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Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
1957
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!I really liked this. Well, by liked, I mean tolerated it. Well, by tolerated it, I mean I would rather have my eyeballs injected with spider eggs, whilst having by pubes yanked out by an aggressive Bulgarian dinner lady, all the while a parrot is screeching "Jordan Henderson is the best in the world" down my ear, with every woman I've ever fancied and my family and friends all watching on; than ever listen to a single second of this ever again.
'The Birth of Cool' reminds me of when I spent my forties as an adult baby. We would meet up in groups of 12-15 and our mums would feed us milk, hug us and change our nappies. I would often piss and shit myself for real, which was a source of such joy for both me and the mums. I was thrown out in disgrace after an incident. I suggested, or more tried to force myself up one of the mums, so I could be reborn. Please understand that this was not sexual, I was merely trying to understand how it would feel to be born, to experience the journey from the womb, through the vagina and into the world, all with the awareness of an adult. Needless to say, the police were called in, the adult baby centre was shut down and I served 18 months in prison.
Fantastic album, completely different from what I would normally listen to but enjoyed it a lot.
Smooth. Really enjoyed this. Godchild is the best of the album for me. I like the low bass intro.
This is a very pleasant jazz album, and I’m actually really excited to see something from the 50s come up. I don’t think I had ever really listened to any Miles Davis before, although I’d heard lots about him.
I know I am biased here because I really do love Miles Davis and a lot of his "cool jazz" contemporaries and artists that followed their lead, and I am also influenced by the music reviews of the time that likened this album and similar works to impressionist-style visual arts, but, what the heck, I'll embrace it all. This album is gorgeous. The layers, textures, colors...man. I love to imagine what it would be like to find a little time-space portal to loop back to NYC in the late 40s through early 60s when so much amazing jazz was happening. I love this album. Such art.
Too hip. Possibly in my top five all time jazz albums. Responsible for a whole subgenre full of bad imitators but, both as the wellspring of an aesthetic and as a standalone collection of music, this is crazy good
Can't say no to some more Miles. I can definitely tell that this came before Kind of Blue. The songs are shorter, less exploratory and experimental. Still, there are flashes here and there that bear the Miles Davis edge, like the end of "Moon Dreams." I was about to say I'm not feeling as jazzed by this, then "Budo" hit me like ONE TWO THREE HO! This is great, and a welcome reprieve from the middling selections last week. Favorite tracks: Budo, Move, Moon Dreams. Album art: Like Kind of Blue, this cover is unimaginative. Granted, it's 1957. But it's a black and white photo of Miles Davis. I do like the angle of the photo and the framing of text all around the picture. As far as '50s jazz album covers go, this one's not bad. 4/5
What a talent. Imagine being able to play that much trumpet while smacked out of your eyeballs? It should be a lesson to all these namby pamby modern rock'n' rollers, get off the 'gram and get on the smack.
holy fuck, this album made me feel things.....one of the best pieces of musical composition I've ever, and will ever listen to.
Hadn’t heard this Davis album but just like his others, I love it. These are shorter songs than his longer, later albums but they are still fantastic to listen to. I’ll have to listen to this album more as time goes on to find my true favs but I love the entire thing. The album cover is very basic but it’s what’s inside that counts. Great way to start off the week!
A great band is behind this, but Miles(🐐) is here to lead and crack the whip. Consequently there is a sense of perfection to this record.
Come on. Five stars. I have nothing to add that hasn’t already been said about this album. Come back to me when we get to the harder stuff, like Bitches Brew.
I love this album! I used to own this album! I don’t know what happens to this album, but I feel like John Hillery stole this album from me! If I see you on the streets John Hillery imma ask you if you have my album and if so, lights out son! That being said, this album gives me life. The energy is outstanding while contained. Had my blood flowing and air playing all the horn section. Perfect for a gathering with some friends or some solo nerding out in your living room. I actually have it on in my office now!
This album was the first work of jazz that I appreciated. It is so involving and revolutionary. With it, Miles changed history.
The first of what would be many of Miles' groundbreaking stylistic changes in jazz, leading the genre through some uncertain yet inevitable shifts that would eventually lead to it being the status quo for music. Don't miss out on the Royal Rooster live set from this time period as well, it captures the songs too well in its warm, steady quality.
It's interesting to understand that "Birth of the Cool" is a compilation and not an album per se. Comprised of songs recorded in three sessions during 1949 and early 1950, it's a record that shows the evolution of cool jazz, a style being molded on the go with different session bands full of musicians that would make history or were already doing so. Max Roach, Gerry Mulligan, Kenny Clarke, Lee Konitz and John Lewis all have great contributions on this release, showing that Miles Davis was not only a great musician, but also great at chosing his band. It's an 11 track compilation with 11 pieces of jazz history put together.
