Reviews (page 7 of 15)
scale: 1 - instaskip, 2-meh can be skipped/reaches point to skip, 3 -nothing wrong/easy listen/not seeking out, 4 - would listen to again, 5 - must listen "saying the name of the song early scale" (SNSES) Will be accounted for when I can remember. So what: 5 Freddie freeloader: 5 Blue in green: 5 All blues: 5 Flamenco sketches: 5 I literally did nothing but boring insurance licensing and this was the best thing I could possibly listen to. Tbh I don’t know when one song started/ ended but it all sounded good.
scale: 1 - skipping if heard it again/actually skipped it 2- meh can be skipped/reaches point to skip 3 -nothing wrong/easy listen/not seeking out 4 - would listen to again 5 - must listen So What - 5 Freddie Freeloader - 5 Blue in Green - 4.5 All Blues - 4 Flamenco Sketches - 4
I’m just starting to learn music theory and the piano and to appreciate jazz on a deeper level, so I’m sure I’m only scratching the surface of what they’re doing here. As such, I have a feeling this is an album I’m going to grow to appreciate more over time, but for today I’m just going with my gut response and that says 4/5. 4/5 Highlights: Freddie Freeloader Flamenco Sketches
A very pure form of jazz that's beautifully played, makes me feel like I'm at a fancy dinner party. The slower pace makes it fall behind more eccentric jazz albums for me personally
Probably my favourite jazz album
Well, yeah....obviously "Kind of Blue" is a must-listen. In fact, most Miles Davis records could qualify for this list. But how about some Thelonious Monk? Maybe there's something from him coming up, I hope.
Back to back bangers with the Hives yesterday and Miles Davis today.
Feels like the soundtrack to any background music at a fancy establishment. I didn't really pay attention to which songs I liked better than other, but it all just blended together so well that it didn't really matter. Although I'm not a jazz guy, you can tell this album by Miles Davis is the standard for the genre. All the instrumentals go together so well, though Davis' trumpet stands out repeatedly. On vibes alone, this might be the most chill album of all time. I'd say this is a pretty easy call for a 5 here. Now I have great dinner music for if I ever host a fancy party.
As far as Miles Davis albums go, Kind of Blue is probably his most accessible and widely known. This album pairs Davis with two other (that I know at least) Jazz giants: Coltrane (sax) and Bill Evans (piano). The end result is a masterpiece that oozes in style and grace with an effortlessly cool air about it. This album is ubiquitous and pleasing to the point that it can serve as a piece to focus upon an study just as well as it can provide background music for some smart event. There are no misses here, but the biggest standout to me is opener So What. It plays as if confidence were a song, with a lumbering bassline, tippy-tappy drums, and the vocal tumpet and saxophone. Just a beautiful mood setter. Otherwise, I have not much to say on this one -- its gorgeous. Not among my favorites of Davis' work, but certainly one to savor nonetheless.
Started off hot and then certainly settled into a more relaxed tone. The whole thing was flawless though. Really easy listening. When I think of smooth jazz, this is exactly where my head goes.
Some pretty awesome jazz with Miles Davis crushing some trumpet. I feel like there were some absolute classic jazz songs on here because I think I recognized one or two songs. Unrelated but it made it think of this, if you ever want to see some impressive cheeks by a jazz trumpet player just google image search Dizzy Gillespie. That lad could blow a golf ball through a garden hose. Anyways, solid 4.
Another easy 5 holy hell. I Figured this one would come up after having Bitches Brew. This is one of the most enjoyable albums ever. The underlaying beats just makes for the whole thing. Every song is incredible in their own way but also feels like one giant song at the same time. I love this album.
I think a lot of ink has been spilled on this album already, so I haven't got much to add. It's definitely a classic, and was one of the first jazz albums I listened to and grew to appreciate. I kind of forgot about it for a few years though, when I got into more modern and avant garde jazz. But then I came back to it sometime over covid, got it on vinyl, and discovered it all over again. I don't see it ever leaving my collection.
Classic
Jazz is not my jam but it’s obvious that Miles Davis is on another dimension on this album. While it was an enjoyable listen it just wasn’t for me. But I would recommend to anyone to give it a listen.
Very good, though no songs in particular jumped out at me as a standout favorite. I need to learn a lot more about jazz.
Amazing
great as background music but idk for more than that
Best Jazz album I have ever listened too. It is however the only Jazz album I have ever listened too as well.
How much can be written about this record that hasn't already been said? As someone who has a healthy, yet understated, love of jazz, I am not as familiar with “Kind of Blue” as I perhaps should be. This probably comes in part, as a response to the opener “So What” alone. The piece is so ubiquitous, or feels so familiar, that recognising it outright, has almost become a shorthand for expressing a personal understanding and an indicating one might know what jazz ‘is’. So what can be said? The instruments are so separate, so specifically approachable, that directing your aural attention to each, suggests how easy it is to ignore how well the players interlace with one another as the overall composition plays out and emerges. As a result, the aesthetic, the listening experience, is certainly much closer to listening to classical than to interwar jazz that precedes this album, or the blues driven rock that “Kind of Blue” eventually had to compete with. That remarkable separation of instruments continues to give so much context to appreciating more contemporary forms of music and to realise how difficult it is to have unique instruments operate as a whole but remain distinct.
Great feeling
There are edgelords out there who need to hate against Kind of Blue. Yes, yes, you might not agree that this is THE best jazz album of all times, but you can't deny the greatness with it's modal approach that lets every player on this album shine. 'All Blues' is especially great as it turns so much on his head which was typical for jazz music of the time.
An all-time great, probably my favorite jazz CD. Not sure what I can say about it that hasn't already been said.
De chill super chill musica negros 50’s
4/5
I know a lot of things get labeled “the best ever/the greatest of all time” but for my money Kind of Blue is up there as maybe the best Jazz record ever. This is the record that I can put on no matter what my mood is and it just fits perfect.
Tem nem o que dizer.
