clear - 5/5
Classic say no mire
The defining jazz album. If you're interested in getting into jazz, this is the album to start with. It is a whole album of perfection, the standard for jazz albums to come. While certainly not my favourite, or even in my opinion the best, it is a masterpiece that could be played on loop for days and I'd be content. There are not highlights here. The whole album is one.
Possibly the greatest jazz album ever made.
Oh hell yeah. This is beautiful and fantastic. Where Bitches Brew was almost frantic, this is a cool breeze enveloping you in the music. It's a classic for a reason, can't argue with Coltrane.
5/5 Um álbum pra todo momento.
Is jazz my favorite genre? Not really. Do I pull this album out very often? No. But it's beautiful and clearly the work of a master.
This is the second Miles I've listened to for this project. While I enjoyed the, at times, hypnotic improvisation on Bitches Brew, I found myself enjoying this one far more. This isn't as demanding of a listen as that album as this one offers a much calmer atmosphere with much more digestible compositions. Jazz is still a genre that I don't fully get yet, but this is definitely the most I've ever enjoyed a jazz album before and I can definitely see this growing on me with repeated listens. Fav Songs: So What, Blue In Green, Freddie Freeloader Least Fav: idk 9.3/10
Finally a decent record!! This was my intro to jazz records. First one I owned and still the best one.
<3
the best kind of background music
The kind of music that makes you realise that maybe everything will actually be ok
The Master
An all-time great.
YES
🎺🥁
Jazz that makes my ears go 💦
Great jazz album, no notes.
While this is not a go-to jazz album for me, not even a go-to Miles Davis for me, personally I recommend Miles' second quintet as his best music. This album is clearly a masterpiece and highly enjoyable.
I had a great AP English teacher in high school who used to burn a CD for each of his students at the end of their senior year. He gave me this one. It had exactly the melancholy, mind- and soul-expanding effect I think he intended. One of my biggest worries in this world is that there seem to be fewer people like that around to do things like that for my kids. Listening to this again makes me want to be a better person. Beyond just that, it definitely puts me in a mood of receptiveness to the universe (hint: play it louder than you think you need to). Wouldn't change a note.
Does it get better than this?
There was one singular time I heard this where I undrstood why it’s a 5 and I chase that feeling every time I listen and I think that experience improves it’s five-ness
Thee jazz album.
Gran gran disco. Joder es música. Me encanto. Ya lo había escuchado antes y me gusta verlo en esta lista, definitivamente creo que es un disco que no puede faltar dentro de los mejores. El nivel interpretativo de Miles Davis, así como de John Coltrane, Cannonball Aderlay y Bill Evans son increíbles. La capacidad de improvisación es excelente. Las progresiones armónicas y la construcción de melodías usando la pentatónica del 5to grado del acorde raíz resulta en un trabajo de composición grandioso. Todo bien con este disco, la verdad es una joya musical. Creo que no podría decir más. 10/10. Joya
Una pasada, agresivo para ser un disco de jazz. La verdad revisitarlo me hizo apreciarlo aún más
it's a wonderful album. not one meant for me to listen intently, but one that I can do hella homework to
Easiest 5.
fucking finally. i have been hoping for this album specifically since the end of the first week. easiest five star rating i have ever given out by a mile. bill evans is my favorite jazz pianist, so this album resonated so hard with me when miles davis traded hard bop for the softer life (and of course included Evans on all but one of these tracks). "So What" is endlessly relistenable. hell, all the tracks are endlessly relistenable. modal jazz is particularly special not just because of its unique ability to be versatile and flexible musically, but also because it demonstrates mastery of the craft: you can only break the rules of music when you understand them perfectly, which is why so many other bands become stale and albums start to sound the same while jazz artists *usually* don't. Miles Davis doesn't even come fucking close to that. everything he does is unique. Spin Bitches Brew before or after this, and if you're not already a davis fan, you'd be hard pressed to say it's a different crew. miles davis, bill fucking evans, coltrane-- what's not to love here? arguably, this year (1959), is when jazz was at its all time high. it's tragic to even articulate that potential reality because of all the good shit that comes out of the 60s and early (emphasis on early) 70s, but truthfully, this might be *the* album that withstands the would-be onslaught against jazz as "elevator music." hearing some local jazz cats in Prague play "Kind of Blue" in some dingy jazz club basement at 3am irrevocably changed my brain chemistry. i get that jazz isn't for everybody and i would hate to become that pretentious fucking loser who says "you just don't get it" to people who don't like jazz, but I WILL say that i think if you are lukewarm on jazz/want to get into the genre/think that you hate jazz, this is the album i'd suggest to you before you give up on it. i don't need to waste anyone's time writing about the history of this record or why it's so fucking cool, but for any lovers of nonfiction out there, I cannot recommend James Kaplan's book 3 Shades of Blue enough. it's not just about this album, but about the people surrounding it and the culture that allowed it to become critically successful. i *love* this album.