I'm a huge Miles Davis fan, and jazz of this era in general. This album came two years before Kind of Blue, and it has such a different vibe. The songs are short, and the album is short too. It doesn't have the long solos I'm used to in a Davis album. It's all about the band playing together, and not about Davis in particular. It's a very sweet and complicated at the same time. This is such a good recording too. I really loved this album, but I'm likely to give all Davis albums of this era a 5.
I am by no means qualified nor worthy to do justice to any sort of review of this album (as if I am of any of the other albums). But here it goes. This is a compilation of 11 tracks recorded by Davis' nonet (nine musicians) over three sessions between 1949 and 1950. The music was a major development in post-bebop jazz. Bebop is 1940's jazz with a fast tempo, complex chord progressions and changes of key. There are several songs that fit maybe more into the bebop fast tempo area. On the flipside is cool jazz which is a more relaxed tempo and this album is credited with starting this cool jazz movement. A number of songs fall in this category. One of the innovative arrangements used on this album is polyphony which is two or more independent melody lines. Again, multiple examples of this throughout the album. There is a lot more history and in-depth breakdown to this album and music but the above-mentioned musical techniques are the ones I found to standout while listening. This is another album with really not a bad song to choose. The first song is "Move" and it does just that rolling along fitting maybe more in the bebop category. A good example of the polyphony with multiple melodies. "Jeru" and "Venus De Milo" are slower tempo, definitely cool jazz. "Jeru" also has a couple outstanding horn solos. I learned a lot from this album. Definitely a good album to chill to. I'm sure to get more jazz and Miles in this challenge and it'll be interesting to see the differences. I'm sure to learn more.
It's neat to come back to this album after listening to more of Miles's middle and later career stuff. It has a more traditional sound (not that folks would have said that at the time), but you can hear how much flavor Miles brings. 4/5
Experimental jazz is not what you want for coffeehouse vibes, it's too interesting to relegate to the background. This album has urgency that demands the full attention of the listener. If you can't provide that for these 32 minutes, move along and listen to something else.
Finalmente um jazz! Um pouquinho mais calmo que o bepop do Parker, Achei as faixas muito parecidas, mas acho q era a intenção do album
I have a soft spot for this kind of music. This may not be the real birth of cool, but it certainly is cool music, and great for programming concentration.
Tres bon album jazz. J’aimais beaucoup le jazz modal de davis mais jamais je m.tais penche sur ca periode cool jazz. J’ai adore 4.90
Probably the first jazz album I’ve sat down and listened to all at once. Need to that more often
Exactly what it says on the tin 😎 Exceptional listen, sounding somewhere between big band/swing and bop with it's frankly extensive list of performers on here (16 in rotation, to be exact). Although released in 1957, recordings were from 1949 and 1950 which was years before Davis would begin forming his quintets, so the songs can get a little busy at times. I'd reckon this is an overall easy listen though, and pulling all these singles together on the one album is certainly appreciated. This here is jazz 101, so don't skip your fundamentals
Brilliant album, thoroughly enjoyed having it on while I worked. I would have liked a few more tracks with vocals on it but other than that, loved it.
As the album name suggests, Miles Davis is the king of cool. I very much enjoyed this album, the vocals on the last studio track came out of nowhere and surprised me in a great fashion. As an extremely uncultured soul, this kind of cigar smoking, smooth jazz actually gives me nostalgic Tom and Jerry vibes from my youth. I kind of wish it didn't and kind of glad it does. Anyway, I love how relaxed I feel listening, cheers Miles.
Nice compilation that shows a talented and young Davis. I liked it. It has a nice mix of energetic and smooth.
Jazz ! I quite enjoy it, But I feel like this sort of songs need the right atmosphere and place, otherwise it is music for musicians or "elevator/Lift music", which is a waste for the latter. In short, full of flavours and a good happy loose feeling / freedom going on. 4 stars
It's a good listen and an early piece of success for Miles Davis before creating his jazz opus.
It’s crazy how much this album dominated jazz as a sound. This now sounds like the baseline of jazz, the starting point- almost passé in the sense that it so thoroughly overtook the jazz sound
A good listen, no complaints. Enjoyable although I had it on in the background and know little about Jazz, so I wouldn't be able to distinguish the songs from each other. I will say I wouldn't mind returning to this for some relaxing laidback tunes.