I remember hearing this for the first time. I don't remember exactly when, but I do know it was with my Grandpop Wil, on vinyl, listening on his great hi-fi system through great speakers that really let the sound wash over the listener. Previously, Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way came up in my listening queue. What a drastic difference between these two records. What a testament to how one man pushed the development of jazz music. Kind of Blue is exemplary of Miles’ ability to move past previous subgenres and explore new themes and permutations of the art form. Here we have modal jazz, a music nerd’s dream come true. Kind of Blue is widely considered the best jazz album ever recorded. But Miles would later record Sketches of Spain, In a Silent Way, and Bitches Brew, all records that are recognized as essential Miles Davis albums.
Beautiful listen despite jazz not being my sort of go to
This is the music I think off when I mention the blues genre. Really good and easy to listen. Only complaint is that songs are too long but that comes with the territory
In my review for Davis' In A Silent Way, I noted how jazz no longer felt like a giant noise, but rather, contained audible meaning. I was impressed by the atmosphere it set forward between two tracks. About three weeks later, I'm handed this record. In the past, Kind Of Blue was another folk hero that I had long heard the praises of. Accolades such as multi-platinum sales numbers and being called "the greatest jazz record of all time" paraded around my younger ears. With all that hype, I took my shot at a date with the record, but my younger mind couldn't put a finger on why this was held so high. It may have been how So What began quietly and didn't contain anything too dramatic. It's all a cool run built on a modal structure. Middle School me wasn't ready for that. Nowadays, I feel grateful to have somewhat familiarized myself with the essence of jazz. The fact that this album is based on a series of themes surrounded by modal structures and soloing brought something fascinating to my attention. This song structure is very alike to what I hear in my favorite jam band recordings. When I solo on my guitar and am not relying on a pentatonic scale, I'm using the musical modes to my advantage. When Phish or The Grateful Dead play through some of their songs, they use modes to keep the groove moving and the audience engaged. That's when I realized that I owe a lot to this record. It is a truly powerful statement recorded by some of the brightest names in all of jazz history. Now, I can proudly say that I understand this now. Think of it this way: what Nas' Illmatic was for hip hop, Davis' Kind Of Blue was for jazz. I rest my case (10/10, 5/5 on this scale)
Not bad
Mine ears have heard the glory of the coming of the jazz
Wait, Davis AND Coultrain AND Evans? Most stacked lineup in jazz history
The Best!!! #musicsky #albumsky
Sempre perfeito
Founding father of jazz for a reason. Infinitely listenable.
Really enjoyed this one Perfect album for a lazy Sunday morning sitting around drinking coffee and trying to occupy a busy toddler
There's not a lot to say about this record that hasn't been explained a million times by people who are way more clever than I am. Along with John Coltrane's "A love Supreme", this record is known as the main representative of jazz, and for good reason. Even people who don't appreciate Jazz will appreciate this one.
Um disco essencial, um clássico. Um time de músicos fenomenal. O clímax do aprimoramento da parceria entre Miles Davis e John Coltrane. Absolutamente indispensável!
The goat. this is what Jazz is
First track is already quite good. A 4 so far. Keeps going that way. Nice.
Kind of Blue [1001 albums] by Miles Davis: 8/10, A great introduction to a totally new genre to me. I'm absolutely certain that I will re-review this at some point once I've explored more of jazz, but this has served as a suitable first full jazz album. As with discovering any new genre, I find that it's moreso about discovering the "vocabulary" in a sense than anything else. I'm aware of the general workings of jazz and the history that lead to the albums like Kind of Blue that are frequently considered among the best of all time. If there's one fundamental concept in my understanding of music that this album, and as I expect, jazz as a whole, has challenged, it's the idea of directionality. In songwriting and music listening, I tend to find enjoyment in melodies, solos, and harmonies that develop in a way that feels like it's "going somewhere". While this is a pretty generala and ambiguous concept, the improvised sections of this album didn't fit with what I expect to hear in that sort of musical direction and it was the most challenging aspect of the listen.
The masters at work. Proof that a million notes per second isn't necessary. The most relaxing and beautiful music you will ever hear. What's incredible also is the names that play here, besides Miles. Coltrane, Cannonball, Evans, come on. It's considered to be one of the greatest jazz albums of all time for a reason. 5/5
Smooth, pure, unadulterated jazzzzz. +1 for being the real deal, & not junk from the Weather Channel’s on the 8’s.
Thoughts before listening: One of the few jazz records I've ever owned, and it seems thats pretty common. Also contains one of the most recognizable hooks in all of jazz with "So What". Its been a while since I have listened to this, but I am sure it holds up and will merit 5-stars. Review: Yep, definitely holds up. This album is one of the most well known jazz albums for a reason. Strong playing throughout from some of the all-time greats of the genre, and songs that have stood the test of time. I used to have a poster of this album on my wall in college. Now I was a complete poser, but it speaks to this album's reach that I was even able to purchase a Kind of Blue poster at the University of Tennessee in 1999. Best songs are "So What", "Freddie Freeloader", and "All Blues". 5-stars
A standard at this point. Miles Davis is one of one.
Really enjoyed this one, didn't want it to end.
Awesome jazz
Beautiful.
Fantastic album, listened multiple times
It was nice. Probably the most enjoyable of Miles Davis albums I’ve heard so far. But I’m still not that big on Jazz.
Pretty nice sound
Perfect!
Some classic jams from one of the greatest but I can only handle small doses. Jazz is a language I don’t fully understand.
Calmed my brain
OK. 2/5
Timeless. The product of collective genius. Imagine being in the room, hearing those first takes with Coltrane, Evans and Cannonball???
brī niš ķī gi der jebkurai atmosfērai
Not my usual genre but greatness is greatness and there's a reason why they call this the best jazz album ever.
Can’t beat Miles Davis
I’ve had this entire album on a Jazz playlist for a while now, and for good reason, every track is top-tier jazz. The playing is fluid, the mood is timeless, and the chemistry between them is unmatched. Kind of Blue isn’t just a classic, it’s essential listening.
tremendo
Jazzy
Perfect album. Perfectly performed and recorded. You feel like you’re in the room. Tempos and keys and feel varies constantly. 1959 was an amazing year. This record is one that any citizen should be required to know.