There’s a lot going on here (complimentary)
That first cymbal crash into the pattern on the ride in “So What” is euphoric — James Cobb is underrated/overlooked on this record (and understandably so with such big talent).
I think this was the first jazz album I ever listened to in full, which i imagine to be a pretty common experience. I enjoy jazz but have a very surface level knowledge. Miles and Coltrane are the folks to whom I most gravitate and here they both are.
THE Jazz Album
I’m not a fan of jazz, and in trying to understand why Kind of Blue is good I got lost in modal music and bebop. All I know is this music evokes pleasure - a conversation between players that’s relaxing and free. I didn’t know jazz could be this satisfying.
It's great
Great introduction to jazz if you are new
Genuinely generational
This is a masterpiece, one of the all time great albums. Every time I listen to it I am struck by how perfect it is. All the songs flow and are amazing. No matter how many times I hear it I feel it is an amazing work.
Джжжазы
I remember a very specific day of Freshman year jazz class where Tom Gotwals took me, Harry, and the rest of the Freshman jazz class into a room to listen to this record. He said the solo on Freddy Freeloader is the coolest, simplest solo ever and I have to agree. While when it comes to Miles, I prefer In a Silent Way, I still think this is the greatest straight jazz record ever. I’ve listened to countless times, and I hope I get to keep listening to it.
a masterpiece, though not a Miles Davis LP that I typically throw on when I'm feeling some Miles. still, it's stunning start to finish, each player making sound right where it makes the most impact, without doing too much, and in deep partnership with the other players. endless beauty and grace here.
Of course it’s one of the first jazz albums I ever had, probably the first, as it is for many. “Blue in Green” is one of my favorites ever.
Accessible jazz. Miles Davis and John Coltrane andc other musicians are giants. Easy to listen to. Not busy.
Legendary stuff
There's a reason everyone talks about it (other than being relatively accessible). Just about perfect.
Thanks classically trained musician for the notes and the doc recommendation! I've loved this album a long time, always hear new things in it anytime I give it a serious listen, but have not a clue about modalities, no idea what a jazz year 1959 was. With some chatgpt help I dug into hard bop vs modal jazz yesterday - at least I know some of where to hear the difference now without understanding the why. The 1959 documentary is inspiring. My dad was a Brubeck fan so I was raised on it, came to Mingus lightly by way of Joni Mitchell, Coleman is all new to me. Thanks for the breadcrumbs.
This one's a long review, sorry folks. --- TL;DR – "Kind of Blue" solidified the cool jazz style which contrasted the more popular bebop style of the time. Instead of bebop's complex harmonies, Davis and the rest of his high-calibre personnel keep things much simpler and use some cool music theory to create a unique sound. --- One of a few jazz albums that came out in 1959 that would alter the course of jazz at the time, Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" set the new standard for cool jazz. Though this sub-genre of jazz had already been foreshadowed by other musicians (notably Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer), "Kind of Blue" pioneered the use of modal progressions and improvisation. Cool jazz came as a reaction to the more popular bebop style of the time, which is characterized by complex chord progressions, note-laden, sometimes frenetic melodies, and intricately improvised solos, all at a breakneck pace. "Kind of Blue" contrasts these characteristics by using modality, overall slower tempo, and a much mellower sound. I believe it's these characteristics that make this album a great stepping stone into the world of jazz for listeners who may not otherwise be interested in the genre. **Warning: some music theory incoming** Probably the most important of these characteristics present on "Kind of Blue" is the use of modes to create interesting harmony rather than a series of complex chords. This is exemplified on the first track, "So What," throughout which the musicians stick to only two chords: Dm7 and E♭m7. On top of these chords, the melodies and improvised solos are created using the Dorian mode built on D and E♭ respectively. Dorian is essentially a natural minor scale but with its 6th note raised a semitone – you can also think of it as the scale you get when you play all the white notes on a keyboard starting and ending on D. Every single track on this album is simply a pleasure to listen to, though I have a particular affinity for "All Blues" because I played it in a small ensemble with some friends in high school. I think "So What" was probably one of the first jazz tunes I ever took a solo on as well, and quickly learned that a song having only two chords doesn't mean it's easy to improvise a good-sounding solo. From his use of modality to his iconic, Harmon-muted trumpet sound, Miles shaped the genre and culture of jazz music indelibly. If you've made it this far into my review, thanks for reading! --- Bonus: I mentioned above that "Kind of Blue" is one of a few highly influential records released in 1959 – the others are "Mingus Ah Um" by Charles Mingus (hardbop), "Time Out" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet (odd time signatures), and "The Shape Of Jazz To Come" by Ornette Coleman (free jazz), which I mentioned in an earlier review for "Spy vs. Spy" by John Zorn. If you're interested in learning more about these albums and their influence on jazz, I recommend checking out Paul Bernays' 2009 documentary, "1959: The Year That Changed Jazz." ---
Finally more jazz! Surprisingly I haven't listened to this before, despite it being considered one of the best jazz albums of all time. This is an album of heavy-hitting musicians who are masters of their instruments, which gives it a really effortless sound. You can tell every musical choice is intentional and executed with care. This was a lovely listen.
