1001 Albums Generator
Birth Of The Cool by Miles Davis

Birth Of The Cool

Miles Davis

1957
3.63
Rating
30070
Votes
1
3%
2
10%
3
30%
4
34%
5
22%
Distribution
Genres: Jazz Styles: Cool Jazz

Reviews (page 6 of 14)

Lovely. Sounds like it would be played in the background of a black and white film

Miles Davis is a favorite of mine, but his early work leans more toward technical perfection than what I think he does best. His real strength is the soulful tone and the willingness to experiment, and that comes through more clearly later in his career. This is still a strong record, especially for the 1950s, but parts of it feel dated now. Solid overall. 8/10.

Slow but fun not my speed but liked it alot

The album was pretty good, not the biggest fan of jazz. Listened to it 3 times, just not my thing

i was a bit too overstimulated to listen properly but i'll give it another go another day

ok wow. essential jazz album

Strong from the get-go, the slower ones add a nice balance to the compilation, I really enjoyed it.

A classic when in the right mood

If you look up the word "cool" in the dictionary, you should see there a picture of Miles Davis playing the trumpet. So, the title of the album tracks.

The number of times Miles Davis said “no, THIS is jazz now” is amazing.

Yeah it's cool

I know Birth of the Cool is considered a classic masterpiece, but it didn’t really click with me. I’ve tried listening to Miles Davis before and had the same reaction, which makes me feel like I might not quite have the ear for this kind of masterpiece. Personally, I find myself more drawn to the sound of Stan Getz.

“If peeing your pants is cool…”

This kind of sound is my favorite to come from bigger jazz ensembles. I’ve never really been into the “big-band” bombast or jazz orchestras, but I love a good smoky small-room atmosphere, and this album has that in spades. The combo of lots of instruments with a deliberately smaller-scale vibe and construction, is just, well, cool. I may prefer other Davis eras, but I simply cannot argue with this album. Must-listen #266.

not my genre

It's good enough to make me dance on a London train platform

Relativ gut für ein Jazz-Album

I‘ve consistently struggled with knowing how to review and, moreso, to appreciate jazz. I know I tend to enjoy it when it’s on, but not how to tell the good from the great. Best I can tell, this is pretty great but not as great as Miles Davis‘ other work on here.

Interessante

Each song sounded very different which I think is a feat for jazz

I've been really interested in getting into jazz, this album has definitely helped expand that.

Chill, un peu vibe fanfare mais jazz, sympatoche. 2.5/5

Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool packs a significant punch in a small package. I was mostly introduced to Jazz through listening to samples in Jay-Z songs such as "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)...," and "Show Me What You Got." Miles' influence is demonstrated by other Queens artists such as Nas, whose vocals can be found on Miles' beats on the Evolution of the Groove album released circa 2007. It is no coincidence that The Low End Theory, an album by one of my favorite bands, A Tribe Called Quest, features bass from one of Miles Davis' longtime bassists, Ron Carter. Back to Miles Davis: while I am no expert at Jazz, Miles' contribution and evolution from Bebop to Cool Jazz really made a cultural impact. Gone were the powerful solos, and here stood 2-4 minutes of pure, cohesive jazz. As a fan of Rap and Hip-Hop, Cool Jazz stands at the forefront of samples and what I love about the genre. I listened to Birth of the Cool on a snowy December day, and the music felt like a warm scotch going down. Pure, warm music. This album featured no skips and received 9/11 likes: Move, Jeru, Venus De Milo, Deception, Godchild, Boplicity, Rocker, Israel, Rouge. This album receives an 81.8/100.

Very nice jazz album, easy to listen to and very skillful musicians

I enjoyed this. It was a good way to get some solid work done while it was playing.

Yeah, it's Miles Davis. He's cool. This album's cool too. Not much else to say about it

Jak nie lubię jazzu tak ta płyta była świetna, na dużym tempie, z krótkimi utworami, zmianami dynamiki, z niesamowitą energią, którą utrzymywała aż do końca. Niby w większości bez wokalu, ale zupełnie tego nie odczuwałam, ona do mnie mówiła. 7/10.

love jazz

Move - 4/5 Jeru - 3/5 Moon Dreams - 4/5 Venus de Milo - 4/5 Budo - 4/5 Deception - 4/5 Godchild - 3/5 Boplicity - 3/5 Rocker - 4/5 Israel - 3/5 Rouge - 4/5 Average score: 3.4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ pretty good jazz i guess, through it's not nearly as cool as his later work (Kind Of Blue, Bitches Brew, etc). it's a nice look at Miles Davis's early work tho

Day 1 of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die with @marmeu. This was some really good jazz. I loved that first track so much— It was just really groovy. I don't have much to say other then I'm beginning to understand jazz more after this listen being my 2nd jazz album that I have heard so far. I know @marmeu is gonna love that I reviewed this album and STILL will complain to me in class about how this is better then TPAB and then go on my AOTY account and check my 100s and say it's better then all of them. But anyway, great album, I recommend this (if you haven't heard it) to most people who listen to jazz. 85/100

Starting to get Jazz

I like this but, as with other jazz records on this list, I can't explain why. It just feels good. I can be in any mood to listen to it and it always makes me feel the same way. It's just good music. I know that a musician could probably talk for hours about why and how it's good, but I'm not one and so can't, which is probably for the best. A jazz aficionado would probably kick me square in the shin for saying this, but I don't think I mind if it's Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, whoever... I just like it. It's good.

