Reviews (page 5 of 14)
Funky, nice background music. Didn't grab my attention the whole time
One star because you are making me rate it.
Guess I am not that big into Jazz - too fast and chaotic
I believe this may have been the first straight ahead jazz record I ever owned. I knew absolutely nothing at the time except that this was an important artist. *Cool* was definitely not what I was looking for at the time, but as I gained my footing and got a sense of the different styles & subgenres I came back around to appreciate (& relish!) this album & many of its direct offspring. Miles is on my Rushmore. I’ve got to go *at least* a 4.5, but even with all my appreciation this is not my favorite Miles so we’re gonna round that back down to a flat 4
It was good. Nothing that really grabbed me, like on Kind of Blue. But I'll listen more to see if it grows on me
I feel sacrilegious giving this a 3, but I just didn't really wow me. Sorry Miles Davis
Приємне звучання, на фон непогано
Peed my pants to this and i would do it again!
I listen to jazz only a few times a year. I love it live, I love it around the holidays. This was a great jazz album, but I miss the lyrics of vocal jazz when they aren’t there.
Better than the other miles Davis, but still not a jazz fan
I liked the album, but compared with other jazz albums I have heard i didn't liked it that much. It has that feeling from the 50s and sending you back to those times.
I can listen to and appreciate it, but I don’t get that much enjoyment from it.
el primer álbum que reseño por escrito (y en esta página), me tomó un tiempo escucharlo ya que sin mentir lo procrastiné tanto Y ME ARREPIENTO,,, un álbum exquisito en sonidos, melodías y ritmos, tiene la mejor canción de inicio y te imaginas todo tipo de historias interesantes con el pasar de las canciones... igual diría que por momento se vuelve un poco repetitivo -si esa es la palabra que puedo ocupar-
I enjoy jazz a lot, but this is not as amazing at other jazz albums.
Perfectly pleasant - I like as background music, but not a jazz enthusiast
I’m sure it’s good, better than a 3, but I can’t get into jazz too much.
good, I like it
Pretty good some of it felt like the music in family guy when they transition scenes
Die Aufnahmen zu Miles Davis – Birth Of The Cool stammen aus drei Sessions in den WOR‑Studios in New York City, die überwiegend 1949 und 1950 stattfanden; das Album erschien 1957 als Zusammenstellung dieser Session‑Tracks. Die Besetzung der Nonet‑Formation um den amerikanischen Trompeter umfasst neben Davis u. a. Lee Konitz (Altsaxophon), Gerry Mulligan (Baritonsaxophon) und Bill Barber (Tuba), arrangiert von Gil Evans, John Lewis und Mulligan. Kennenswerte Stücke auf diesem Jazz‑Album sind „Boplicity“, „Jeru“, „Move“ und „Moon Dreams“, die in ihrer Kombination aus Bebop‑Wurzeln und zurückhaltender Klangästhetik den Sound des Cool Jazz mitprägten. Die ungewöhnliche Instrumentierung mit Waldhorn und Tuba unterscheidet den Sound von üblichen Jazz‑Combos der Zeit. Nationalität des Interpreten: amerikanisch. Genre: Jazz / Cool Jazz. Das Ergebnis wirkt reflektiert in der Balance zwischen Ensemble‑Arrangements und Soloparts; es dokumentiert einen frühen Schritt von Davis als Bandleader und arrangierter Klanggestalter der Moderne. Bewertung: ein historisch bedeutsames, thematisch kohärentes Dokument der frühen Miles‑Davis‑Karriere.
We’re getting the real oldhead music now Pretty hard to dislike Miles Davis, as a trumpet player I listened to a decent amount of his stuff back in the day and we played some of his music for jazz band. Not particularly emotionally attached but it’s definitely nostalgic. You could argue some of this albums on the same-y side, but damn there’s some cool trumpet solos in there; he really pushes what that instruments capable of. Instrumental albums are always appreciated in my view, really lets you focus and lock in on whatever you need. I don’t think I could quite go 5 for something like this, but it’s a pretty easy 4
I'm gonna be a little mean; cool jazz is one of those genres meant to be background noise. It's just a little too safe, a little too consistent to really grab my attention the way other jazz music can. It's good music, no complaints about listening to it, but it just doesn't excite as much as it could.
Without checking, I would say that this is one of the greatest album titles of all time. Easily Top Ten. Good arrangements, tight. Definitely the 1950s jazz club vibe, but Miles in a way defined that sound. Through the decade of the 1950s, he made some of the greatest jazz albums of all time (one man's opinion). Move is a great opening track, Venus de Milo a classic. All the other tracks solid at worst. So familiar with Kind of Blue that I forget the other albums he made in this era. Recorded in 1949 and 1950, this compilation album was released in 1957. Way beyond listenable and moving into the rotation. 4 stars.
The only way I can describe this album is cool. It has a cool title, cool sounds, the whole thing is cool. This album is really nice to listen to in the background and I can’t find any reason to hate it.
I haven’t listened to lots of Miles before other than the early bebop stuff. I guess miles was sick of bebop and was slowing things down compared to the bebop standard of playing 1000 mph over super fast chord changes and he wanted to make it less of a jam and more like a composition. Really interesting and a good listen. Shows how much he was experimenting and changing the sound in jazz even before he dropped Kind of Blue later on which was a real shift. Hard not to give it a 10/10 on the historical importance basis but assuming we’re going off of personal enjoyment I’ll say like a 7/10. Enjoyable but I think I just enjoy the whackier side of miles’ discography more than earlier more traditional jazz stuff. Did I need to hear this before I die? Yeah
Jake: Good but all sounds the same Greg: Good but all sounds the same Annie: Good but all sounds the same We obviously need more jazz training 🤣🤣
i believe this qualifies as "the good shit". far from my favorite Miles Davis recording, but these sessions put him on the map! really groundbreaking for 1949-50 and aged pretty well to boot. deserves to be one of the 1001? totally!
Good.
Amazing to see how gifted Miles was at such a young age (in early 20's when these recordings were made)--at both trumpet and band leader and arranging. A fun listen to music that bridges the Bebop and hardbop genres. Slower tempo and melodic phrasing heralds the cool jazz that followed. This complication was released about 6-7 years after the recordings were first made and released as singles or whatever.