I started listening to Miles Davis when I was first testing out our new stereo. Since he came highly recommend as one of the albums to do that. Thanks to internet strangers for the recommendation.
Kind of a perfect jazz album more like it. So many subtleties and little brilliant moments throughout that require a bit of focus to pick up on. Such great control and mastery of all their instruments. Each pushing forward and pulling back as they feel their way through the music. All the while the drumming quietly sits in the back tying everything down into a steady stream of bliss. The drumming is so steady it almost fades into the background like Homer spimson fading into the bush. Easy to have this type of music fall into the background, and if that happens you Kind of lose out on the subtle beauty that jazz brings. This was an album where it was easier to fully pick up on the playfulness of all of the instruments coming together. 9/10
10 / 10 - cool & intim - schon mehrmals in meinem Leben durchgehört und von mal zu mal bewundere und schätze ich das Album immer mehr Favs: - So What - All Blues - Flamenco Sketches
deserves every bit of mythology around it. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
No shit
Bill evans
So, so, nice. In three days I got this one and the Birth of the Cool. Making up for all the Bowie.
One of the best jazz albums of all time
Obviously a 10/10 album from an impact/cultural perspective. From a listening perspective, this isn’t my favorite kind of jazz, it’s apathetic coolness is a bit too present. But after all, it’s still such a great listen.
Sooooo good
This one gets me clicking my fingers like I’m some kind of flippin jazz cat
este álbum es una curita al corazón
i actually have this album on vinyl and have enjoyed it. i usually listen to these albums with my headphones which always feels more immersive. honestly way shorter than i thought it would be. crazy how you can just imagine this music really giving off a strong emotion in the background of an old black and white movie
YESYESYES THANK YOU ALBUM GODS FOR BLESSING ME🙏🙏
You don’t get to 5x Platinum without being amazing
Kind of Blue was the first jazz album I ever bought. I wanted to see if jazz could be my thing and well this is THE jazz album. The best one ever according to most people. I definitely didn’t fully get it at first. I thought it sounded nice. I often played it while I was going to sleep because it helped. Slowly I started to appreciate it more. Also the more jazz I listen to, the better Kind of Blue has become. Every note and inflection just seems perfect. I’ve also listened to it enough times that I know it front to back. I don’t know music theory or anything like that to be able to explain why it’s different or even necessarily innovative compared to other stuff of the time, but I can feel how perfect it is and it’s always great to revisit it
I lost faith in the merit of this list a long time ago, but that may just be the nail in the coffin. How is it not on the active roster?! If there is one thing I gained from this project, then it's the despise for over-representation of rubbish Brit-pop. I can't anymore. I feel an incomprehensive amount of emotion in each sound immortalized on this record. Stories of passion shared in a universal language which we all are blessed to share. When did I get so sentimental?...
This album is great. 5 stars for sure
Perfect album, intro to Jazz.
Not sure the word cool was even invented before this album. Everything was smooth like butter.
Strong. Always nice to listen to.
Divine!
Best of the best!
This album is what happens when legendary musicians are given the freedom to hit record and just go where the spirit of the music takes them. I wanna go back through this album and try to better understand everything going on throughout it because I'm certain musicians of this caliber are doing so much more than meets the eye (or... ear). Fantastic album; I want to buy a physical copy.
beautiful beautiful beautiful highly recommend
La joya del cool jazz
What an album. There’s this little dive in my neighborhood. It’s filled with artists and locals and degenerates and punk rockers holding on from the 70s. And the classic jukebox reflected that. And yet, from time to time someone would put on the entirety of Kind Of Blue and the mood in the dingy place shifted. At times someone would complain. They would always be educated or escorted out. After hours on a rainy night with a favorite bartender. That’s what this is.
A great, great, great album
Very ritzy. Almost like you’re at the Copa Cabana. Reminds me of how I felt watching Green Book. Complex, smooth, and elegant.
My fav jazz album of all time
As someone for whom jazz is my least favorite genre, I haven't felt this relaxed while listening to this in a long time. All thoughts just disappeared and I wished this album would never end.