First jazz album I’ve ever listened to, found it nice. Would be easy to put on in the background.
The music is incredible, but I just don't love jazz.
IF I liked jazz it'd be a 5. But I don't. Man it'd be cool to like this, wouldn't it? I'm not cool. But at least it's not Pink fucking Floyd.
I really wish it had vocals.
Sounds like you’d describe jazz sounding like
A fantastic album, with immensely clear instrumentation where it is easy to pick out individual parts. To boot, it is an amazing album to relax to, or to make anything you are doing feel way fancier than it probably is. The only problem that anyone might have with it is if you aren't into instrumentals, as there is not a single word on the album. However, for someone like myself where instrumentals are toward the top of my list, it fits right at home.
Perfect ambiance album.
Not my cup of tea but you can recognise it is a masterpiece of it's genre.
Geiles Jazz Album. Eigentlich ist sowas nix für mich aber hatte nie das Bedürfnis abzuschalten oder zu Skippen. Saxophon Genuss für 45 Minuten. Fällt mir leider nur zu schwer es einen perfekten Score zu geben 4/5
Miles Davis is an amazing musician, I'm just not that into instrumental jazz. Best song: So What
Don’t like jazz, hard slog
You can't give it a 1 but all that jazz, jeez
I feel like this is a treasured family heirloom someone has brought into a pawn shop, and I'm the surly guy behind the counter, shrugging and saying, "three stars, that's as high as I can go."
This is a treasure!
smooth
O maior classico do jazz por uma razão
Very much enjoyed it! Not huge into jazz, but it was a great listen and very relaxing.
Like a lot of people, I imagine, this album was my way in to jazz. It's melodic and approachable enough to not scare you off but it also has enough exploratory sections to at least hint at the wilder directions you can take backwards into bebop and much wilder onwards into free jazz and Miles' kick start of fusion.
This is one of those legendary albums, like Dark Side Of The Moon, Sergeant Pepper, Rumours, Velvet Underground and Nico, or Pet Sounds, that anybody who knows anything about music has heard of. This is peerless in its execution. This is boring bloody bollocks. Jazz is jam band music for people who look down on jam bands. Jam bands are also shit.
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.
It's not musically unpleasant, but it sounds pretty thin. A lack of lyrics is going to be a big issue for me too.
IMO Could have done with some words - which is probably a really poor opinion and not appreciative of it musical achievements. All pleasant enough but need something more
Not for me
Ya like Jazz?
1. Very mild, easy listening jazz. 9 minutes, but didn't really feel like it. Kinda boring/kinda not. Feels like a right mood, right time type of listen. No lyrics, I think this is just a instrumental/trumpet album. 2. Continuation of first song. Building off of previous song. 3. Giving a little more film noir score vibes. 4. Nothing to say. All of these songs have been like nine minutes of smooth jazz. 5. I wouldn't be able to pick it out of the other songs. 5.9/10 Not for me, but I understand why people would listen to this. It also has the added benefit of zero lyrics, so it can stand the test of time without becoming problematic like the Aerosmith album I listened to before this.
Seb’s
Jazz still isn't my favourite genre, but I do quite like this. I feel like the whole band is just clicking really well, it's very foot-tappable. I think this is also the latest "ancient" sounding album of all the 50s and 60s albums that have come up on the list so far - there's something timeless about it
This album as a whole is really important to me. There were two albums that my high school band director always talked about, Kind of Blue and Birth of the Cool, both by Davis. He's moving to Illinois to take a job as the band director of a whole district this year, and I'm gonna miss him. He's the entire reason I've ever heard of this guy, and he's the sole reason I decided to major in Music Education instead of Law when I was really stuck between the two. He really created a home outside of home for not just me, but hundreds of people during his 19 years at my school. To you directly, Mr. Howell, even if you don't read this, I hope to be just like you in a decade. "The world is full of ignorant people, don't be one of them." -Page Howell, 2021.
There's something about hearing a few masters play their instruments together. As far as jazz goes, this brings the heat.
Obviously this is regarded as some of the greatest jazz ever but I just can’t do it I’m afraid
Look! It's Miles Davis from jazz! This album is immediately appealing, well-mannered and restrained, none of which being I'm looking for out of Miles Davis or John Coltrane. It is gorgeous, but a little anodyne.
If I walk into a record store and see this album, I’m buying it even if I’ve never heard the adulation surrounding it based solely on the heavy-hitter, all-star lineup: Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley on the horns, Everybody Digs Bill Evans on the keys, Paul Chambers on bass. Despite that collection of virtuoso talent (and egos, probably), the group displays incredible restraint and discipline. It’s as smooth as a placid summer lake, uncluttered and full of space. “All Blues” rides a mischievous, simple shuffle to a remarkably quiet, contemplative end. What a composition. The whole album feels like a long tone poem. Fantastic.
What can I say about this record? It's like being asked to rate the Sistine Chapel. "You gotta check out that ceiling!" I can confess here that I'm a jazz dilettante; bebop, hard bop, soul jazz are my bread and butter. This record is more complex than those sounds usually are, but it doesn't lose me the way that more radical jazz styles often do, flinging me off like an overclocked carousel. Instead I can enjoy this ride and its subtle thrills.
If you have fewer than 10 jazz records (like I do), this should be one of them. Not an unpleasant listen, and a great example of this artist/style.
I hear trumpet jam I 5*
What is the point of jazz?
A really good album. I didn’t know what to expect from it since my previous two albums from Davis have been a 5⭐️ and a 2⭐️ so I’m definitely hit or miss with him. I’ll be keeping this one saved for a while.
Easy to listen to. Not really engaged by it because a rebellious part of my brain insists that jazz is a trick that really good musicians are playing on the rest of us. But I can see myself getting over that and putting this on as background music. I understand how this is counted among the best jazz records.