I am sure I have said it before. Something about Jazz - I feel I don't have a clue about it and resort to a slightly neanderthal "I know what I like" - and this is the perfect example of that. And it is perfect as far as I can hear.

Jazz for cool dudes like me. I won't claim to confidently know the difference between all the different types of jazz but apparently this was a shift away from Bebop. I guess the slower tempos were new and a surprise to those who expected to be amazed by virtuosic musicians.

Truly the birth of cool

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Favorite Song: Venus De Milo

Feel like I just spent the last 33 minutes in a supper club like Wildfire or something. Great album really digging how chill and relaxing it is.

The coolest

Good, but without knowing what to listen to it kind of became background music.

32 minutes that made cleaning fun.

Way cool

Best song title names ever.

all time top jazz album

Jazz classic top to bottom. One of Miles's best albums

I definitely enjoyed it. Some songs were a little chaotic for me but a lot were lovely and more soothing. I still don't totally get jazz lol but i'm getting there.

This is chill and relaxing. I liked this a lot.

Nice and upbeat the entire time, sounds so magical and easy to listen to. Great introduction to Miles Davis.

I felt cooler listening to this album.

He’s on his way.

I was so hooked on this during my childhood, will never get old Highlights: Move, Jeru, Godchild, Boplicity

i respect it and I'm sure it hit different in its day but just does nothing for me

decent album

Does what it says on the tin -

Too cool for school

Aside from the final track with its very dated vocals, I enjoyed this album. I don't think it's the style of music that I could ever truly love however.

Good vibe

всё красиво но не захватывает, какие-то неинтересные тональности

Epitome of jazz

Thoroughly enjoyed.

Definitely a cool jazz album 3.8/5

Nice …to quote the fast show. Cool indeed. Great collection of jazz hard to imagine this is 70 years old as it still sounds cool and interesting now. Odd last song brings the album down a bit . Dropping a possible 5/5 to 4 .

i listened today while taking a walk. i took my phone out for moon dreams and for rocker. i think overall i really like this album because i guess i liked fun-paced jazz like this and i like the name and i like how miles plays :) i've listened like 3 times now and i think even the story behind it i love! the tracks don't make huge impressions on me yet probably because they don't have lyrics lol but i'll give it 4 stars! yay jazz!

Fue muy bueno , me recuerda obviamente a la serie cowboy bepop, entretenida, de fondo, nada mal

It's a good album, but a little too "big band" for me. I prefer his more experimental stuff late on. 3.5/5 Might listen again

Quite liked this as an intro to Miles Davis - i assume his landmark album ‘Blue’??? is a bit more avant-garde? Anyway it gets a 4 this time

fine, relaxing, 3

Had a delightful time listening and coding to this

Very smooth and classy, be bop I think it is? Will return to, good way to start the day 😂. Need a few more listens to digest. Some really nice drums and trumpet on “move”.

Not my thing. This is his 3rd album and it sounds just like the first two. I don't understand or appreciate jazz. The intro song was all I really needed to hear. BORRRRRIIIINNNNG from start to finish. I love energetic horns, this is not that. It's like funeral music in New Orleans. The man could play, I get it, but this isn't innovative, it was never popular outside of the jazz community, no hits, boring background music in a bar I wish I had never gone into. 2 stars

A tight 30 minute album of excellent jazz playing. Just plain cool.

Not a real big fan of this style of jazz ...but okay

A jazz record I didn’t hate! Some song structure, and mercifully 32 minutes. Not unenjoyable to put on while working a nine to five desk job.

Jazz...didn't expect to like it, was more enjoyable than I thought but I'm not sure I'm ever going to listen to it again.

Smooth! Not my usual fare but I wouldn’t turn it down.

Straight off, not my fave miles Davis album. But its got GROOVE, without being to heavy. The finesse oh my fucking god so sick. So bouncy yet fluent. The repeated motifs between the songs whilst clever gets boring quite quickly. At times the style was a tad dated and i felt like i should be wearing a long flowy dress dancing with my husband after putting dinner on the table. Fuck me the drum solos though, whiplash better watch out. Overall thoughts are its meh, miles davis has better in him and this FO SHO is not his birth of cool. I think he does better with melancholy and this isn't that. It's had to place what feeling he is wanting to evoke. I really want to like it but find myself pretending that i am - FAKO. Overall imma stick to kinda blue as the go to miles davis album. However, this would be a v fun album to play - i can see why he did it, bro should've thought of the listener though. Also much potential for a film score - i'm envisioning a silent animation of a couple, dark blue background, black and white characters, winter and snow, lots of spinning round on an ice rink, getting lost in the crowds and finding eachother once again - they're surrounded by chaos, classic slapstick comedy fused with proper love.