Moon dreams was great!!!
This apparently is "cool jazz" which means that all other jazz must be "square jazz"? Whatever you call it, I like it better than more freeform jazz. This is pretty good. I would definitely listen to this again. Move and Moon Dreams are particularly good.
big fan of this. jazzy
Fine jazz album. Not a big standout for me
It's good. Short tracks, obviously played well. A great jazz album to pass the time. However, maybe because I've listened to many Miles Davis albums that are some of the greatest I've heard, that I would say this is a 4/5, instead of a perfect score.
Yeah, that's some good Jazz.
Cool
Running late to work and I don’t even mind because these dulcet tones are keeping me calm.
Not Miles’ best work but still incredible
This is a really solid jazz album. I enjoyed listening to it while I worked.
Ya like jazz?
Il y a des jours, en me levant et en regardant la liste de ce foutu projet des "1001 Albums qu'il faut avoir écoutés avant de crever", je me demande vraiment dans quelle galère je me suis fourré. Je savais que ça n'allait pas être une promenade de santé. Je savais qu'il y aurait des trucs qui me feraient saigner des oreilles, des pop-stars préfabriquées, de la country dégoulinante ou du rock progressif chiant à mourir avec des solos de clavier de vingt minutes. Mais je savais aussi qu'il y aurait le mur. Le fameux mur des légendes intouchables, des vaches sacrées. Les artistes devant lesquels la bien-pensance musicale t'oblige à te prosterner sous peine de te voir retirer ta carte de mélomane. Et aujourd'hui, paf, je me prends le mur en pleine gueule. Miles Davis 1957 et Birth of the Cool. Bon, je sais que je vais me faire des ennemis. Les puristes vont hurler au blasphème, déchirer leurs cols roulés, recracher leur vin nature et m'accuser de ne rien comprendre à l'histoire de la musique. Mais je m'en fous, je l'annonce d'emblée : moi, Miles Davis, ça m'emmerde. C'est physique, c'est mental, c'est comme ça. Et d'ailleurs, c'est un peu la même chose avec John Coltrane. Voilà, c'est dit, c'est écrit noir sur blanc sur cette critique, le blasphème est consommé. J'attends la foudre, mais en attendant, je vais vous expliquer pourquoi je me fais chier en écoutant la prétendue naissance de la "coolitude". Pour comprendre, il faut que je remette un peu de contexte. Je suis né en 1970 et j'ai grandi avec une autre urgence dans les tympans. J'ai commencé à vraiment bouffer de la musique quand j'étais ado, au moment où le post-punk, la cold wave et les prémices de l'indie rock redéfinissaient les règles. Moi, mes héros ne portaient pas de costards impeccables en soufflant dans des cuivres avec l'air faussement détaché dans des clubs enfumés. Mes héros, ils chantaient le désespoir avec des guitares saturées ou des boîtes à rythmes glaciales. Mes héros s'appellent The Cure, Nick Cave, Joy Division ou New Order. Plus tard, je suis passé de l'autre côté du miroir. Entre 1991 et 2000, j'ai usé mes fonds de culotte dans une radio indépendante et j'en ai programmé des trucs. J'en ai écouté des galettes improbables. Ensuite, entre 96 et 2000, j'étais derrière le comptoir d'un disquaire indépendant. C'était mon époque, mon univers. Quand un gamin rentrait dans la boutique en cherchant une claque, je ne lui tendais pas du Miles Davis. Je lui filais le dernier Sonic Youth, un bon vieux Pixies, le hurlement primal de Nirvana, ou si je voulais vraiment le traumatiser, je l'orientais vers du Godflesh ou les fréquences telluriques de Sunn O))). Là, il y avait de la matière, là, il y avait du danger. Alors forcément, quand je mets Birth of the Cool sur la platine, le contraste est rude. Entendons-nous bien, et je tiens à le préciser avant que la police du jazz ne vienne défoncer ma porte : je ne remets ni en cause leur talent, ni leur importance historique. Je ne suis pas complètement teubé. Je sais lire une encyclopédie et je comprends très bien ce que Miles Davis a apporté. Je comprends que cet album de 1957 (compilant des sessions de 49 et 50, d'ailleurs, petite parenthèse pour les nerds) a cassé la frénésie du bebop pour proposer un truc plus arrangé, plus posé, plus "cool". L'utilisation du cor d'harmonie, du tuba, ce nonet improbable... oui, c'est brillant sur le papier. C'est de l'orfèvrerie. Mais sur moi, ça glisse. L'importance historique, ça ne fait pas dresser les poils sur les bras. Je ne leur demande pas de sonner comme le jazz que j'affectionne, car ils en seraient tout bonnement incapables. On ne peut pas réécrire l'histoire. On crée avec les outils qu'on a entre les mains à l'instant T, pas avec ceux qui n'existent pas encore. C'est la base de la création artistique. Comment voulez-vous faire du jazz hardcore si le "hard" et le "core" n'ont pas encore été imaginés ? Comment tu veux cracher une violence urbaine sourde et post-industrielle quand la distorsion de malade mental, les pédales d'effets dégénérées et le concept même de "bruitiste" n'ont pas encore infusé la conscience collective ? Tu ne peux pas. Donc ils font avec les outils qu'ils ont entre les mains. Ils ont leurs trompettes, leurs saxos, leurs partitions hyper complexes et leur génie de l'arrangement. Très bien. Mais l'artisanat qui en ressort ne me convient pas du tout. C'est trop propre, c'est trop poli. C'est de la musique d'ameublement pour des intérieurs chics, ou la bande-son d'un film noir où tout le monde boit des dry martinis en plissant les yeux. Moi, j'aime la sueur, j'aime l'abrasif, j'aime quand la musique te prend par le col et te secoue jusqu'à ce que tes dents claquent. Quand j'ai envie de jazz, d'ailleurs, je ne me tourne pas vers les années 50. Je vais voir du côté de chez John Zorn. Ah, Zorn ! Voilà un mec qui a compris. Là, on a un mec qui a digéré l'histoire, qui a pris les instruments traditionnels, mais qui y a insufflé la fureur du grindcore, du free, du dub, avec une énergie de psychopathe. Zorn, il prend les outils du jazz et il les utilise pour défoncer les murs. Miles Davis, sur Birth of the Cool, il utilise ses outils pour tapisser le salon avec un papier peint très chic, mais profondément soporifique. Pendant