Shorter jazz compositions when cool jazz was just emerging. This is the peak of music of the era and so I would have to give it 4 stars. However, jazz still has quite a journey to go, and Davis has yet to attain his zenith of creativity. I don't think the shorter pieces work well with the genre.
This isn't the "let's get high and listen to Miles" album I'm familiar with. Loved this one, guessing a further deep dive into Miles Davis is in my future.
А ведь чем дальше десятилетие – тем тщательнее отсев. Так понимаю, с середины века до нас доходят совсем монументальные для своего времени вещи. Без всякого репетативного душнилова, его ради снобов и травокуров позже придумали. Посему немудрено, что у 50-ых как эпохи такой высокий рейтинг. Да, пусть там не много найдётся того, что в 2к21 срезонирует с актуальной действительностью. Но почти всё может вызвать приятные ассоциации с временами и местами, где никогда не бывал, но которые отпечатались в культурном коде благодаря массовой культуре. Да, долгая экскурсия может поднадоесть, но несколько часов наедине с музыкой тех лет оставляют светлое впечатление. Так и в случае с этим альбомом. Треки, ради которых в какой-нибудь Мафии стал бы ехать в машине с радио, а не пользоваться быстрым перемещением. Треки, которые и сам бы, возможно, выбрал в качестве саундтрека для произведения о тех годах. Посоветовал бы другому, спроси кто «Чел, ты вроде немало музла знаешь, чё-нить из джазца подкинешь?». Я бы, конечно, троллинга ради сначала вбросил бы альбом Queen – Jazz, но потом бы ответил серьёзно. В общем, хорошие треки.
Short, sharp, and straight ahead. Understated and restrained, but music that still swings. Recorded over the course of a year in 1949 and early 1950, but not released in this format until 1957, 'Birth Of The Cool' still sounds fresh today. Whilst not quite as ground-breaking as what would come later for Miles, it’s still brilliantly played, totally hummable and full of great hooks.
Should be like best album ever, right? Sure. It didn’t hook me in, but I get it. And I get its place. I’ll listen again of course, it’ll hit one day.
Very pleasant. My mom categorizes all Jazz into three buckets. "Hot", "Cool", and "What Time Does the Tune Start". I guess this is where "Cool" came from! Fave track - hmmm, not sure any single tracks stood out to me - just enjoyed the album as a whole. "Israel", maybe?
Very soothing. I love how, on the surface, it sounds like they're just jamming with no formal direction yet there's an arch to each song that shows that there's a designed direction which each instrument is following.
The tracks really flow well together. Miles playing is very upbeat with great melody. It’s also extremely easy to listen to. I love records you can throw on and listen to while cleaning. It makes it so each time you hear the record, you hear something new and continue to fall in love with it. Four stars because I only listened to it once through.
Escuchar a Miles Davis siempre me da pa'rriba, incluso aunque llegue a sonar triste, que no es el caso acá. De todas formas, no soy un gran fan del jazz, entonces esto me agrada, pero no se queda tanto conmigo. 9/10
Jazz, for me, is more dependent more on the setting in which I hear it, than the music itself. Could I sit and just listen to this? No. Would this be great to create a certain atmosphere or mood. Yes. Would it be great to listen to live. Definitely.
My god what an album. I do appreciate that this is not the most experimental Miles Davis album, and it's just some good normal jazz. I'm not that into the world yet and this is a good starting point I think. Great album.
Lovely jazz. None of the songs stuck out to me in particular, but excellent study music.
59 Birth of The Cool - Miles Davis 12 tracks. I've listened to a lot of rubbish recently & while I'm no Jazz connoisseur, this was just what I needed today. Music that could just transport you away. It's dated, but in a good way. I'm not sure how you could not like this. 4/5
This is sneaky. I spent the first half doing something while listening and thought it was just ok. Unemotional, smoove jaz. But this kind of music rewards attention. Way better if you focus on it.
Very pleasant. Songs are the perfect length, lots of interesting musical themes and patterns. Solid 7/10.
Nothing wrong with a little Miles Davis, and this album doesn't disappoint. Jazzy in a way that makes you want to listen to it again, although I don't feel compelled to immediately repeat it. Feels like a 4-star album to me.
Quite enjoyable. No individual track stood out to me, but it was a smooth and relaxing ride the whole way through. For me, at least, it's more the kind of music that's meant to be enjoyed in the background as you do something else, rather than something you listen to just for the pleasure of it; for that reason, I thought about giving it a 3, but I think it's juuuuuust good enough it can sneak its way in as a 4/5.
Love the low reviews from people hearing *this* phase of Miles Davis and going “whoa, mister wacky jazz, you’re going way over my head with this!”