Very cool Miles is a surprisingly consistently impressive considering we aren't really into jazz

No siendo el jazz un género favorito y entendiendo poco de él, se me hace complicado valorar a quien supuestamente es un clásico. ¿Valoro por el mérito y la calidad que se le supone o por el nivel de disfrute según mi experiencia personal? Si es por lo primero tendría que ponerle un 10, pero creo que voy a seguir con las valoraciones personales. Pues bien, no me emociona. Me pasa con cada pieza de jazz màs o menos clásico. Sin embargo, me entusiasman muchas obras de jazz fusion, por la razón que sea. Vaya pues, mi bien alto al bueno de Miles.

Favorite track(s): Moon Dreams, Budo

So this is where Cool started. I like it.

jazz album! maybe next time I go to listen to the whiplash soundtrack, I should pick this up instead. budo is real life caravan.

Cool pour travailler. Bon jazz

Not as good as kind of blue but still great

More jazz. 1001 albums and I've already had 2 jazz albums out of 6. Again, this is not bad to listen to... but I'm not versed enough in jazz to decide if it is great or it is just average. I can assume it is great since it's on this list... but nothing caught my ear right away. It all sort of blended together for me and sounded the same. I need to take a class in jazz to have a better idea why this is great. It will unfortunately receive a middle rating because I have no reference to judge it higher or lower.

I know it’s Miles Davis and I liked Kind of Blue but I found this album hard to get through. Just shows my ignorance but all the songs sounded the same. Won’t listen again.

This Miles Davis guy is pretty cool.

very cool

Miles 'consecutive Fridays' Davis delivers for consecutive Fridays.

I know this is cool on an intellectual level and it is by no means unpleasant. It's just not my cup of Diet Pepsi.

Kind of a slog to get through to be honest.

"Cool" is the word for this album and, though I'm not a big jazz guy, this is some fine ensemble work: melodic, tight, and, yes, "cool." I prefer this type of jazz more than his later period of free jazz and albums like "Bitch's Brew" though that's fantastic as well.

Definitely don't have anything to say about this that hasn't been said, especially since I'm no jazz aficionado. Venus de milo and Godchild especially were a delight to listen to. This is a lot more straightforward than his later experimentation on stuff like Bitch's Brew. I think overall I'm more of a Coltrane guy, but Davis is undeniably one of the best to ever do it

simple beautiful nothing special too

Brilliant album. Not quite as good as “Kind of Blue” in my opinion though. It has big band sounds, but is demonstrably moving on from that genre. It does sound a little bit dated (which shows how innovative Kind of Blue really was, still sounding fresh after more than sixty years) and more of its time than later recordings.

Man, I don't why there's so many Jazz genres. 5/5

Aptly named

Very pleasant. I'm sure at the time it was "cool" as hell, but now it sounds like something I'd hear at a steakhouse or an upscale mall. Potentially decent music for the holidays? Don't want to make any statements though - look at Sean, so sophisticated playing jazzZzZzZ. We'll see.

Jazz isnt cool. Jazz is for nerds.

"Those slow things sounded strange and good. I didn't always know what they were doing, but I listened, and I liked it." - Count Basie Pretty much my take too. I wont pretend I understand the classical influence or the horn harmonies, but all this music is a big leap from bebop in a (dare I say it) “cool” direction. Big recommendation to check out Miles’ interview with Dick Cavett. Damn was he fascinating

I’ve listen to Kind of Blue, but not a lot of other Miles. Kind of Blue is way “cool”er than this, so much more raw, and what I think of when I think of Miles’ vibe. This one felt a little too much of the same - kind of big bandy at times. Kind of Blue has solos that are super singable and just masterclass in phrasing. This feels like an onslaught of notes and overly technical. Still fun but there is better jazz and better Miles.

I would love to see this live. Reading about it, it's considered a touchstone of "cool jazz," which deliberately eschews the freneticism, complexity, and immediacy of traditional jazz--otherwise known as what makes jazz compelling and fun, in my opinion. I imagine being in the room for this would be incredible. As a recording, it's a pleasant enough listen, but never commands your attention. This is appealing to many, but makes it less valuable to me personally. 3.5 stars

Really really liked this. Most of the time jazz albums have a "sameness" quality to them, but each track on this album had a distinct sound, feel, and dare I say, attitude. Super smooth grooves and fantastic instrumental work. First Miles Davis album is a winner for me, high-end 4/5

I read Miles's autobiography not too long ago, so it was great to have a focused listen to this album that was so innovative in its time.

Ótimo! Deu play, seguiu com as atividades e o som ficou a trilha sonora ideal pro dia a dia

Like the music itself, no words are required. Just easy on the ears, mind and soul.

Solid work from the king of cool. 3.5 stars.

I just don't like Jazz music

Miles Davis is the GOAT! This isn't his best work tho

Pretty cool. Saved a song: N RYM: Y (#984)

Square music

I never feel “qualified” to judge jazz albums—it’s just not a language that I speak. This sounds good, and I had an easy time listening to it. I also didn’t THINK much about it as I listened to it because I don’t speak the language. It quickly fades in the background. Perfect for sipping whiskey in the company of a small crowd, swapping stories, using big words. But I don’t think I can really compare this to the pop music on this list.

instrumental, but mostly because not my cuppa

Großartig!