❤️
Wait, sample packs also count as albums?
grocery store music not my kind of jazz. too depressing
ну чё-то слишком блюз что ли, скучно
I would not listen to this on my own buttttttt probably good for people who like jazz
Jazzy. 4.4/5
Super good front to back 4.8
I must say that I don't have the ear to review or rate jazz music effectively. I listened to this on a log drive taking Comet to a surgical appointment in the morning and I can say that it set the mood very effectively. It had a cool and calming effect on my driving, my nerves, my anxiety. I felt a bit sharper and more awake for listening to it. I liked the album quite a lot, but don't have many more words for it until I listen to some more and gain a better understanding of the genre. A good introduction though.
No surprises, exactly what I expected pleasant but not amazing
If you want to get into jazz, this is the way.
Bluish
Classic.
Legendary. One of the most recognizable jazz records of all time for good reason. Incredible talent and skill all over this one. A masterclass of musicianship, each solo flows seamlessly into the next. Once you get on this train it's almost impossible to turn it off.
Felt like I should have been hosting a fancy dinner party
29/1001 :: Miles Davis - Kind of Blue Heard before? :x: Would I revisit? :white_check_mark: Rating: 8 Fav Tracks: So What I realize this might sound insane but today was the first time I ever listened to this album in its entirety (twice+). I’ve been considering buying because I don’t have any jazz records and thought this might be a great place to start. And I think it a great place to start. I really enjoyed the listens today especially the 2nd time around even if I did feel like I was stuck in a Peanuts movie for a little bit. One thing I liked about listening to this album was feeling like it was an interpretive experience. Lastly, I generally can’t do serious work or write with music on but I think this might be different and I’m willing to try.
What a beautiful beautiful album. I didn't discover anything new to me today but it was a real pleasure to listen and focus on this again. Side 1 swings surprisingly hard for such slow changes. It's amazing to hear Coltrane and Evans leaving so much space. There is so much listening going on! Then side two is just so poetic and beautiful (or I guess the modal ballads at the end of each side.) It really does sound like they are feeling as one and just putting that feeling directly into improvised music together
190/1089 - Freddie Freeloader and So What shouldn't be next to each other track-wise. The melodic contour of the songs are too similar. Kinda boring and "atmospheric" to be honest, probably why it's the best selling jazz album and on this list. All Blues and Bill Evans are the best part of this album. Generally I'm a jazz fan but I really don't like a lot of the picks on this list for various reasons.
I don't know jazz, but I know what I like. This, I like this.
disco de entrada al jazz para cualquiera top total
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
By no means an unpleasant listen, but not my kind of thing. 2.5/5 rounded up to 3/5
Super Dope
Classic jazz album. Already very familiar with this one and perfect for pretty much any situation.
Smooth, relaxing sounds. Not a fan of instrumental jazz music, but I could definitely imagine this being played in the background while having dinner or hosting friends.
One of the greatest pieces of music ever created: written, performed, and produced. This is music that instantly changes or enhances my mood. It's relaxing, sexy, introspective, and always cool. Just like Miles.
Really enjoy this genre!!
nice and cool
Iconic.
Man I love this jazz crap 🚬
Miles "Tails" Davis is obviously the best and this is the best but I do prefer his electronic weird stuff. Still 5/5
yeah i mean the goat's goat album ... just goat of all time shit
not a jazz fan. I've listened to this before. I want to like it but it's not my thing.
So smooth and relaxing
A timeless classic ❤️
Sort of bland, not really that interesting overall?
Like other jazz...cool for about 15 minutes or so, and then I get mad. Best use is for cooking?
I was originally going to say that there was far too much horn in this album. But, seriously, the further it went on, the more it felt like I was reading a detective novel (which ironically didn't pair AT ALL when I tried to read several pages of the one I am reading now...). The jazz I've had on this list normally pairs well when I am doing work or jobs, but this album actually was really gripping as I went for a walk listening to it. Probably a bit too much horn for me, but big names and a lot less big band sound than the last Miles Davis album we got. Think moody, dark little venue. Wait, is that Del Paxton! Nope, he's fictional. But that's the kind of music I'd expect to hear in that venue. A solid 4 stars.
A jazz album is good when the songs capture you. It’s iconic when you literally know the songs already without having knowingly listened to it before
Like hearing Mozart, if you could hear the actual breath of Mozart on the recording of the music.
it's blues, and he's good at them
so pleasant and clear!!! 8/10
3.5 - Good
Fav: Blue Is Green Least Fav: All Blues
3.9
I painfully recall a friend of a friend remarking that this was 'elevator music.' If so, it's an elevator I'd happily live the rest of my life in. Modal, it's also a model and a middle ground. Never too cool for school, it's yet cooler than you are, and more snappily happening. I've now heard it n+1 times: better—vivider—each.
sensual and intimate, jazz is always a dream for me.
Classic
Took a great nap to this
Un des meilleurs album jazz de l'histoire. Je préfère la période fusion de Miles, notamment Bitches Brew et In a Silent Way, mais ça demeure un chef d'œuvre absolu.
I appreciate jazz.
I enjoyed this
I feel like I have to solve a crime in a film noir movie while occasionally commenting the current situation in my mind
This album gives the vibes of someone at a cocktail party, surrounded by dignitaries and socialites. He drums up a conversation with a railroad tycoon who asks what this young man has 'in the works'. After fudging his way through conversation using terms like 'amortization', 'EBITDA' and 'capital gains', he heads to the bar and orders a Manhattan cocktail. He politely sips his drink in solitude , internally pondering where Vermouth actually gets its unique flavour from, while surveying the room. He can't shake the feeling that at this particular point in time, he has made it. The sun sets behind the mountain range across the lake from the elevated condo which hosts the party. The man goes outside for a menthol cigarette and looks up at the sky, just in time to see a glimmer of a far off shooting star. Could it get better than this? Unlikely.
Takes you back to player the greatest games of all time: Sim City 2000 and Sim City 3000. What more could you ask for.
Very solid jazz, as to be expected! Admittedly not something I'd find myself listening to on any sort of regular basis, but it's good stuff.