Look I get it, it miles fuckin Davis, but I cant say that I would listen to any of these songs
First time of listening and a little embarrassment for not having listened to it before. So Miles went from Be-Bop to Cool Jazz in this one recording, it is amazing how smooth the nonet are across all the tracks, like they have been playing together forever. Loved "Moon Dreams" "Deception" "Godchild" and "Boplicity". It is amazing how modern and relevant these tunes sound today. It just goes to show how ahead of their times Miles and Gerry Mulligan et al were in the late 40's Early 50's. Yup this is one that is justifiably on the list I think. Cool Cats indeed!
Best Song: Moon Dreams. Although I usually prefer my jazz upbeat, this song is the absolute definition of cool. Worst Song: Venus De Milo. A just okay track sandwiched between two far better ones. Overall: Sometimes an album title just fits. This whole album is undeniably cool, suffused with a sort of suave but understated confidence. This is lean back, pour a stiff drink type jazz.
Birth of the Cool by Miles Davis (1957) This is a fine album by Miles Davis. But it isn’t the familiar Miles Davis of Kind of Blue (1959) or Bitches Brew (1970). This is the early Miles Davis of 1949-1950 (although it wasn’t released until 1957, by which time Davis was already developing way beyond). On this album, instead of hearing Davis’ familiar trumpet leading small and sparingly arranged jazz combo, we get jazz arrangements for nonet (nine-piece band), including the standard instruments of trumpet, drums, bass, piano, two saxophones (alto & baritone), and trombone, but also the rather unexpected tuba and French horn. Nasty critics would have you think this was due to Davis’ inability to keep up with Dizzy Gillespie. Poo. Please note that the title of this album is not “The Birth of Cool”. It is “Birth of the Cool”. And there’s a big difference. Davis would not be so pretentious as to claim that his distinct and original compositional style was the first to be described as “cool” (in our conventional sense). Rather, the album title describes jazz that stays in the ‘cool’ range of the ‘musical color’ spectrum—violets, blues and greens—avoiding the fiery and bombastic reds, oranges, and yellows of ‘hot’ jazz like big band, swing, and bebop. This ‘birth of the cool’ had a long period of living gestation in the mode of unresolved chords and tensionless harmonies from Impressionist composers like Fanelli, Sibelius, Respighi, Ravel, and Debussy (although this last one would deny it). Also, this music sounds more like soft pastels and less like bold and vivid primary colors. More like Claude Monet and less like Joan Miró (Do an internet search of images for these two painters to see what I mean—it can’t adequately be described in words). That said, this music is highly intelligent and extraordinarily well done, even if the idiosyncratic tuba and French horn sound out of place to twenty-first century ears. It is compositionally complex, of course, but it avoids the extremes in range and dynamics, staying within the ‘comfort zone’ of each performer, even to point of having horn players ‘underblow’ to achieve mood and orchestral blend. The overall effect is casual and comfortable. Steady tempos here are best followed by tapping forefinger to thumb rather than trying to use your feet. Keep focused on the melodic lines, leaving chord changes to the experts (not me, anyway). If you’re curious to follow the chord progressions, listen to the piano on this record. That’s its basic function. Flaws are evident, of course, including flubbed notes and some intonation struggles within such a disparate ensemble. And overall, there seems to be a lack of variety, but that shouldn’t prevent an honestly enjoyable experience. Please listen to this one! 4/5
very quality!! Jazz is very impressive, both in the skill needed to play it, and in the imagination required to compose it
I mean. This is a turning point album, hugely influential- the ‘birth’ of something new. It’s not perfect, it feels a little out together. But it’s bloody cool.
Miles Davis is probably the single most talented musician to have lived in the 20th century, well known for occasionally blowing open the entire genre he worked in and inspiring dozens if not hundreds of imitators. For any other musician, this would be their masterpiece - for Davis, it barely cracks the top ten.
I listened to it while working and totally enjoyed it. Honestly, hearing Anita talk and rave about it and how unique it is among jazz albums elevated it in my mind.
A dense and energetic album, that has added to my snowballing desire to delve more deeply into the world of Jazz. Two things stand out to my extremely untrained jazz-listening ears. The musical agility of each performer is incredible. My hands and lungs ache just thinking about the endurance and precision of movement and breath involved to play these parts. This stands out clearly in the tracks 'Move', 'Budo' and more subtly in 'Israel'. The band is cohesive and perfectly aligned with one another. Their level of collective coordination, even amongst the most frenetic parts of the songs, reveals their dedication to the craft. I can't really point to anyone track as showcasing this more than any other, as I feel like it's evident at all points, in all tracks.