l'écoute de l'album, je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de regarder le temps défiler sur la platine. C'est terrible de ressentir ça. Ce n'est même pas que c'est mauvais, c'est pire : c'est inoffensif (pour mes oreilles de vieux con biberonné aux musiques extrêmes et alternatives). Les morceaux s'enchaînent comme une brise tiède un jour de canicule. Ça rafraîchit deux secondes, et puis on s'en fout. Des titres comme "Jeru" ou "Boplicity" sont d'une virtuosité indéniable, les harmonies sont riches, le son d'ensemble est soyeux. Mais putain, qu'est-ce qu'on s'y ennuie ! On dirait que la musique s'excuse d'être là. Elle demande poliment la permission d'occuper l'espace sonore sans déranger la conversation des gens qui dînent. Je repense à mes années chez le disquaire. Le rayon jazz, c'était toujours un monde à part. Il y avait les clients habitués, ceux qui venaient chercher la dernière réédition Blue Note en vinyle 180 grammes, qui scrutaient les crédits avec des lunettes sur le bout du nez pour voir si c'était bien Rudy Van Gelder à l'enregistrement. Je les respectais, ces mecs. Ils avaient leur passion, leur érudition. Je pouvais discuter avec eux de pressages et de labels, mais je savais qu'on n'habitait pas sur la même planète musicale. S'ils m'avaient demandé mon avis sincère sur Birth of the Cool, je leur aurais sorti la même tirade qu'aujourd'hui. L'art, c'est subjectif. C'est une histoire de tripes et mes tripes, elles ont été formées dans les années 80 et 90. Elles ont besoin de tension, de catharsis, d'un son qui gratte, qui saigne ou qui pleure. Le cool, le détachement, la sophistication froide des années 50, c'est un langage que je comprends intellectuellement, mais que je refuse de parler émotionnellement. Alors voilà, l'exercice des "1001 Albums" m'oblige à passer par là. Je l'ai fait, j'ai écouté du début à la fin sans zapper, par respect pour l'œuvre. J'ai sagement attendu que la dernière note de "Darn That Dream" s'évanouisse dans le silence. Et le silence qui a suivi était, à mon grand désespoir, bien plus excitant que les trente-cinq minutes précédentes. Je referme la page de cet album mythique sans aucun regret, prêt à retourner à mes disques crades et à mes complaintes désenchantées. Je ne retire rien à la légende de Miles Davis. Qu'il repose en paix sur l'Olympe des génies musicaux. Mais pour ce projet, pour ce carnet de bord qui est le mien, avec mon vécu, mon background de mec de la radio indé et ma sensibilité à moi, je ne peux pas faire semblant. Je ne vais pas me masturber intellectuellement pour faire plaisir à la critique institutionnelle. La naissance du cool, c'est peut-être la mort de ma patience. Note : 2/5 (Et franchement, je lui mets 2 juste pour l'histoire des outils et l'artisanat. Le reste m'est passé au-dessus de la tête à une vitesse supersonique).
Miles Davis is clearly really good. He’s talented and forward-thinking, puts together a great band, and changed music. But albums like this still don’t grab me. Not sure if it is the complete lack of the modern attention span or my lack of jazz knowledge but that’s it.
not all that fussed about jazz but this was decent to have on in the background. reminded me of some of the big band stuff that my parents love and would play a lot when i was a child.
Cool
Background music
too nigga
Perfect album name. It’s more laid back than some of the craziest Coltrane, but it’s so undeniably cool
Not my music
Jazz ei oo mun juttu yhtään. Ei vaikka Miles Davies on taituri.
Ich hab keine Ahnung von Jazz, aber das klang schon gut. Kann aber überhaupt nicht einschätzen, wie revolutionär das jetzt ist oder wie es sich im Vergleich zu anderen Jazzalben der Zeit schlägt. Ich konnte es gut durchhören und mochte die Grundstimmung.
10# Besides kinds of blue (which i really like but i tend not to return to too often), i didn't heard much more from Miles Davis. The vibe: Cozy winter night at home reading some romance book with 112 pages.
Unexpected, but pleasant
foundational, quietly seismic record // initially underappreciated and misunderstood, some critics didn’t even recognize it as jazz; for example, winthrop sergeant called it “charming and exciting” // this is cool jazz at its finest, purest // arrangements feel architectural yet weightless // to ke it gives an impressionistic atmosphere: airy, light, softly luminous // attention to tone and blend is meticulous and nothing is overstated // restrained, but beautiful use of space as power // feels like a study in aural poetry rather than virtuoso display // despite being historically transformative it does it beautifully without ever sounding self-important
I liked this more than I thought I would! It definitely faded into the background and I lost concentration on it a lot but I really thought I would find it hard to listen to and I’d give up on it like I do with most Jazz. My opinion of jazz (except experimental(?) jazz that sounds like noise/nothing) is slowly changing like I hoped it would, I’m so glad. It’s a 2/5 but a 5/10.
Cooler than the other side of the pillow
We started analyzing jazz in Adv. Music Theory recently, particularly with these icons' genius usage of extended dominants. I don't feel up to par with jazz ball knowledge... this is a great place to start!
Bra Jazz album mycket trumpet, saknar vocals Favoritlåt: Israel
Trumpet 😍😍 nice upbeat jazz album
Real fun album with a lot of differents moods. Second Miles Davis album I listen to and he can make me feel really different things with his instrument.
I don’t appreciate a horn or horns in the forefront. For me this was jangling my nerves until the horns with lower notes took over, but that was usually fleeting.
Took me a minute to get into Miles, because I started with the more avant garde stuff. But once I got it, I got it.
Quick tempo jazz. Most tracks enjoyable.
Pretty good overall. Was confused on why on song was randomly called Israel but it was released in 1956 which is pretty far away from when I was born soo.... Anyway nice instrumental, cool smooth sound
Love this. I will revisit
081022 12:19 4
Heck yeeeeeah!!!!