Some jazz is deeply complex and requires your undivided attention to listen to. Others create a beautiful soundscape that whisks you away and carries you gently down a stream. Kind of Blue is, in my opinion, the best album of all time in that second category. And best of all, it does that without being simple, it's layered and technically proficient and beautiful. Thank you Miles Davis from Jazz.
The essence of COOL. Miles Davis made the switch from chord-based jazz to modal jazz seemingly effortlessly, maintaining an effective cool atmosphere the whole way, resulting in one of the finest jazz albums out there. Another win from Miles!
After first experiencing In A Silent Way, this is obviously a little different of an experience, and I didn’t get it upon first listen. But then… it clicked upon second listen and I realized I could just listen forever and not get bored. Fantastic jazz album.
The one and only. The classic. The blue-tinted masterpiece. Moody atmospheres. Motherfucking John Coltrane? Can't get any classier. Bravo Mr. Davis!
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
Isso é fantástico. Mas para mim só funciona ouvir num momento de descontração geral.
Not for me, never got into Jazz at all
I know this one backwards, forwards, and inside out. One of the best of all time.
masterpiece. adderley's solo in flamenco sketches always gets me
The first jazz album I bought. Still holds up, but have to admit it's slightly too laid back for me now? Still, really good.
As cool as it gets. Just full of vibes and energy.
Day 2 First listen- Flawless album! So so smooth and gorgeous. The entire album is a highlight! I had not listened to it in full before only two tracks but I am so glad I did now. Truly wonderful! (5/5)
Gema
Ok
Would like to hear more jazz in bars over here. It's all reggaeton in here. https://youtu.be/Z5uMRhMMdGg
VTUBER NOIR [interior: smoky bar] detective: I had just gotten off a 6-hour donothon and was ready to relax. When all of a sudden SHE walked in... a Live2D dame with legs that ran right off the screen, and the kind of eyes that make you Cheer100.
9/10 damn bitch who hurt you
extremely relaxing jazz im sleepy now (or maybe im just sleep deprived but this album is definitely a mood)
Relaxing jazz, great for studying 4
Worked well as background music but didn't specifically grab me. I'm sure it would have been amazing live.
One of his best releases, if not the best. The ensemble is great, every member a master in his own right. It doesn't get much better than this.
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!
It’s not my favorite jazz record (sacrilegious I know) but you can’t argue that this isn’t perfect. The personnel is insane and the album is just revolutionary.
I enjoyed it, super easy to work with and fades into the background perfectly.
A classic I had listened to before. I like it but I also find the sharp saxophone kind of grating by the time I'm halfway through the album. Maybe if it was mixed a little differently I'd find it more pleasant.
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
Music to be a private investigator to. This shit is dripping in emotion and sadness. Just has so much fucking depth. Got me feeling all kinds of ways with that saxophone jesus christ
Kind of a Jazz i like and understand
On hieno levy! Selkeästi parempi mitä aikaisemmin kuunneltu Davisin levy.
There's not much you can say about this album that hasn't been said. Generational, transformative, everlasting... Clean 5/5.
What the hell can I possibly say about Miles Fucking Davis? Read this essay by someone who knows what they’re talking about. https://www.jazzwise.com/features/article/kind-of-blue-how-miles-davis-made-the-greatest-jazz-album-in-history
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I mean it’s the number one jazz album of all time for a reason. Miles Davis with an additional quintet featuring Coltrane?! No brainer. Has stood and will stand the test of time.
This was on the one hand, quite compelling. On the other, I don't think it's something I will seek out again. Hard to say
This album goes way back to the 1950s, and was/is considered revolutionary for its new approach to jazz. Listening to it now, 66 years after it was released, it does not seem outdated. Most jazz combos sound pretty much the same to me, but this one seems a notch above the rest.
Ah, another blue album! People call this the best jazz record of all time, which makes me think I really don't get jazz. Not that I dislike it -- I don't -- but I can't really differentiate it from the other jazz albums we had, which were also "fine". Chill. I think I'd like it better without the drums. And maybe... the jazz.
Walking in Avignon (South of France) with this album with a cool breeze and sunny sky : PEAK ! 9/10 Miles is a master. fav songs : Blue in Green & Flamenco Sketches.
It was fine, but I just couldn't get into it - nothing to hold on to.
Seems like these guys really know what they're doing. I should listen to more Jazz, I put this on and focused on work better than if I had 2 cups of coffee.
Classic, elegant, timeless, smooth.
Good stuff. Reminds me that I should listen to more jazz.
I've tried to "get" this record so many times. Having it play in the background while I do other things, playing it while driving, just sitting and focusing on the music as it plays, I just don't get it. It doesn't resonate with him. I understand while Miles gets the respect he does, I understand technically why this record gets the adulation it does, but I just don't feel it.
Jazz isn't really my thing but this is quite pleasant and chill. Apparently there was a lot of improvisation and very little rehearsal which makes it even more impressive that it sounds so nice. Flamenco sketches was the most laid back and I really liked it despite it being the only one from this album not in his ten most popular.
Own it listened many times. Love it
I knew this would happen. JAZZ. I realize this album is a Big Deal. And I guess if you’re a jazz musician you probably eat this up, because it was a different approach to tonality, but I don’t know man. Out of context it just sounds like a bunch of dudes playing notes that have nothing to do with each other, while the drummer vamps in the background. There are melodies, I suppose, but they’re boring. And then they solo. And that’s even worse. One of the saxes (I’m guessing it isn’t Coltrane) does have a sense of melody and his solos are actually pleasant to listen to. But most of the soloing here is just Licks, not coherent melody. “Blue in Green” is excellent. But otherwise I really don’t want to listen to this again.
One of the best and most influential albums in history.
This project should really be called Kind of Blue and 1,000 other albums you might want to listen to.