Who knew Miles Davis released music in 1957? Looking at discography, his 1st album was in 1951. Just did not know it was that old. Great background jazz. Nothing like what is cut nowadays, but found to be soothing and top notch. B
i think the album's title defines it, no? it's beautiful, and so smooth. the trumpet, the drums... it's magnificent! this is good to listen to at the end of the day, or during the work day! i quite enjoyed it. perhaps the only draw back of the album is "darn that dream"! when the vocals begin, it's quite shocking for an otherwise entirely instrumental album.
Amazing album. Considering the time it was recorded, it is a ground breaker. Opening the jazz to new sounds and styles. It really transport me to an incredible peace on mind.
I think I may intrinsically lack the sophistication to get jazz. Boodily beedily beedily boodily boopidy boodily doodily deedily beedily boodily deedily doodily do.
Production: 12/20 Songwriting: 13/20 Innovation: 14/20 Bangers: 0/20 Emotional response: 12/20 =52 yeah lovely stuff. Not bangerific but that's fine.
I feel bad about this because I know Miles Davis is an innovator and one of the all-time greats who was ahead of his time, but the music on this just doesn't do it for me. I just don't feel it. I'm giving it 3 stars out of respect.
Solid album, bet given my newness to Jazz, i can't figure out what to love or hate about it. A fine listen.
J'adore le titre de l'album, Miles Davis chill à mort. J'aime le jazz et j'ai hâte d'entendre d'autres album dans le même style. Pour celui-ci, j'ai trouvé qu'il manquait encore un petit quelque chose. Dur à expliquer, mais j'aimerais quelque chose d'un peu moins poli, un peu plus rough. Je suis sur que ça va venir. Mon hit: Je trouve que ce genre de musique s'écoute plus en album qu'en segments de 2-3 hits mais je choisirais ''Jeru'' pour son côté ''Je débarque dans une grande occasion avec mon chapeau et mon chéquier''.
There's no doubt Miles Davis had profound affect on Jazz, and this is a fine showcase of his undoubted skills. I'm just not into it.
Hat mir gut gefallen, und wichtiger: das Tor zu einem langen Samstag mit durchlaufender Jazz-Playlist geöffnet. Die mir insgesamt sogar besser gefallen hat als das eigentliche Album hier. Da hört man - Aufnahme von 1949/1950 - noch viel Orchestersound und Swing und Bebop, und das klingt schon gut alles, aber für mein unbedarftes Ohr sind die späteren Sachen noch cooler (heißt ja dann auch so). Freue mich schon wenn die kommen. Super ist, hier den Übergang, bzw. „The Birth of the Cool“ so direkt freigestellt zu bekommen! 3,4 Sterne.
3.3 - I suppose context is everything - whereas I've found other Miles Davis albums groundbreaking, to my ears this sounds like laid back big band jazz. Certainly "cool" and pleasant but I'm not feeling that sense of awe and excitement that I'm probably supposed to.
Listened three times but couldn't quite get my attention grabbed on it. Did feel like one long jazzy sesh so it defies what I'm used to. However, that's a good thing about it, because it's kind of chill and I can focus on work while listening. Solid trumpet playing leads the melodies, and I can't say no to smooth double bass. Great stuff but there's not too much there in it for me.
A good album, but far from what I consider the best of Miles Davis (which really is "best").
Fun and fast for the most part, like all my favorite jazz. Makes me miss Colin's shows.
Didn’t strike me in the way some of his other albums have, but will go back to it again
I never get that much pleasure from Birth of the Cool or Kind of Blue, compared the 1960s Miles albums, or even many of his 1950s albums. Both albums are obviously landmarks in jazz, but they're not particular favourites of mine. It's been a few years since I last heard this one. Some stellar playing and you can hear the new era in jazz coming directly in bebop's wake here. The one vocal track at the end always made this feel even less like a "proper album", so I'm enjoying the 2003 mono remaster that takes this track back off. Overall, I'm grateful it happened and had the effect it had... but it's an unexcited 3/5 from me. I'd go to 3.5 if halves were allowed.
A must-listen for Jazz beginners. I’m not huge on the cool / hard bop style but this album is still a great collection of tracks. Favorite Track : Venus De Milo Least Favorite Track : Boplicity
Jazz melts in to the bakground and disapears, to me. I reallice that this is god jazz, but i cant rember anything from listening to this record.
Smoking room kinda jazz, I dug it, not sure if I would listen again but it was enjoyable
Going by the wiki description I was expecting something more laid back than this, but fairly enjoyable stuff for a jazz noob like me. The songs are short, some almost too short to leave a lasing impression, but there were some nice vibes.