This all slowly started blending into one

Trevligt, men skapade inte mersmak

Whenever I get one of the great jazz albums on here, I keep writing that I don't know very much about jazz, which is still true. But here, especially here, you can hear how good it is.

interesting I liked it. not ever bothered much with cool jazz but quite enjoyed this, super interesting instrumentation

The choice to only cover US and UK music is questionable. Also that is only the Pop/Rock stream. But then there is an exception for Miles Davis. Why? It clearly doesn’t belong here. Why then not put Gershwin or Ennio Morricone too? Skipped after 2 songs. I don’t see the point.

I appreciate Jazz more and more as I age. Punchy little 35 minute instrumental albums that set a mood rather than modern music's tendency towards simplified beat and melody. No one has ever gotten a jazz song stuck in their head like a pop song, maybe that's why it's not as popular. But it's nice to have on in the background. To dim the lights, have a cocktail and smoke a cigarette out of one of those long holders. It's all the same but it's timeless and cool, like a 3 piece suit.

2.5 stars I don’t know if there’s something I’m missing about jazz. I understand that this is a representation of a shift in jazz, a “birth” of you will… but it just sounds like what “jazz music” is to me. Sure, it’s not as esoteric or mind boggling as some experimental 20 minute tracks can be, but it doesn’t sound so different than more straight forward stuff I’ve heard in the background for most of my life. And perhaps that is more of a testament to how much I’m used to bebop/postbop/whatever that I take for granted that jazz was different before. I liken this to old blues records like Muddy Waters: I can appreciate what it did for music and how it inspired music I enjoy today, but this stuff is not something I would actually listen to. And if this list is called albums you MUST listen to before you die, I think that classification doesn’t fit. But apparently many people would disagree with me. That being said, the songs are all quick and the album is brief. It’s all quite listenable. It’s not at all a pain in the ass to get through. So I’ll give it points for that over many things on this list.

Not as mind bending as I was expecting, but then I am not listening in 1957. More alike than different from track to track, and while obviously stacked with talent, Miles doesn't stand out as much as he blends in. I would say his soundtrack to Ascenseur pour l'echafaud is a more immediate and personal record from the same period.

This Cool Jazz album flows like smoke in a dim club—measured, elegant, and effortlessly smooth, its restrained ensemble sound whispering revolution through quiet confidence.

7/10 Favourite: Jeru Least Favourite: None

This is a lovely album—perfect for a chill evening or a sleepy weekend morning. Very little to critique here to be honest. The playing is phenomenal, the ensemble jazz band is great, and the arrangements are divine.

This is what genius sounds like.

Day 17 - Birth of the Cool by Miles Davis I've heard some of this album before. My father had this when I was growing up. Move - 10/10. This absolutely COOKS. I wish I could ever have played trumpet like this. Jeru - 10/10. Silky smooth and tight Jazz. No notes. Moon Dreams - 9/10. The only word I have for this is "cool." Venus de Milo - 10/10. Outstanding. Great harmonies with the doubled instruments. Budo - 9/10. Back to the more up-tempo music, and it's still great. Deception - 9/10. Top-class musicianship from the whole nonet. Godchild - 9/10. A different feel than the first side of the album. Still great, though. Boplicity - 10/10. As smooth as it gets. Rocker - 10/10. Perfection. Israel - 9/10. Smooth and sophisticated. Rouge - 9/10. Subdued but still truly great. Darn That Dream - 8/10. The only track with vocals, and the vocals detract a bit, but not much. Overall Rating - 4.67/5 (9.33/10). I love the "Cool" school of Jazz, and you can tell that this is one of the foundations of it, because you can hear how the rest of its practitioners take their inspirations from here. Everyone in the group gets a chance to shine... and takes it.

I know Miles Davis is THE jazz guy... but I just don't love jazz. It's an extremely important building block for so much music and maybe I'm just too stupid to understand it but it doesn't do it for me

Cool? Sure. But jazz just still isn’t my bag.

Nothing really stands out here because it is all good, balanced jazz. Worth studying.

It's alright, Daddio.

Jazz. Like but don’t love.

I think no matter the listener you can hear this guy is different

One of the most important albums on Jazz. It's a little in-between big band and cool for my taste but set the path for cool jazz sound. 4.5

It’s jazz

Laid back "cool jazz" kuulamine. Väga raske oli midagi siit meelde jätta. Sellegipoolest on album suht revolutsiooniline oma aja kohta ja siin on ikka head kraami.

not a bad album at all, pretty good sounding. unfortunately I don't listen to jazz much to truly appreciate it. 4/5 favourite tracks: darn that dream, rocker, jeru, moon dreams

Great jazz! Miles Davis is such a huge part of jazz so its no surprise this album was great

I mean they're obviously great players, but I just don't think this is how jazz is meant to be listened to. Jazz should be a live experience, listening to a studio album just feels odd. Favorites: Venus de Milo, Budo, Godchild

Essential.

Man i loved this one. Perfect NY walking music. Dare i say better than kind of blue? FIVE!

Simply one of the greatest...a milestone.

I struggle with this - obviously nice to listen to but not what I would reach for in my usual listening environment.

Not my favorite Miles Davis album just in terms of the style and mood (hard to compete with "Kind of Blue"), but unimpeachable and cohesive. Great listen. (5/5)

A experiência de escutar boas músicas de Jazz em um bom equipamento é muito reconfortante. QoA Vesper.

I enjoy his later work but this is too random for me.