Dang I thought I knew this one. I’m familiar with a lot of Miles Davis records but for some reason I’ve never listened to this. I can hear how it slots into his œuvre…and although I’m aware of its historic significance it sounds so “classic” that none of it sounds particularly groundbreaking from this distance. I’m more about that On The Corner / Bitches Brew vibe. Would give it 4.5 if poss, gonna round it up bc he’s the MAN.
When this was released it was so revolutionary that one critic said it wasn't even jazz. This is difficult to imagine today given that this is basically what I think of when someone says "jazz." It certainly is more melodic and song-based than a lot of jazz. And it's a bit surprising there are nine musicians on these tracks given how stark and empty a lot of it sounds. Most tracks focus on Miles's trumpet, and sometimes the drums do some cool stuff, but the other instruments are mostly in the background. Largely it's too simple for my liking, but livelier tracks like "Budo" are interesting. This is likely more interesting for jazz fans who can point out all the things that made it revolutionary than it is for the average person.
I am not cool enough to rate this a 5. It is great as background. You can throw it on to add smooth sophistication to many a situation. But do I care to pay a very close listen? Not so much.
I discovered 2026 will be the 100th year of Miles Davis's birth what perfect timing. I first knew him from My Funny Valentine. Hearing a full jazz album like Birth of the Cool is a moment where your thoughts can flow with the rhythm. It's the perfect music to simply enjoy. It leaves space for appreciation without overwhelming you. Pure emotion! I can't describe it technically, but the slow sound from Moon Dreams into Venus de Milo was so good… and the vocals in the last song… an incredible way to close.
Withholding IS cool
Brilliant jazz classic
I like Jazz.
Super good tbh
Overall: 6/10 I think this is fine. This is the type of jazz I imagine when people say the word jazz. Most people would use it as background noise for a fancy party or something. I might use it to play video games like Fallout or Bioshock. Fav Song: Budo
This record is one of my favorite jazz records, but I'm certainly ton connoisseur -- it will always remind me of my first winter working in NYC.
I didn’t think I liked jazz, but maybe I’ve only heard bad jazz music. I’ve heard of Miles Davis obviously, but never listened assuming it wasn’t my thing. But I really liked this, cool indeed.
I love accurate album titles.
Great music
Not quite kind of blue but at the time I’m sure it was groundbreaking, the recording hiss of the technology places it in its era.
Okay so. This is fun to listen to. I'm having a strange issue where I'm sort of hearing things backwards through time where having heard *Bitches Brew* and some of Miles' later stuff these feels so tame and like I keep waiting for it to explode open and do something else. I keep having to remind myself this is from 1957. Very cool, as advertised. Could easily see myself putting this on when I want to write or just need to have something in my ears. Cannot stress enough how strong of an opener "Move" is. From the first thirty seconds Miles tells us exactly what he's going to give us; 32 minutes of swanky and technically impressive playing. Other highlights include "Venus de Milo," "Godchild," and "Rouge," which feels like a nice closing credits number for the whole thing.
Took a couple of listens but super cool now.
#0003: #0002: BIRTH OF THE COOL by MILES DAVIS Good quality dinner party jazz, bit of fun! #0001: ELEPHANT by THE WHITE STRIPES They are from Detroit SNA heavy and distorted bassline played on guitar w/ octave pedal not bass Produced @ Toerag Studios E. London for £5k on analogue equipment built before 1963; recorded and mastered w/out computer Meg White "tick tock drumming style" Overall: Quite enjoyed it; like the squalliness and the feel the old tech and playing styles give the music but after the first 5 tracks or so I really fell off the album and it lost my attention. Fine as background but I wasn't blown away towards the end. Maybe other WS will do it for me? Or maybe on relistening?
Jazzzz
pff
slow and jazz
petit jazz tranquille
🎺
Cool en fond as usual
Miles Davis is a genius. Although Jazz is not one of my favorite genres, I appreciated listening to it
I’m not qualified to adequately review what I just heard. Likeable pleasing album but it’s probably way better than I am skilled to say. Rating purely on preference for this one.
Meh didn’t float my boat
Good and mellow.
Fine modal jazz album, but to me not as as cohesively grooving as KIND OF BLUE, probably because it is a compilation (I thought there was a rule that prevented the inclusion of compilations on this list?), rather than an album constructed out of artistic intentionality, but it's cool jazz approach is more approachable than BITCHES BREW. I respect the skill of modal jazz, but I admit that I derive more enjoyment from the big band and vocal jazz arrangements than the cool jazz/bebop modal jazz approach. I think my favorite Miles Davis album is actually COOKIN', but I doubt that will ever be on the list. Want to give it a 3 for my personal preferences, but I know too many jazz cats that cite this album as seminal record for their love of jazz, so I have to bump it to a 4.
Jazz really isn't my thing. I can't say I disliked it, but I don't ever see me returning to it. I'm sure there's reverence and importance to this album, but to me, it sounded like 40 minutes of music that would back a quirky 1960s film.
Day 174 Nope, my third Miles Davis album and the third one I’ve hated, I keep expecting it to click because of how highly rated Miles is but I think I just have to accept I’m cloth-eared when it comes to Jazz music
Its actully not so bad. I can listen this while im chiling or something liker that, but there is many other albums i prefer more than this.
Awsome, full of wonders and smooth, but a little repetitive at times.
I don't like Jazz
toot
Felt like Ryan Gosling in Lalaland what can I say it's a classic! The dynamic and the freedom of this record is addictive, doesn't feel like background music at all. There's a certain clarity and tone you can hear with no words needed.
I don't know how to feel about instrumental jazz and how to approach it. I appreciate the craftsmanship at least, and the significance is definitely notable enough for inclusion.
Highlights: Jeru, Venus De Milo, Budo, Godchild, Rouge Lowlights: --------------------------------------------- Objectively this is great music, but I can't see myself listening to it on a whim. By no means did I dislike it, but I have no desire to go back to it.
Before listening, I decided to read a short biography of Miles Davis; it's certainly impressive. He lived a relatively short life, but managed to play with a large number of renowned musicians and, most importantly, became the founder of several jazz styles. This record is a collection of his works from 1949-1950, which later became the foundation of the subgenre known as cool jazz (hence the album's title). The problem is that jazz gives you two options: either you're in the know, or it's completely out of your league. I'm going with the latter. The album is just over half an hour long, and it's all seemingly different, yet for me, it's all the same. It's not easy to listen to, and the slight feeling of being a bohemian in a 1950s American restaurant quickly becomes tiresome. Star for the fact that the author became a colossus of the genre during his lifetime and remains one to this day, and a star for the fact that, overall, this album can be pleasant background music for work, cooking dinner, or even dinner itself.