Very jazzy, like the most jazzy ive ever listened to i think. Not really what i like, but nice to finally have a listen.
Sadly don't have too much of an ear for such music. I'd love to give this a 4, but that'd feel a bit dishonest. Did enjoy it though.
This was alright, one of those albums that's far too old to really judge. But I did tap my foot a bit. Very old timey, 3/5.
This is pretty primordial compared to the later Davis stuff that I like, but you can't really go wrong with it.
Cool jazz has never been my cup of tea, and this doesn't change that fact. It is, however, strikingly cohesive for a compilation, and the first half's sequencing hits especially hard. Move sounds completely boppy, but also like it's being pushed through something viscous. The slowing-down continues through the third track, and then Budo presents an aural challenge again but with tone instead of speed. The compositions are fairly straightforward temporally, but the nonet format gives lots of interesting texture variation. The drums come across as especially dynamic.
It's a classic but not something I would regularly put on myself. I tend to prefer other Blue Note records from the period.
Great music to drink wine and fuck to. I can't help but separate cool jazz / post-bop / whatever, from eating dinner at Vito's and leering at the waitstaff. Solid instrumentation, some generally interesting stuff going on, though doesn't grab my attention as much as other albums/tracks Miles Davis.
The recording quality on this is the best but i will give it some slack being 60+ years ago. Not having the best jazz ear, I don't know that I would be able to pick a song in here that I latched onto. Though I do like jazz and miles davis.
Miles is THE MAN. These early uptempo swing numbers are musical as anything, but they just don't give me the same feels as where he took his music shortly after. I've always found a swing shuffle beat to be a pretty corny sound and, besides a few tracks here, it's just all over this album. Can't hold it against Miles though, as he went on to create one musical masterpiece after another. Glad to have listened to this again after many years.
Miles always delivers - a solid jazz album, not entirely memorable but makes for a good listen
I don't understand jazz well enough to know what is great and what is bad. I know music theory (to a limited degree) and it clearly sounds nice. But I don't know what makes this great compared to other jazz which sounds similar. I get the later, out there, stuff a bit more. This just sounds like very nice music you put on to appear sophisticated. It's very mellow. I went away and did some reading and get why it's important now. Introduced polyphony to jazz, and chilled it out some. I'm up to Moon Dreams, and there's a very nice descending run which is the first distinctive bit of the album. I finished it. It is pleasant all the way through. A nice surprise at the end when you get vocals all of a sudden. I still don't 'get' this sort of more trad jazz, it all just seems very nice, but fails to excite me.
Not my favorite Miles Davis album, but that doesn't really mean much. I'm ranking this a three, but it's a pretty high three. If I rounded up my scores, it would be a four, but I don't.
Not bad, nice jazz music but not really my type of music. Maybe might come back to it.
This always sounded like a brass band playing jazz to me. Listening to it repeatedly didn't change my mind. I think it's the french horn, it just doesn't belong. Sounds like it could break out into the theme from Johnny Briggs any second. More reeds please. Yes it's seminal and everything that Miles Davis did needs to be listened to, but not a great album for me.
The oldest album I have received on this list so far (first album from the 1950s in general), but it definitely did not feel dated in the slightest. I enjoyed this one for what it was: a very solid jazz record that establishes a specific mood right off the bat and just feels cool to listen to. I am not too familiar with Miles Davis or the genre in general, but I can tell that he is a fantastic trumpet player and songwriter based on this album alone. I liked the fact that the tracks were shorter lengths compared to what jazz is typically known for; this allowed for tight compositions and a nice quick pace throughout the entire album. This one is hard to give a rating to since I really have nothing to compare it to, but I could see myself throwing this on in the background again as a light listen. 3/5.