This is the first time I have listened to this form of music with the knowledge that it falls within the cool jazz subgenre. So I can confirm that it's Okay, but doesn't exactly enthrall me. OK as background I suppose, but I wouldn't go searching for it.

This is of spectacular importance to jazz history, but I just think it's pretty good. This is basically a collection of 78 rpm singles recorded by Miles Davis and a large, revolving cast of musicians. Considering this, Birth Of The Cool sounds very cohesive. At The End Of The Day, these are songs from the same era, with the same sound, and similar artistic mission statements. The singles chosen for this record are Miles Davis' earliest cool jazz recordings. Cool Jazz being a post-WW2 movement slowing bebop down, making it a little more accessible, and adding some new instrumentation. This album in particular is renowned for its unusual instrumentation, the inclusion of French Horn and Tuba being of particular note. The compositional style on here is also noteworthy. These songs all hover around 3 minutes (or shorter) pretty consistently, which was kind of out of necessity, given that they were originally on 78 rpms. But it does give Birth Of The Cool a really interesting brevity. It also showcases all the improvisation and density associated with jazz music in fascinating little bite-sized packages. But, for all of the interesting things about this album, I just liked it, I didn't love it. I enjoyed my time here, and can appreciate the listening experience from a perspective of historical significance, I just don't think I'm that into cool jazz. It's easy and breezy, almost to a fault. I think I just like my jazz to hurt at least a *little* bit more. But this is coming from an Ornette Coleman fan, so keep that in mind. Regardless, this was an interesting, quick, and broadly enjoyable listen. And if you really know your jazz, I'm sure you'll be more into it than I am.

Need to explore more jazz as it’s another one of my blind spots. Liked this quite a bit. But I bet I’ve only scratched the surface. 4/5

Very nice jazz album, miles davis is a talented man but not quite 5/5 for me

Pleasant enough. I can appreciate the musicianship. Not finding it especially engaging but it's nice to have on. I don't feel like jazz has clicked for me, but I don't hate it

I’ve always thought that jazz is one of those genres that is best live where you can see the musicians move in the energy just fills the room. This album closely replicates that feeling, but it’s still a little hard to focus on without having the entire scene in front of you. I understand why this album is called the Birth of Cool because Miles Davis is pretty friggin cool and his band was great, especially with the continued to syncopation and the constant movement. The opening song Move immediately grabs you and pulls you in. I also like the song Godchild with his low brass intro and ‘bone solo. I reminds me of our old Jazz Band days. The hard part is eventually everything kind of starts blending together unless you take the time to just actively listen and appreciate. Overall, this is still a great album and I’d like to come back sometime when I have more time to enjoy the headphones.

Random thoughts: * Never listened to this one before. * This was pretty standard mid-century jazz in my novice listening abilities. Nothing jumped out at me as groundbreaking or memorable. * I enjoyed listening to this. But It was not transcendent like Kind of Blue. * This helps paint the full picture of Miles Davis. * This album is cool.

Love how the music flows together as one piece, each individual song works on its own but flows better as one collective piece of music.

Not bad, but not my cup of tea

Pretty good, but not really my thing. Simpsons: Yes

It was fine as background music, but I wouldn't choose to listen to it again.

If liking jazz is cool then I'm Miles Davis. Almost lost a star for Darn That Dream but it's not on the original release so it's a five from me boss

Opet su mi diskriminativne moći na jako niskom nivou, tako da ne mogu da kazem sta mi se svidelo u kojoj pesmi (niti gde se završava jedna, a počinje druga pesma) ali jedno je sigurno, a to je da je veoma opuštajuće i prefinjeno

Is this a good album? Yes. Is it memorable? Not really, it kinda just melts away in my mind. Good for setting up the vibe, though.

such good memories. perfect dinner music. perfect after dinner music

Now That’s What I Call Jazz

Nice jazz.

I love this album.

Awesome album maybe even 4.5

Love Miles. Cool.

Blues are just not for me.

We used to have a great jazz bar that played music like this. I miss it. This took me back, in a good way. I also love the album title, although that's a lot to live up to!

one of a few MD album I can actually listen to

Good background music

This is certainly a 'cool' album of jazz from one of history's most acclaimed trumpeters. Miles Davis leads a diverse band of brass [French horn, trombome, tuba], woodwind [alto and tenor saxophone], piano, bass and drums through a tight 12-song set of highly influential jazz numbers such as 'Moon Dreams' and 'Boplicity'. Although this record was released in 1957, the recordings actually took place throughout 1949-50. Davis' trumpet takes centre stage throughout the entire album, showcasing his talent as a jazz artist with swagger and feel. While it's difficult to pinpoint his influence across contemporary popular music, there's no denying his status as a key innovator within the jazz genre. For every Miles Davis, there's likely a large swathe of jazz musicians who've been forgotten about, and as far as the greats of jazz are concerned, he's definitely up there with Louis Armstrong. If you're looking for something different musically, or just want a nice, relaxing album to chill out to, chuck this on! Best songs: Moon Dreams, Budo, Boplicity

Miles is a true musical icon and one of my all time musical heroes! I pretty much love all his stuff do not a difficult one for me to rate.