Very talented on the trumpet!
Listenable.
Fantastic
Glad it was only 35 mins as it kind of got on my nerves after a bit. Jazz isn’t for me.
Solid jazz album. Not the biggest fan of the genre, but it was a pleasant listen.
Not bad in the moment but couldn't tell you a thing about it immediately after.
I don’t know what else to say about these jazzy records. It sounds alright.
Some of these recordings are from the late 40s so while not the oldest release must be in the running for oldest material. The discrete short tracks mean there weren't any other stuff to look out for like repeated motifs or call backs over the album's course and it helped clarify for me that I can take or leave jazz for casual listening. I said it before with the Duke album about it being a live genre and that sitting in the same room will always be a totally different experience
This is another case of "I need to be there to enjoy it." Please don't get me wrong, this is absolutely mind blowing talent and I respect the talent and hard work of these musicians. I just really can't make myself enjoy a recorded jazz performance. It just falls so flat for me. If I was in the audience I would be absolutely starstruck and awestruck. But unfortunately, I was not in the audience. Maybe I'll find a jazz recording someday that I really can get into and prove my feelings wrong about jazz albums. But for now, 3/5. I need to be there.
2.7 The most cool thing about this is the fact it was recorded in the 40s. I was quite looking forward to this given I quite enjoyed his later outings that have appeared on this list. Also the background that it helped propel "cool" jazz. In hindsight I think a better name for it might have been "safe" jazz. There was nothing really in any song that gripped me, that excited me, or that even thought it was remotely cool. Must have been a time and place thing.
it's definily not my type of music. So I don't really like it.
Very easy listen. I enjoyed it but nothing that will take me back to the album.
Cool
I am a Miles Davis superfan, but historically this is not my favorite of his periods. Fun to revisit! Remains the same as always. This is good, but not for me really.
i just dont get jazz
Huippulevy! Nimenomaan coolin kauden alku! Tykkään pirusti! 4/5
Onhan se mestari. 4/5 koska cool jazz ei oo lempparialagenre.
I'm reasonable confident in saying "I like jazz" and I especially like MD when at his most avant-garde and experimental. However, this may just be a bit too early for my limited knowledge and appreciation to grasp it's importance. It sounds and feels really old, it is in fact music from a different generation. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Old ★★★☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 212 Already owned : 47 Purchased : 10 To buy list : 4 Nope : 151
Another "cool" jazz album by Miles Davis. Not quite up there with my favourites of his. The tracks don't stick in my head as much as anything from Kind of Blue, but would listen again
Pissin my pants he's so cool
it's Jazz.. 01/26/2026
Good
i enjoyed this greatly
Very monsters inc-esque
A classic. Fantastic jazz album. Very enjoyable to listen to.
4 out of 5 Very cool, loved most of this. Some songs made you want to dance and others were much more serious.
Calming music, very nice background music.
I want to live in a world where this is the epidemy of cool.
I mean, it's freaking cool. I've listened to his discography and it's one of the most fun.
Peak jazz but I prefer tracks with singing alongside.
I get it now.
Это джаз из Лефортово
Very solid, I don't know if I'd seek it out, but I do enjoy it immensely.
If Kind of Blue is a 5 this is a 3
Cool jazz. Yet to hear jazz that is higher than 3 stars for me. Maybe someday.
definitivamente um álbum de jazz. eu acho que eu realmente não gosto de jazz….
Beautiful. Not my usual thing but the intricacy and beauty of these tracks is undeniable
Masterpiece
great album! 4/5
4/10 - Favorite song: Godchild
I still feel roughly the same about jazz as I did before hearing this.
cool jazz: una estética de contención, melodías limpias, armonías sofisticadas y un swing más insinuado que explosivo. Move; Boplicity; Jeru; Moon Dreams; Israel; Rocker y Venus de Milo las mejores canciones
I mean, this is just an objectively incredible jazz album, and I’m never going to be able to write anything that hasn’t already been said about it. I will say that naming it “Birth of the Cool” and it being one of the best jazz albums of all time is truly the musical equivalent of Babe Ruth calling his shot.
honestly not that into anything without vocals but had this on in the background while working and it was nice :)
This is my fourth, and I believe, last album by Miles Davis in this book. I didn't even realize there were so many Miles Davis albums, which to a jazz amateur like I am, having four Mile Davis albums seems a bit much. Even though I have listened to approximately 894 jazz albums while going through the 1001 albums listing, I still am not sure if I can identify what is "good" jazz and what is "incredibly good" jazz. There is even a song on here with vocals! Darn That Dream is a fun song and this is a fun jazz album. What I like the most about it is the songs arrive promptly, leave promptly and Miles Davis doesn't spend time with his dick out just showing everyone how truly awesome he is. I listened to this one while I was doing work. For a few hours I forgot that work sucks the soul out of my body and creates a void which only can be filled by life-ruining cancerous cells or naive joy believing the future will be brighter. So, for that, I give this album a nice rating.
Smooth and cool jazz, excellent for relaxing and working.
felt like i was at a fancy restaurant or something
Nice jazz background music.
Nice classy jazz
It’s not Kinda Blue, but it’s still a great listen.
This album is nearly 70 years old and it sounds like it. That's all I have to say
8 / 10
I think I like this kinda stuff when you see it love but find it hard to listen to as a whole album when sat at home
Not my favorite Miles
This is the very finest of all music. There are no words to describe how much this music makes me feel good. Miles Davies was a genius. And his music will last forever, which is very cool.
I'm not a massive jazz fan, but I did like this album.
What a great period of his output. Short, sweet, and to the point.
Not a fan of jazz and this didn't add much to my appreciation. Just boring.
Album #28: Birth of the Cool - Miles Davis Genre (W): Cool jazz No singles. I have listened to this album several times. Thoughts: This is one of my favorite albums because of the compositions and the sound! I love jazz music a lot, for instrumentals and production. Plus, the compositions usually call for a lot of technical ability. Favorite songs: All of it!!