Kolejny Miles na liscie, juz czwarty, tym razem z dosc zaskakujacym albumem, bo nie jest to studyjny krazek, a raczej kompilacja nagran z 49 i 50, wydana dopiero w 57, a material stanowil podwaliny cool jazzu, ktory najlepiej jest znany wlasnie z studyjnych plyt Davisa tamtego okresu, wiec miles ahead czy porgy and bess, po ktorych dopiero przychodzi epoka modalnego grania, jak na zaliczonym juz na liscie kind of blue, wiec nazwa kompilacyjnego krazka zobowiazuje i serwuje swieze podejscie do bebopu, podanie go w coolowym wydaniu, ciezko sprawdzic kto gra na ktorym traku, bo material byl nagrywany przynajmniej na trzech sesjach, ale nazwiska sie przewijajace obok Davisa, to raczej biala strona mocy jazzowej, jak zreszta przystalo na coolowy jazz, ktory zazwyczaj kojarzy sie z bialymi artystami, ale sa oczywiscie wyjatki od tej reguly i wsrod nich bedzie John Lewis z Modern Jazz Quartet, ktory ma na plycie swoje dwie aranzacje, to jest move oraz rouge, 11 kawalkow w 32 minuty, co daje dosc krotki kompozycje jak na jazz, na plejke dodam boplicity i otwierajacy plyte move, o ile slucha sie tego albumu szybko, bo taka krotka forma, to brak jej spojnosci, bo slychac, ze kazdy mial wlasny pomysl na coolowe brzmienie, wiec przynajmniej mozna otrzymac szersza perspektywe na granie lub tworzenie sie jednego gatunku przez kilku artystow, a to wszystko na jednej plycie
3.4 - seemingly straightforward jazz, with a bit of a big band feel. Timing is right and improvisation is obviously limited, but definitely a nice album to have in the background on a slow Sunday afternoon.
I like these old jazz albums a lot as background music and should probably try and more attention to the arrangements but I feel like a piano makes a big difference in jazz for me.
There's no doubt Miles Davis had profound affect on Jazz, and this is a fine showcase of his undoubted skills. I'm just not into it.
You can tell this is really good jazz, but it still eventually ends of feeling like "listening to jazz"
Jazzezito bonito, quizá ya totalmente metido en el Cool Jazz en lugar de al desmadroso y divertido de NOLA que me gusta más. Miles Davis es garantía en la trompeta y con sus bandas, pero eso no hace que sea algo que quiera oír con frecuencia y lo dejo nada más como un check en la lista.
Otro disco de jazz que no me vuela la cabeza. Cómo resultado de este ejercicio lo aguanto, respeto y disfruto más, pero aún no llega ese punto de sorprenderme o quizá es que aún no distingo entre el buen jazz y el regular.
Cool instrumental album. The jazz was really easy to listen to and a refreshing change
Cet album n'a trouvé que mon desintérêt le plus total. Fort heureusement, la version deluxe contenait la chanson "J'écoute du Miles Davis" de Navii, ce qui a permis de pimenter un peu le tout, pour un resultat qui reste très médiocre. Il va falloir que Miles Davis se reprenne en main dans les prochaines années, si il veut enfin réussir à exprimer son potentiel.
J'ai un gros problème avec Miles Davis et je vais vous expliquer pourquoi. Il se trouve qu'en 2016, une chanson appelée « J'écoute du Miles Davis » d'un certain Navii passait très fréquemment sur les ondes radio. Vous l'aurez compris, cette chanson était tout bonnement insupportable et n'avait pour seul objectif de la part du chanteur que de se la péter avec un « Eh vous avez vu, j'écoute de la musique des années 50 ayant obtenu un succès critique, j'ai donc bon goût :) » implicite. J'ai depuis lors Miles Davis en horreur et ne peut l'écouter sans visualiser la tête de ce petit merdeux jouant de la guitare.
I like jazz, but this did not go well for me. I guess I need to listen more times to it. A decent album nonetheless. Miles Davis has better stuff in his catalogue.
This is sneaky. I spent the first half doing something while listening and thought it was just ok. Unemotional, smoove jaz. But this kind of music rewards attention. Way better if you focus on it. Also worth noting: this sounds like normal 70s-2010s jazz mostly because this comes before all those biters.
Nice trumpet. But... y'know... it's just... trumpet. Whilst trumpet can convey the three main emotions (happy, sad, and meepy), it struggles to get more complex ideas, philosophies or stories across. This is no doubt a great example of what it is, but what it is only has limited appeal for me. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Moon Dreams Date listened: 05/05/22
Jazz like this continues to definitely not be my thing, but this is sooooo smooth. Miles Davis made playing the trumpet sound like the easiest thing in the world; he was truly a master!
The value of this kind of jazz is in its live performance. It's more suitable for live listening than listening from a recording.
Cooler than peeing your pants. Would’ve made those divas smile, but not something I’d listen too often
Le jazz c’est bon et j’aime bien les chansons sans paroles, mais ça reste une musique de background. Je ne m’imagine pas écouter cet album en travaillant, en baisant, en m’entraînant. Bref c’est une belle musique pour mettre en background dans un jeu, un souper ou un 5 à 7 à playa del Carmen en fumant un cigar et jasant avec des américains Je l’évite, moon dreams elle détone et n’est pas entraînante comme les autres Je lévite, l’album en général si je suis dans le sud cigare au bec, sinon bien j’écoute pas ça
Irgendwie hält sich Wiedererkennung und Einzigartigkeit verborgen, sodass ich wieder nur Freunde zum Essen einlade und diese Platte im Hintergrund laufen lasse
bin eigentlich nicht qualifiziert, das zu halbwegs angemessen zu beurteilen. aber in dieser nummer soll die musik ja mit dem gedärm sprechen, daher leider: nicht wirklich.