8/10
its prob another 5/5 for the reg markers. when it comes to jazz, this is THE name on THE album. moving a scene to a new era so far and ahead of the game its insane to think about. it can't be said enough how long lasting this record has been. i love jazz, and for sure John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and him together is crazy. the atmosphere in every single note is phenomenal. its hard to say anything that hasn't been stated in the past. I'm no jazz head but this must be over 20 albums deep for Davis in an almost decade long career in the game, and all the experience and talent has built up and formed in this masterpiece in 1959. it all flows together and intertwines beautifully. the energy here is fantastic, what a year to be alive in the USA, GOD BLESS o7. truly from a time where you didn't dwell on single tracks and vocals, but an entire symphony coming together that seems to have no pause or empty space. all the players at this time were masters of their respective craft. the tone and temperature of the country is still beating like a heart in these songs. there may not be any one artist that defines this time better than Miles. again, if you said, "i know nothing about jazz, where should i start?" the answer will almost always include this record. the legacy edition with diff versions is a certifiable text book template for how the process behind these decisions and how subtle changes can shift the whole direction of a piece. contemplative moods, visiting older family members, even just at Christmas, walking around a city--there are so many places this music can play. All Blues is my favorite. its hard to go into detail more than that. SOOO BECUZ OF THAT///////i will stick my Solomon Burke review here////////// So this right away give me Otis Redding vibes, and again its Warren Zevon, Van Morrison, and then Otis Redding on a very personal level best of all time. this is a gem for 63, nice and easy but still intense soul. Cry for Me and Goodbye Baby are great. i have heard of him, but not familiar with his music. it speaks to that 60s live music scene rising up and giving a second life to these albums after wax; the performer/performance over the composition. 3/5 for a solid record.
It's almost silly how many people have been profoundly altered by this record, myself included. I'll just let the music speak for itself, Blbut I will ramble a bit on what a spectacular year for jazz 1959 was, and in the spring of NYC in particular. Just two weeks after recording Kind Of Blue, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane led a session to record his "Giant Steps," another desert island masterpiece that in so many ways is the complete opposite of this record. Meanwhile, as Coltrane is recording Giant Steps across town, Charles Mingus was in the studio Miles and Coltrane had used for Kind Of Blue to record his magnum opus, Mingus Ah Um. Three unique masterpieces recorded more or less at the same time in the same places. Some of the same people but not coordinated, very different from each other, and purely happenstance. Another fascinating thing these three records have in common is that each is the rare jazz record that in its own way is unusually approachable for the lay person. A lot of the people playing jazz today were initially turned on to it through one of these three albums. A few weeks in spring 1959 in two nondescript midtown Manhattan office buildings. What a world! I wish we knew more about it. We should send Ken Burns in to investigate...
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....
Doesn't get any better than this.
A really long and boring jazz album, almost put me to sleep. No standout songs for this one. I don’t like sitting down and listening to a jazz album. I feel like I’m waiting. And waiting for what? Nothing. Just for it to be over.
Great Jazz
I’m not a big jazz listener but I found myself really enjoying this album playing in the background, but I don’t think I have the ear for the complexity of jazz at this time in my life.
Pre-listening thoughts: ayoooo this is maybe one of three jazz albums I am psyched about! I’ve already basically heard this in full but let’s relisten anyways Post/during listening thoughts: yeah this is smooth but also very engaging I feel. Sometimes jazz tends to lose me but I really enjoyed this throughout. It’s sort of in that Vince Guaraldi Trio vein of jazz (I’m sure Miles Davis came first but sorry I watched Peanuts cartoons before spinning a Kind of Blue vinyl). Anyways I freaked with this 8/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: lowkey yes? Fav tracks: So What, Blue in Green Least fav tracks: n/a
Some of the music is soothing while other songs seem to go on too long.
Love this album. Classic top jazz album with some of the best to ever do it together.
Fuck rating albums. Just let me listen.
Good jazz kinda zoned out on it
Lots of mixed feelings throughout this album. I think I normally love this kind of talented instrumental stuff, but this one was not hitting for me. Largely felt like Davis's trumpet and Coltrane's sax were not meshing until the very last song. For a jazz album, I was a little disappointed in the lack of detailed drum time. Still good music though.
Much more accessible than Birth of the Cool - I think modal jazz is easier to interpret since horizontal harmony is closer to Western & Indian classical music
Great
I was starting to get tired of jazz. This album piqued my interest in the genre again. All the songs are very good background music. It's safe to say that Miles Davis is the best jazz musician of the '50s and '60s. I wonder what this week has in store... 4 stars for "Kind of Blue"
fucking LOVED this album. every song was like a timeless hug. wow, listened with my nanny kids and they loved it too. i liked being able to pop on an album and it appeal to me and them and also would work listening with my grandma? duality. wow.
5 Improvisation at its height. Execution is everything to Miles and his group. An absolute mind-blower. Every facet of this recording from mic placement to chosen solos to design is to be studied. However, don't study the music. Just let it flow from the speakers and revel in feeling like you are placed between the instruments as Miles's music overwhelms you.
Such a vibe and what an amazing mix of musicians!
Miles Davis was truly above this world. A phenomenal album that strikes to the core. The closer especially. A great soundtrack for walking alone at three in the morning lost in your thoughts. Timeless masterpiece undoubtedly.
Can’t go wrong with miles
Classic Miles Davis + Coltrane
A masterpiece. A classic. An album I truly love, and one I’m proud to own on vinyl. Kind of Blue is the essence of calm, elegance, and depth in music. It’s jazz at its most relaxed, yet also at its most intense. Every single note feels intentional, and the airy interplay between Miles, Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Bill Evans radiates emotion and restraint. Tracks like “So What” and “Blue in Green” hit me every time – both musically and emotionally. This isn’t just a jazz album, it’s a piece of music history. A timeless experience I keep returning to again and again. 5/5
I can listen to this album anytime, anywhere.
not my taste, songs too long.
Really nice relaxed jazz- i don’t understand it but i did enjoy it.
I listen to this often. My favorite Jazz album.
Good music very calming
I knew this album before, good stuff.
Ne znam postoji li najvažniji jazz album svih vremena ali ako postoji onda je to ovaj
Miles... had the linguistic skills of a drunk sailor (he swore a LOT).