I respect it, but didn't enjoy it.
This album was a lot 'cooler' than I remembered it, had a lot more variety than just the straight bepop stuff. Having some oddball instruments like the tuba and recorder in the mix was really fun! Miles just keeps getting W's for me
Very cool indeed. Not as out there as Bitches Brew + some of the stuff I'm more into, but undoubtedly masterful playing.
It's jazz, pretty much always a 5 from me.
Прекрасный альбом от Майлза. Отличные соло, которые прекрасно ложиться на удивительный инструментал.
97/1001 First listen. Jazz. I just don’t get it. 3/10
3.0
Significantly better than Bitches Brew and exactly what I want from jazz
ooooh…. now this is more like it! love love love ❤️
16/01/2026 1. move - bass is realllly nice throughout.... trumpet is sososo goood. drums are completely fantastic!!! 2. jeru - horns are crazy! really liking this so far :) *3. moon dreams - really liking the start. very moody... sounds like the score of an old movie. love the solos... liking the ending. 4. venus de milo - more upbeat. really loving the bass in these songs. saxaphone is lovely... 5. budo - loving the start... the drums near the end!!!! really nice :) 6. deception - loving the horns at the start... the drumming is real nice as well. 7. godchild - bass and saxaphone are still great... nothing more to say about most of these songs, really liking them :) 8. boplicity - like the title of this... piano towards the end is nice. *9. rocker - loving the energy in this one! *10. israel - reall liking the beginning of this one... really nice ending as well!! 11. rouge - loving the drums again!! *12. darn that dream - lyrics?? not sure if the vocals make it sound a bit cluttered, but really liking it anyways :) really liked this one, looking forward to the other miles davis albums on here :)
This is classic Jazz and it's Miles Davis. It's gorgeous, it's designed for passive or critical listening. It's not my genre, but it's something I've been leaning more towards as I'm getting older, I don't know why, but the music speaks to me a little more.
I have been listening to and appreciating more jazz recently - this was a good album for my snowy commute
Love Mles Davis!
Such cool and incredible jazz!
Älter als ich ...
I dont like the 50s
he keeps it moving :)
I hate jazz. It is the most boring genre in history.
Hard to place in context
One of the best to ever play
It was Miles Davis, I could listen to it all day, but I think other Miles albums commanded my attention a little more.
3.5?
The beginning of Cool jazz Move Venus de milo
Kocham jazzik, ale jako że jestem jesieniarą, to zazwyczaj pochłaniam go w konkretnych okolicznościach, np. pisanie kampanii dnd w chmurnej Warszawie, smuteczki dnia codziennego i smuteczki dnia niecodziennego to jest egzystencjonalne. Tym razem słuchałem podczas robienia obrazków z rybami w pracy oraz czytania o ekosystemie wód lądowych w zachodniopomorskim, więc mogło nie wejść tak jak powinno.
Śnieg padał jak szedłem rano do pracy puszysty sypki lśniący błyszczący
Trochę festive uczucie, trochę bajkowe. Bardzo przyjemnie się słuchało. 🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺🥁
Nie lubię jazzu, ale po pierwszych kilku nutach nie zostałem odepchnięty, więc plus. Dobra, po drugiej piosence już mi się znudziło. Maybe im stupid (albo faktycznie nie lubię jazzu), ale każda z piosenek brzmi tak samo. Gdyby nie krótkie pauzy pomiędzy utworami, myślałbym, że wciąż leci pierwszy utwór. Jak się nie skupiam to zaczyna mi się podobać. Przyjemny jako background noise. Minusem jest to, że jak uświadomię sobie, że nie skupiam się na muzyce to wtedy zaczynam się na niej skupiać i przestaje mi się podobać. Cieszę się, że już skończyłem słuchać i już nigdy nie będę musiał wracać do tego albumu. Ja naprawdę nie lubię jazzu.
Cool
It’s just so damn smooth
First time actually listening to Miles Davis. Loved every minute of it!
I prefer On the Corner
I mean of course it’s Miles but man Joe Shulmans bass lines!
8.18/10 jazzzzzz 4/5
miles was the best jazzman from the 40s all the way up to the 70s
Jazz.
I remain a jazz ignoramus but lovely to participate in one of the greats (hw)
Really delightful. Moon Dreams was my favorite overall. Venus de Melo. Overall the album is a delight hr to listen to. Very upbeat good vibes I couldn’t help but find myself in a positively good mood. 7.6
jazz music is NOT my thing at all
These type of instrumentals really don't do much for me in any way... :/
Heerlijke muziek!
Ik vond het iets te chaotisch, de zijn andere liedjes vind ik toffer
My dad liked big band music so I always struggle to find it anything but “fuddy duddy,” so this isn’t immediately “cool” sounding to me. It’s a different beast to Glen Miller and co however. You can hear the bop in it. But, whilst I respect it, it doesn’t grab me like “kind of blue” or later Miles.
Classic of the highest order.
Richtiger Dreck alla Typ Jazz für Wichtigtuer unfassbar dass man sowas aufgenommen hat, obwohl das damals noch teuer war klingt nach Soundcloud Jam Schrott aber gut wir hatten ja nichts meine Meinung
Trompetengedudel. Wers mag, für den ist es sicherlich ein Fest. Für mich nicht.
Hätte es gerne höher bewertet, aber es fällt sehr schwer die Art von Musik objektiv zu beurteilen... Eignet sich gut als Hintegrundmusik während man eigentlich was lauteres macht
Another entry from Miles Davis that's impossible to dislike. If you think you hate this, you're sorely mistaken. Probably. It's exactly what people think of when they imagine 50s jazz, and for good reason: most, if not all, jazz music after this point was influenced by Miles Davis's output. He's such a giant in his field that it's hard to ignore the sway and talent weaved between the lighthearted, upbeat lines. And speaking of melodic lines, these ones are rock-solid. Davis's 50s work showcases heavy inspiration from the earlier bebop movement, with Donna Lee-esque lines being thrown around the streets of St. Louis. Boplicity is the clearest example of melodic inspiration being taken from bebop, and it's a darn good standard. (I should know. I played it in a band. It was good.) 4/5 Key tracks: Move, Jeru, Boplicity
Excellent!