Very listenable jazz, although a touch too "old-timey" jazz for me; I do feel like I should put on a suit and be smoking at a table in a black and white movie while this band plays in the background. I very much enjoy some (not that much) later period Miles Davis and can hear where he's heading with this collection, so it's interesting on that level in knowing the path he'd travel from here to something like Kind of Blue in just 8 or 9 years. 5/10 2 stars for excellent music history and I'd be good with putting this as background music but I prefer less boppy and more mysterious jazz.
jazz is really not my thing, so i have nothing to bad to say about it i just don’t have anything to say about it at all. it had a good ring to it but i was just bored. no opinion :)
Yeah, I guess this was cool. 1957 was a long time ago. Some nice sounding songs. Moon Dreams stuck out. This seems like the transition from big band to jazz maybe, the synthesis of Miles’ Sound? Maybe he was doing more interesting stuff live? I was having trouble hearing the jazz amongst the big band stuff and had to restart this 3 times. It might’ve been the birth of cool, but it wasn’t cool yet, I like Miles when he gets weird, when psych Rock starts to inspire him.
This is some Glenn Miller jazz that would get my grandparents tapping their toes on thick condominium carpet. Never heard this big band style Miles. I'm sure a cool jazz head can hear subtle innovation somewhere in the record, but to me this sounds like standard Duke Ellington Count Basie business with a few interesting flourishes and asides. Hard to imagine the same trumpet player making Bitches Brew a decade later. [insert reference to previous comments on Jack Kerouac and jazz sounding different in its 50s context]. This style of jazz is really nice, and makes for great background music for a podcast, but to me its like listening to Little Richard. I respect the origins of the genre but what the genre developed into is much more interesting. C+
Easy on the ears and has a very soothing vibe to it. Don't think it'd be something I'd go out of my way to listen to but still enjoyable
Decent background music while working but songs blend into each other and don't really distinguish themselves. Don't listen to jazz much either lol so probably won't revisit
Cool album if your into jazzy trumpets. I know Miles Davis is the king of jazz but wasn't into it.
Too much trumpet... Another Jazz album autoplayed right after this and I immediately thought... ahhh, that's better.
Does the album title ring true, yeah.....nah. It's quite listenable and not bad at all, and would be important for jazz fans. But for me no song sticks out in particular, or any moment in that regard.
I don’t understand why this is so popular and beloved. Better than The Weather 🤮 Report, so I’m rounding up to a 2. And the album cover art is cool, so that helps.
On the background during dinner this would be perfect. I miss the vocals, and everything sounds a bit the same. Not for me I think.
The "Birth of Cool". It's cool jazz, which is still jazz, the only music genre with double 'z', because it can make you go zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Jazz is just not my thing. I know that is sacrilegious to music lovers but oh well. It is good jazz, but good jazz is still jazz. Miles Davis was a musical genius and I appreciate the impact he has had on music. Just not my thing.
I am not cool. I don't understand this, let alone enjoy it at all. I think it's hereditary, I heard my Mum this week say the same thing, she doesn't get it either. I don't know if it's meant to be impressive technically, or in an abstract art kind of way, or is it just avoiding the norm. I could probably learn to get it, but that sounds painful.
Hvis jeg var til jazz, så var det fedt. Stadig kaosjazz, men hey. Nu har jeg lyttet det færdigt, og det er som om jeg har lyttet til ét lang kaosnummer. Lettere stresset.
Birth of the Cool is a compilation album by jazz musician Miles Davis, with 11 tracks from Davis's nonet during 1949 and 1950. This album - as the name suggests - was the birth of cool jazz music, which is more relaxed and lighter than original jazz at the time. It's like combining jazz and classical music together to create a sophisticated sound. At release, this album didn't make a splash, but listeners did enjoy the change of pace jazz music. Over time, this album has gained more popularity as a result of this style of jazz becoming more popular than the older and faster, "bepop" style. This album is included in this famous list of albums because it's historically significant in the jazz genre. Although I am not a huge fan of jazz music, I did enjoy letting this album play in the background while I worked.
I first listened to this when I was in high school. My mom had the CD, and I took it to my room...pretty sure I never gave it back to her. Can’t wait to get back to it.