Ok, I get it now. This was the jazz album I've been waiting for. I sat in the dark, put my feet up, and tried really hard to just get lost in this one and it paid off. The whole band sounded tight on this album. The pianos were wonderful, the drums sharp and crisp, and the brass blaring with purpose. I think that's what I liked most about this album: it felt like it had a point. It didn't meander all over the place, leaving the listener exhausted and frazzled. It felt thoughtful and a bit more structured while still playful. I'll keep this one in my back pocket for a great album to put on when I need a relaxer, or entertaining, or maybe just feeling kind of blue. Jazz in general isn't something I turn to frequently, but this one definitely got to me, so it's an easy 4 stars.
I might not have appreciated this as much a few years ago, but since my son has taken up jazz band, I enjoyed this a lot more than expected. The playing on here is impeccable and in true jazz form, everyone gets to have their time in the sun. This was a great album to listen to with headphones, where you could better hear the nuances of some of the playing. It’s not just about the notes played, it’s the mood that is set, and the way they can go solo or blend together. It all sounds perfect. Love me some stand up bass. The saxes were amazing on this. The underlying drums and the off beat stuff was very interesting. And Miles Davis is a truly great player. So What was my favorite of this excellent album.
Beautiful record, Miles smooth talking through brass - it’s a must own.
Bonzinho, atmosfera agradável, só é bem esquecível. Nenhuma faixa se destaca, todas têm um desenvolvimento muito parecido, sem sal demais. Deve ser bom para ouvir como música ambiente, mas eu não gosto de ouvir música desse jeito. Adoraria adorar, mas infelizmente não consigo. Não revisitarei tão cedo.
Genre defining album. Very cool and atmospheric.
I don't normally listen to instrumental "smooth" Jazz, but this one was solid to have play in the background. I like the mix of slower some slower songs and more upbeat ones. I know Miles Davis is a trumpet play, but I think some piano/drum solos to counter the trumpet/sax solos would have been cool.
This record is great. The production is good, the performances are amazing, and it's easy enough to listen to. Favourite Track(s): All Blues Least Favourite Track(s): So What
Amazing. Another album where you actually feel the atmosphere of the performance.
Très bien
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 love Miles Davis and this album has some of his well known songs.
I don't even need to listen to this to give this a 10/10. This is my shit.
Favorite Track: So What
Perfect.
It's weird, I can't say I was actively engaged in listening to this album, but I had it on my way to work on a rainy day and there was something about it that made for a really nice atmosphere.
I feel like I've heard this album a hundred times before. Absolutely timeless.
Nice to have on in the background. I find that most jazz is quite random and all over the place (doesn’t adhere to the typical ‘rules’ of instrumental music) but this is rhythmic and pleasant to listen to.
I can see why this is such a celebrated jazz album, not only from the star studded cast but also the easily accessible music which has no crazy changes to its structure but instead flows together so well, sounding like fully planned, meticulously crafted sessions rather than a spontaneous idea. There’s no weak elements to this album, every instrument has its moments to shine and you don’t even notice the length of the songs because they don’t feel long at all. There’s also plenty of variety between the 5 different songs with each song developing in a really nice barely noticeable way with really nice motif’s in the songs which are carried through in cool ways, like when it’s played by the sax and then changes to be played by the piano when the sax goes into a new melody. Can’t be less than a 5 even though it’s a bit of an NPC album but for good reason. Overall, 9.5/10.
I’m sure the technical aspects are revolutionary but the vibes feel like I’m waiting in a Nordstroms.
It's like a walk by the river, like coming back home. Somewhere you didn't know you had left, the place where you belong. The sunset and nature surround you as you smell and smile.
Classic.
One of the greatest albums in the history of Jazz. This is a perfect album. Only someone who dislikes Jazz or who thinks Bebop is the only true Jazz could dislike this album. 5 stars.
Had to listen to this one twice to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. Wikinotes mentions that it could be the most influential album of all time which definitely makes it worthy of the 1001 Must Hear List, but jazz just doesn’t translate for me. Kind Of Blue was kind of annoying. The piano piece during Freddie Freeloader was the least annoying section of the album. I’m hoping that by the time we finish this project I’ll have a better appreciation for jazz. Not there yet. (1.95*s)
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 the best jazz album on the list so far. Unfortunately that is a very low bar to clear. Still not in my wheelhouse but at least it was relatively melodic and smooth as opposed to a jumbled mess. This was a listen during a 5AM drive to work so the tone matched my somber/quiet mood more than it would have had it been an afternoon drive home. Someday I might appreciate this more but its still just another jazz album for me at this point. 1.52 stars
Classic jazz album. Nuff said. 5/5. Works for any occasion in my opinion.
Kind of Blue by Miles Davis It’s the best selling jazz album of all time for a reason. The sound of the recording is incredible, the playing is so good. Not to mention it’s a groundbreaking moment in jazz and the history of Miles, Coltrane, Evans etc. if there’s any criticism of this album it’s heavy on the balladry but there’s enough ferocity and exploration from Coltranes solos to make up for that for me.
Probably the best selling jazz album of all time. Not a bad song on the whole thing. No overcomplicated solos, just a pleasant listen.
Incredible album. Favorite songs: Blue in Green, Flamenco Sketches Rating: 5/5
Jazz maravilloso Le doy un 6/10 en la escala wow
clássico mais que clássico. 1959 o ano que mudou o jazz.
Loved it. Nice and mellow
5/5 ultimata cool jazz-albumet
I don’t get it.
Kako je ovo vrhunski album. Mogla bih ovo preslušati milijun puta. Možda i jesam već 😂 ne mogu dati ništa manje od čiste petice za ovo glazbeno čudo 🫶🏻 5/5, 9/10
A lot of good things have been said about this album and they're all true. This is to jazz what the Dark Side of the Moon is to rock, or Mozart's Requiem to classical. The musicianship is amazing and I especially like Miles' lyrical trumpet, which does not dominate the music but lets the other instruments breathe, too. A very easy 5*.