I don’t understand jazz but this was cool and smooth and really had an evocative atmosphere

Don't get it, sorry

I am by no means a jazz expert, but this collection of Miles Davis and band's early recordings is phenomenal. A departure of current styles at the time, it now sounds so classic and immediate. There are a lot of players, but the horns work together well and do not overwhelm or feel crowded. Nothing too out there like Davis' playing/arranging would become, which I think lends to this batch of tunes a familiar feeling. Birth of the cool is right - this shit is cool!

'Twas indeed cool. I don't think I could give Jazz below a three. (Blackstar was an exception)

Such a chill jazz album, light listen with a smooth flow throughout. All songs kind of flowed together, hard to tell harsh difference between each song, which was fun and dull at the same time.

Forgettable jazz

An essential jazz listen.

Very cool. Listen to this album walking through a city at night and it feels like a soundtrack.

Cool began as rebellion and ended as wallpaper. When Miles Davis released The Birth of the Cool, he wasn’t trying to start a trend; he was trying to get some air. Bebop had turned jazz into an Olympic event - all velocity and virtuosity, no room to breathe. Davis’s answer was silence, space, and understatement. He made stillness sound radical. His cool was an act of refusal: a rejection of spectacle, of demand, of the social compulsion to perform. The horn spoke quietly, so you listened harder. For a while, that kind of calm was thrilling. It suggested control in a noisy world, a way to stay dignified while everything else boiled over. Cool was courage disguised as detachment - standing up and standing apart as roughly the same thing. But rebellion, like a good riff, only works once. The moment it’s copied, it becomes attitude. The controlled tempo, the self-contained posture, the immaculate minimalism: all absorbed, flattened, commodified. The pose of indifference replaced the substance of resistance. It became disdain - then worse. The sound of cool was laminated by culture, translated into advertising’s dialect of detachment. It ceased to be oppositional and became ambient. Now it sells coffee, sunglasses, hybrid cars. It is the official soundtrack of the middlebrow - the hum of playlists and loft apartments. What was once a defiant whisper against hysteria has become background music for people afraid of sincerity. Cool’s relational nature doomed it. It could only exist as contrast - to heat, to hysteria, to sincerity. Once those oppositions were appropriated, cool lost its tension. The birth of the cool was, inevitably, the beginning of its death. The embers that glowed under Miles’s quiet horn have cooled to ash - elegant, tasteful, and entirely cold. 2 [over ‘Rocker’] Maria: “I don’t want that.” Me: “You don’t like this song?” Maria: “No I want a happy song.” Me: “Is this not a happy song?” Maria: “No this isn’t a happy song, this is a bad song.” I actually thought it was alright but the Birth of the Cool was not cool enough for my two year old. And she hadn’t even heard its stupid title, which is the squarest thing about it. 2/5

This is good, but not quite as good as Miles Davis would later get on Kind of Blue. Still, pretty solid and Davis' trumpet tone is amazing as always.

I believe Miles Davis is among the USA's most important musicians. Rating this album on just a listen, I think, flies past the importance of this transitional album in the jazz timeline. I wonder what I would feel if I heard it for the first time at it's release date. I think this would be a wonderful listen for a newcomer to this sound. It's wonderfully relaxed, melodic and rich. It's not overdone, overstated or hard to follow. It's a lovely and digestible entry in the vast universe of jazz.

Standouts Jeru Bodu

4/10 I just don't like jazz. It sounds dated and of a different era. I might as well be rating Beethoven and Mozart.

This is indeed a jazz album that I'm not really qualified to say much about.

Great album!

J’aime beaucoup Miles Davis, surtout pour deux de ses périodes : d’abord à l’époque de son premier grand quintette, ensuite pour sa période électrique. Cet album-ci a été enregistré cinq ans avant son premier grand quintette et pratiquement dix ans avant Kind of Blue. C’est aussi Miles dans un contexte de big band que j’apprécie moins. C’est comme la musique classique : j’apprécie plus la musique de chambre que la musique symphonique.

not bad, but it's just jazz

One of jazz’s greatests, greatest albums. This was one of my first forays into jazz and really expanded my view on, and appreciation for, music. This is one of those albums that is an archetype, an idealization for what 1950’s jazz is. When one thinks of this era of jazz, one can’t help but think of Miles Davis. And to a large extent, this particular album.

Jazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz man. Pretty solid

Liked it I would buy it but nothin sunk its teeth in. Need more time with.

The ultimate rainy day album. This feels like such a bridge between hard bop and swing of the 40s and early 50s and what was to come in the world of jazz in just a few short years. Miles was always Miles ahead.

not my kinda music but i can understand liking it

Surprised by how much I lied this!

Now this is my jam

I’m not generally a jazz fan, but did enjoy this one.

it was nice

This album is just so easy to listen to. It can almost carry you.