Definitely can appreciate the talent and the skill to create a body of work like this. I just don’t think jazz is for me. It would probably hit different if I listened to it live.
such a goated album
Do ya like jazz? 🐝
Very cool. A bit too smooth and not as hard hitting as expected. Enjoyable background music, but not attention grabbing.
7.77
Kommer aldrig komma ihåg specifika låtar från Miles Davies men det är alltid trevligt att lyssna på
Very early Miles before he became angry and isolating. Always amazing music.
What’s cooler than being cool? Miles Davis.
I still don't get it, but I can tell it's less complex than Kind of Blue, which means there's a bit less for me not to get. Which if you think about it, means I almost sort of get it a bit more?
Haven't listened to this Miles yet. Really enjoyed it while making dinner. Loved Jeru.
Very mild, a little boring. Would be better live.
move: 7 jeru: 7.5 moon dreams: 8 venus de milo: 7.5 budo: 7.5 deception: 7.5 godchild: 7 boplicity:7 rocker: 7 israel: 7.5 rogue: 7 overall: 7.5 gorgeous project. will definitely listen to it again. overall: 4/5 stars favourite tracks: moon dreams least favourite track: move
I guess it’s just not for me. I listened to it three times, nothing stood out, nothing excited me or bored me. It’s not a one because it didn’t offend my ears, but it’s not something I have any interest in hearing again
😕
This is exactly why I love this service. I’m not a jazz aficionado, so I figured I could put Birth of the Cool on while driving and get the gist—but I’m so glad I gave it a second, more focused listen. My usual impression of jazz is that it can feel too freeform: a conversation among instruments that drifts without a clear pattern, and you’re never quite sure when it’s going to land. This album still has that interplay, but the music is shaped by strong arrangements and steady rhythmic frameworks, which gave me something to hold onto (shorter tracks helped, too) and made the solos easier to appreciate. I had a college buddy who was really into Miles Davis, and I’m finally starting to understand why.
When I hear a jazz album, it might sound superficial, but I just don’t want to my hear beaten to death by high pitches of the trumpet. And this one manage to make jazz extremely enjoyable and fun while also technically brilliant. As of now one of the best if not the best jazz album I ever heard. Might be higher on based on future listens
uxmo kinos musikaa. ცუდი არაა უბრალოდ უკანა ფონზეც არ ჩავრთავდი რა, კინოს მუსიკას ჰგავდა ჩემთვუს
Miles Fucking Davis.
two miles davis albums in a row
Nie słucham takiej muzyki na codzień, myślę, że gdybym była bardziej “awangardowa” osoba spodobałoby mi się, niestety chyba jestem zbyt chamska.
Jazz doesn’t need to be saved we just need this on the radio waves.
2/10 - Instrumental Jazz
Miles the man you are. Again, I'm not super keen when it comes to jazz and blues, but I do enjoy it, especially if it's miles. It's simple (in the best way possible) and pure yet so different and surprises you randomly during each piece, with a note you wouldn't expect but fits perfectly, or a rhythm variation. I think it's best for me to listen to these separately, letting some time pass by, so I can enjoy it and savour it better without letting the all album feel repetitive. Makes me feel like I'm in an old black and white film or a noir crime scene or something.
Classic
It's jazz so the bar is fairly low. But it swings along. I would struggle to tell you where things stop and start but I didn't dislike. A weak 4 but I enjoyed it.
I'll listen to it again, but I really liked it the first time. It deserve a more careful attention, though.
This one has such an amazing vibe to it. A warm, relaxed, subdued vibe. I am grateful for the generator expanding my taste and contributing to my appreciation of jazz, prior to the generator, I thought I didn't like jazz except jazz rap. Getting exposed to other genres - that I don't listen too much of -classics (prefered genre is punk and punk-adjacent, but still like nearly every genre) is wonderful. My favourite part of the album is the manic drums in "Move" it's not that the album peaked at the first song or anything, the album in fact had a good consistent high, no considerable dips in quality throughout. Highlight Song/s: "Move", "Venus De Milo" and "Godchild"
It's a jazz album, and I'm not listening in a club with a cocktail in hand. It's a 3 under these circumstances.
If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis
Not for me.
Not my cup of tea. At least for today.
Easy digestible jazz
I am not a jazz fan and still not after listening to this. Great craftsmanship though.
I didn't like it it was too old and most of the playlist was just sound without voice
Nice enough but not really a jazz fan so didn’t do too much for me
Before I heard this album I was a complete dorkus malorkus. Now, upon hearing it for the first time, I am driving through midtown Manhatten at midnight in a Lincoln Continental, shades on. I'm wearing a pinstripe suit, I have a martini in my hand and a knockout dame on my lap.
🎺
Certainly sounds like jazz as I currently know it, but at the time, this must’ve been mind-blowing.
Very cool, as the name implies. Put it on when you want people to think well of you. Not my favorite jazz album but I understand why it's here.
First listen Saved 4/11 Top track: Boplicity
This is a compilation album so definitely not what I'd come to expect from a Miles Davis record, but still a worthy listen and an enjoyable time - like all Miles Davis records. The guy just bleeds talent.
It was alright. Only one song really stuck out to me, I would definitely listen to this again but it took me a few tries for it to grab me. Highlights: Venus De Milo
I mean, it's an instrumental jazz album, very well-written. So what else can I give it than 5, duh?
Cooler than ice cream
I don’t listen to Jazz at all. However I enjoyed it very much.
I think another commenter summed this up good for me. "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." Ignore his god awful english. His point is good, I think it's good background music, and realise the mastership and that this was the birth of cool jazz. But would only put this on if I was cooking a 5 star meal.
Love me some Miles Davis!
Don’t listen to jazz much but I love it.
Jazz
Great album but boring. Everything sounded the same, only moon dream caught my attention. But good artistry nevertheless
I feel so ‘unsophisticated’ but - nope.
Jazzy - talented musicians making music I'm just not that into (I'm trying for the sake of my child though!), at least it was a quickie!