I am by no means a jazz connoisseur, but this album always seemed to goddamn cool and accessible to me. Easy 5.
I do not like jazz
This is one of my favorite albums. Nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said.
Love this, so smooth and calm.
Typical Jazz 3
God stemning
Iconic
A classic for all the right reason. Perfect vibes.
No big deal, just a couple legends making some of the best music I have ever heard.
It was a solid Miles Davis album.
Jazz. Good jazz, I’m sure, but still just jazz to me. Great for the background, but nothing in it blew me away. I did not finish this album, but I feel confident I’ve listened to enough of it.
Geneuinely one of the most beautiful albums I have heard so far. The album carried you through a lovely journey, full of soul + emotion, each song lingering with you. I would happily listen to this over and over again!
Birth Of The Mode 1001 Albums Generator 47 (06/06/2025) I was worried the day would one day come when there were no lyrics on an album, which kind of messes up my whole titling scheme, but oh well, at least there is some jazz on this list, good to know! We are starting our jazz journey with one of the most important and influential albums in the genre. Miles Davis had been around for over a decade by the time that he released Kind Of Blue, and it came right in the middle of his first great period between 1957 and 1960. It also saw Davis playing the modal jazz style over the course of an entire album for the first time. While he had played with this new style on his 1958 track Milestones (one of my favorite Davis compositions), Kind Of Blue was a full exploration of all that the modal style of composition could be, with Davis explicitly giving each soloist a set of scales to use for each piece of music. It is impossible to overstate the influence that Kind Of Blue had on the history of jazz, with it and Coltrane's Giant Steps from the following year both being seen as marking a sort of turning point for jazz, introducing and expanding the ideas of modal jazz on top of cool jazz and hard bop respectively. Does Kind Of Blue hold up to its reputation, or is it overrated? Miles Davis is one of my favorite artists and is definitely my favorite jazz artist. While his electric era is my favorite of his, there is something so undeniable about the era around his first great quintet. The way that Miles Davis was doing cool jazz at this time was so interesting, and Kind Of Blue is the best example of this. It is by far his best cool jazz album and the best of his 50's work. One needs look no further than the opener, So What, with its catchy, simple head chord stabs and its lead bass line played by Paul Chambers. Bill Evans' chord voicings on this song are also iconic (so much so that this particular voicing is referred to as the "So What Chord"), and they harmonize with Miles' trumpet so well. Freddie Freeloader is rather underrated as far as this album goes. It is a 12 bar blues with a slight variation on the traditional 12 bar chord progression, and it features Wynton Kelly on piano instead of Bill Evans. While I do love Bill Evans (he is one of the best pianists of all time), I think the inclusion of the more blues-minded Kelly makes this song unique in the context of this album. All Blues, the longest track on the album, is another highlight. From the first moment you hear the low trill on the piano, it is clear that this song will have some great energy. It has perhaps the most catchy head on the whole album, with Davis harmonizing great with the dual saxophones in the background. While the entire album is very chill, the really slow songs here are my least favorite. Blue In Green is one of Miles' most popular songs, but I've never really understood that. I've always felt it was the weakest piece here and it brings the album down slightly. I am aware that I sound insane right now, I'm sorry. The other real slow song here is the closer Flamenco Sketches, in which Coltrane and Adderley really steal the show. The saxophone solos here are very restrained, but interesting. I particularly love the little oriental flare that Cannonball gives near the end of his solo, which Bill Evans plays with a bit during his solo. While Kind Of Blue is not avant-garde, especially compared to what Miles would do in his second great period, it undoubtably took jazz out of its formulaic comfort zone and helped to expand the sound of this genre as it headed into its golden decade. 4.5/5, rounded up to a 5 for pure influence. Favs: So What Freddie Freeloader All Blues Least Fav: Blue In Green
10/10
Jazz not my thing. Not one I'll throw on rotation.
Ya like jazz? I do. In all seriousness this is a fantastic album. Like most great jazz albums, no standout tracks, just a great album. So easy to listen to but also just manages to sit perfectly in the background.
Well, a classic for sure. I was listening to it religiously 4-5 years ago for a typographical Miles Davis poster design I was working on. So I'm here fully biased :) This album was my "proper" introduction to jazz, apart from the usual coffee shop jazz and a couple of songs I randomly added to my playlist out of curiosity. It’s a classic, and I genuinely enjoy it. Every note hits the right spot. Definitely a good introduction to jazz as a genre. However, I can also see that we talk way too much about Kind of Blue, while there are probably so many other great jazz albums out there that don’t get as much attention. There’s definitely a bias that comes from familiarity. Also, I usually overlooked the songs apart from "So What" and "Freddie Freeloader" in my past listenings, but this re-listen after a while helped me re-discover "All Blues" and I enjoyed it, especially the intro: doo doo-doo DOO doo doo-doo DOO doo doo-doo DOO
Awesome blues artist, really enjoyed it
very mellow and good background listening. not mindblowing
One of my favorite albums; probably my favorite jazz album. Used to be my LSD comedown album back in the day, still puts me in a calm mood.
Probably one of the most popular jazz albums of all times. But still a "real" jazz album and not one of so many "pop jazz" albums out there. One of the big ones. No doubt.
Absolute classic album
Jonaas Timmerhout doet z’n petje af. Klassieker, dit album. Wellicht een 10/10, ik doe nog even voort en zorg ervoor dat ik er me mee vereenzelvig.
Tuesday morning music. Lovely but more music to suit a mood than for me.
There's no debate on why this album from Miles Davis is here on this list of albums to listen to before you die. This is one of the most definitive albums of his career, featuring multiple jazz greats in the recording sessions, spanning from John Coltrane, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. In addition to the pedigree of the personnel, the compositions on this record are phenomenal, allowing space for meaningful instrumental soloing over melodic improvisation across a few musical scales. It never felt too busy or overwhelming from any of the musicians' playing. At the same time, the album kept interesting enough that it never felt like any of these tunes went on for too long, which is impressive, given that most of them were over nine minutes. It can't get much easier to describe than that for a stone-cold classic.
Perfect