Har förstått att det är en samling av stenkakesinglar. Bortsett från det öppenbara med låtlängden märks det på två vis. För det första musiken provar lite allt möjligt bara det är nytt, avsaknad av röd tråd är tydlig. För det andra. Det finns inga andningspauser, musiken får aldrig chans att vila, precis allt ska propsa på maximal uppmärksamhet hela tiden. Detta blir förstås naturligt då varje låt egentligen skall stå för sig själv, men på ett regelrätt album hade man förstås haft möjlighet att addera stunder av respit. För det tutas på hela tiden och mestadels rätt bra. Ibland är det sämre, "Move", "Rocker" och "Budo" har jag svårt för. Ibland är det skitbra "Deception", "Venus..." och kanske även "Boplicity" . Men grejen är främst att jag pallar bara typ två spår i taget, jag kan inte lyssna på det här som ett album, jag hade behövt de där andninspauserna. En sak till, likt mycket jazz försvinner det jag främst uppskattar med jazz, nämligen groovet, rytmen, till förmån för soloinstrumentet. Trummor och bas är så lågt mixade i produktionen att dom nästan försvinner när det tutas på. Jag är inte så noga med tutandet, det är svänget jag vill åt. Det är en tvåa som nosar på en trea

Trevligt att lyssna på, men med dagens öron låter det här rätt traditionellt utfört. Möjligen ligger det i framkant när det spelas in 1949, men märkligt att det släpps först 1957. Bara två år senare ska Miles ta jazzen någon helt annanstans med Kind of Blue.

Får det här verkligen vara med? Då pratar vi naturligtvis inte utifrån musikalisk kvalitét. Där finns det alltid rum för Miles. Men detta är ju ett samlingsalbum. Olika inspelningar från 1949 - 50. Årsbästalistan hade i alla fall lagt in ett veto. Men, men nu är den med och då får vi ta det därifrån. Titeln är spot on. Det är verkligen födelsen (eller i alla uppväxten) av en av den moderna musikens coolaste (och största svin) representanter vi lyssnar till. Åren under be-bop-eran och i Birds orkester ska på inget sätt underskattas för Miles vidare utveckling. Låtarna är korta (pekades ju främst in för singlar på 78 varv), ändå ryms lekfullhet och improvisation. Miles ton sitter som en fläskläpp. Det samma gäller för övriga musiker, som knappast är några dussinlirare. Mer och bättre skulle komma, men redan här är det en världsartist vi hör.

Nej, nu går skam på torra land. Ett samlingsalbum på listan! Inspelningarna i sig är mest av akademiskt intresse. Så här lät Miles innan han hittade rätt med Round about midnight och Kind of blue. Eller för den delen Sketches of Spain eller Bitches brew. Musiken får en tvåa men redaktörerna är underkända.

Finally some real music

It’s of course incredible

No notes. I love Jazz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the birth of cool

Fun fact this is Lisa Simpson's favorite album

Nicht mein Genre!

May be the birth of cool.. But cool hadn't quite peaked yet. Miles has an expansive discography, and within it are more than one five star albums. For me, this doesn't quite boop that button.

So glad Miles birthed cool, must have been a pretty lame world before this came out.

dinner party music for me but probably so much more for others

jazz top

The coolest.

This brightened up my whole day. Playing in the background while I was working.

It´s jazz, it´s instrumental, it´s pretty well played according to my untrained ear, it´s not my style but it´s not bad. 2/5

A pleasant enough listen

Don’t mind me a bit of jazz

So so samey.

There are those who would have every single miles Davis album on here. And I’ll be fair, he is one of the few artists who should be represented several times. Now personally I wouldn’t have every thing he did here. But this, kind of blue, bitches brew and the pop one he did in the 90s are essential to start to wrap your head around how important he is. I’d probably be persuaded for one or two more. Tutu or the stuff he did with Mike Stern on guitar also suggest themselves. This is superb. The musicians are of course among the very best. The compositions change things. Miles is one of the towering figures of jazz and this one would have been enough to prove that. But being a restless spirit he went on to change the genre 3 or 4 more times. It is notable that since his death jazz innovation has slowed. 5 stars.

I've never enjoyed this. It's not quite on the level of Trout Mask must listen bullshit, but it is close. I love Miles and regularly listen to the motherfucker, but I'm not one of those completists that worships everything he put out. It smacks of the crossover period between say the swinging Duke and Bird bebop and he's still looking for a sound, in short it is a mess. I've never understood the recorded in the 40's released in the 50's bizzo either. Actually, as it is playing, I'm reminded it really give me the shits. But he was a motherfucker.

There are many people who still consider this the apex and ultimate form of jazz (*cough cough* Wynton Marsalis *cough*). And there are plenty of jazz combos still playing essentially this, 75 years later. I certainly spent many an evening at Soup Plus, chugging down carafes of house red while listening to an interchangeable roster of middle age (mostly white) guys playing their take on Birth of the Cool. And don't get me wrong; this is smooth and sophisticated and fucking cool. You can see why people want to play and listen to this. Miles himself wasn't content to rest on these laurels and went on to change his style radically more than once after this. But the influence lives on. This isn't my favourite era of Miles, it's become almost cliche, but you can't _blame_ Miles for writing the textbook on cool jazz, even as he himself moved on. By the metric of lasting influence, this album is certainly a five-star record -- it created a genre, it wrote a new rulebook that lasted for decades, and it still sounds pretty cool. Miles is not responsible for the thousands of slavish imitators who followed. That's the danger of recording something this groundbreaking and important. It really is a "must hear", even if it doesn't surprise (or delight?) in the same way it once did.

Rich and engaging, abstract enough for achieving focus, I really liked it

Very energetic.