(sorry for the double-rating, but I have to clear my History)
It's not for me I'm not a big fan of horns due to the high pitch but I can see why ppl like it
Jazz init
I’m not a big fan of jazz, but I can understand the appeal. It reminded me a lot of tracks you’d have for a movie, like crime/thriller or even a comedy. There’s too much noise and a lot of instruments being played and it’s quite overwhelming. 1/5
Nice mysig liten jazz stund! Endast instrumentalt och inte helt vad jag skulle lyssna på aktivt men positiva vibes och mycket bra som bakgrundsljud till att pyssla eller diska, dansade mer än vad jag brukar göra när jag tömmer disken
Love Miles. I had to really sit with this one to "get it."
Not my favourite Mikes Davis recording but nonetheless a brilliant genre shaping album.
Different from what I usually listen to but I enjoyed it very much and found it was compatible while I was reading.
didn’t wanna rate trumpet
This is a good early Miles record. Not as good as some of his other work, but still really solid. 7/10
I recognise Miles Davis as an incredible musician but with each track on this album I think of one of three things: 1. Coronation Street has just started. 2. Coronation Street has just ended. 3. Something has fallen down the stairs. I’ll go out of my way to avoid listening to this again…and watching Coronation Street
Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: 🎺😎⬛ Production (Rudy Van Gelder 2000 Digital Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎺🖌️🖼️ Rating: 🧊🧊🧊(🧊)/5
No. 58 Not a big jazz guy, but this was a good listen.
Very early Davis, that sounds like jazz to me. I definitely don't know enough about the period to understand how it differs. Sound pretty cool for music recorded in 1949! 4 Heard before? No Owned: No: 39/153 (24%) Will I get? Probably not
Actually, I'm not a fan of music without the lyrics, so this album just feels like the background music. And it's not bad, it's just not for me, I mean, it's good for studying because it doesn't have that noisy/distracting sounds, but I'd rather listen to some music with lyrics in it
If I was a jazz fan, I would probably give this five stars but it's just not my thing. I do like the older jazz like Louis Armstrong but I was never a fan of Bebop. The musicianship is impeccable so I have to give it three stars for that.
idk if its one of the most memorable miles albums for me but still
Lived up to the name, that felt very cool to listen to
An exceptional album by a legend of the genre. Obviously great
I would buy this on vinyl.
Great instrumentation and a sound that strongly invokes an era gone by. You can see the roots of the slower darker jazz among the upbeat melodies in this one. Songs are all super short like pop music which this may have been. The Wikipedia tells an interesting tale of how this album was made. Enjoyable but more as a reference to the late 50s than a jazz album in itself. Music still banging though
primeira experiencia com miles davis e seu cool jazz, gostei bastante.
This was cool and pleasant
I have high hopes for this album but also not neccasarily a jazz fan but know the legend of miles Davis. Right off the bat I get it with “move”. Incredible trumpet player. Sax is incredible too. Wish it was longer. I like Jeru a lot too. It hard to give good analysis because I don’t really know what I’m listening for, but it is audibly pleasing/uplifting while have no words. I didn’t want Jeru to end. Moons dreams is just a little too slow for me. I like how it builds up as the song goes. Venus de Milo is awesome. Can’t help but nod along. And then into budo. I’m getting the hype. Deception is fine, not the best on the album. Godchild is just fine as well. Back on track with boplicity. Great music. And it just keeps getting better as it goes. What a fun song. Rocket and Israel were both fun too, but middle of the pack as far as song rankings. Rouge is really fun, and a great way to close out. It’s a very fun 33 minutes. Will listen again. 4 stars.
So this immediately wasn't my cup of tea because i don't like jazz, but i did give it a listen. It reminded me of the kind of music that is played during theatre when they are changing scenes or in the beginning when the lights turn on and you see them all move their ways before someone starts speaking. With that said, i still couldn't wait for the album to be over. I can listen to maybe one or two songs like that, but definitely not the whole album.
Cute jazzy album but not my style
I loved listening to this but, haven’t got the ear for jazz yet!
Only 'Darn that dream' had vocals, which is a shame. The rest is mostly background music.
I’m not the biggest jazz-head but listenable
This was fun. Grant had informed me as to how old this record is which is incredible
Absolutely insane that this is from the 50s and recorded in the 40s. Shows how timeless jazz is, especially the version that this spawned. Still I have to admit I can’t tell the difference between this and other jazz. Open to learning more and upgrading
Whilst jazz is definitely not my go to genre, there is no doubting this is such an influential album and marks the beginning of the “cool jazz” genre. At moments within this album I could almost picture myself in 1950s NYC with a whiskey in hand listening to this. The improvisation on this album is top-notch and more incredibly when doing my research, this album was actually recorded from 1949-1950. This album was truly ahead of its time and I can very much appreciate that. Particular highlights are ‘Moon Dreams and Deception’ which highlight this new genre of “cool jazz”. Additionally, ‘Budo’ was another favourite of mine with its up-tempo and bee-bop influence. My only issue is that someone else will truly appreciate this album more than myself as I’m not a huge listener of jazz music. Although, I can see myself listening to some of my favourite tracks from this again. Overall, this album is undoubtedly hugely influential and has some great tracks on there but to a non-jazz listener perhaps I didn’t get as much as I needed to out of the whole album. (Hopefully my opinion can change after reviewing more jazz albums!) Favourite tracks: Moon Dreams and Budo My rating: 3/5
Jag gillar det, alla låtar låter ungefär lika dant för mig (förutom "darn that dream" då det är enda med text) så kan inte riktigt säga en favorit på albumet. Vet inte riktigt när jag skulle lyssna på det, men jag gillar det. Bra sätt att starta morgonen på. Bra promenad och åka kolektivt musik, vill lyssna på mer.
Gosh, this sounds really fascinating and I know it is amazing what he does, but also it is just not my genre. It just doesn't do it for me.
This is an instrumental jazz album with a mellow feel to it. The instrumentation is impeccable and evocative, as you would expect from a classic jazz album. It is more focused on a groove than some solo-filled albums such as Head Hunters. I didn't think it was the best jazz the list has given me(it's hard to top A Love Supreme) but it's still good nonetheless.
I've listened to some Miles Davis albuns before, and they always amazes me for the same reasons. Very enjoyable to listen to
😎
Lovely. Sounds like it would be played in the background of a black and white film