It was solid, but for me it mostly worked as background music. Miles Davis and his crew clearly knew what they were doing, and I can respect how influential this album was for jazz as a genre. The sound is smooth, classy, and easy to have on while doing other things. That said, jazz just kind of blends together for me. No matter how talented the players are, one track tends to sound a lot like the next. I never really found that one moment or song that stood out from the rest.

I don‘t like Jazz

Good, easy jazz. Feels like a gateway record, accessible and deep.

If you like Jazz

I liked Moon Dreams and Venus de Milo. Godschild (especially the opening) and Boplicity were okay. I don't think I like trumpets that much.

I could pretend I’m going to listen to this again and give it a higher rating but it’s not true. I enjoyed it, but not something I’d go out of my way to listen to.

This was fun. Very melodic.

Can’t beat Miles Davis

Timeless and oozing with talent and just raw coolness.

Not Jazz enthusiast but don't mind it from time to time. This is good👌

Of all the jazz I’ve had to listen to, this has been the best. Some of it had melodies and the songs were short. It was also more upbeat. It was much better than the Indian music I had to listen to yesterday.

I liked working to this! I don’t know what to say other than that!

This was pleasant, jazz for me is at best pleasant and at worst deeply irritating. It's nice and easy to listen to but the emotional landscape for me is just cleaning the house on a Sunday morning with a lot of coffee. Which is not bad!

Always love Miles Davis!

A master at work

It’s Miles Davis. Of course this rules.

Oldrr Miles is best Miles

Fuck jazz

here we go. this comp is not one I'm familiar with, but it being stuff he's worked on since 1949 is crazy. it goes to show how in love with arranging and composing music he really was. at that point, there really was no cool jazz and him goin more classical but unconventionally is pretty remarkable. it displays an era when his songs weren't long and unwieldy, rather they are concise and almost straight forward standards. Boplicity is fun. so is Rocker, like walking in a park back in those days. i like it even tho its kinda like him finding his footing before something like Bitches Brew. Move is great. Godchild is different but good. I wish i had more of a personal connection to it, but I'd say still 4 outta 5 even if its a compilation.

🥶🧊❄️🌨️🏔️Cool

Taas klassikko, joka ois pitänyt kuunnella aikoja sitten. Hyvää kamaa. 3/5

Pretty cool jazz. I don't have a lot to say about the album but I really liked it. Lots of good standards came out of it like Boplicity.

Um jazz gostoso de ouvir, uma pegada mais agitada e melodica. Minha preferida é a musica Darn That Dream, linda canção.

Swag money

Leider ned so lust gha uf jazz

Jaa aso de ersti track isch sooo nervös gsi, da hani denkt uiii nei. Denn biz smoother wurde aber hed mi zwenig abgholt, zu altgebacken & boring. Dead of the cool

mr. miles davis gad ebe scho fast immer ha mi sicher scho jazziger gfühlt als jetzt grad aber generell sicher 4* verdient

cool indeed

I don't have the historical knowledge to fully appreciate what this style was such a departure from. But I really enjoy it - it has a very classy sound.

I'ts jazz

This album is great. 4 Stars

*jazz hands* Fun songs, they could be movie soundtracks But... they sound all the same after the third one :c

I've heard much better jazz albums. it's not bad but I think the era had a lot more to offer.

I mean this is pure gold, there is not much to say. In any situation listenable

Solid grooves here, big band sounds with brass and woodwinds. Lovely. Did feel like hold music/weather channel music for a little bit but overall enjyable

Nothing more to add

cinco diez quincemil

So smooth. Hard not to give Miles less than a 4.

If peeing your pants is cool… Great cool jazz album. I didn’t realize this was a compilation album out together by Capitol Records from multiple sessions Miles Davis recorded over the course of a year or so. My favorites tracks are Move, Jeru, Venus de Milo, Budo, Boplicity. Every song is good though, and this album is a great straight through listen.

Smooth jazz, really great throughout, tho I am no jazz expert.

Birth Of The Cool is getting played at my next dinner party .

At the start this jazz needed some boundaries. A bit to chaotic for me. But after a few songs I started to get into it a bit more.

This was not a bad album, it was jazzy, nice having it in the background, relatively enjoyable as well.

It was great background music, it was up beat and had the constant high hat to keep pace. If I sat down and listened to it, you could feel excitement and slow downs into sad reflective moments. Not something I’m incredibly interested in and kind of made my heart feel funny, like it was rushing a bit

It was great background music, it was up beat and had the constant high hat to keep pace. If I sat down and listened to it, you could feel excitement and slow downs into sad reflective moments. Not something I’m incredibly interested in and kind of made my heart feel funny, like it was rushing a bit

Classic - cool jaz

Organic cocaine jazz

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.

I used to listen to this album a lot the way Miles Davis intended: as background music while I studied in college. Listening to it while working almost 30 years later probably isn't any better. But I remember this well, even though it blends together in my pedestrian brain. Obviously it's a landmark album, and it has a one of best titles of all time.

I kept starting this over after realizing I had listened to the whole album and the Spotify algorithm had taken me to more Miles Davis. I wasn't as familiar with this as with Kind of Blue, which is a go-to. Honestly I couldn't tell you the names of any songs on either album, but I know that I like it.

I never get tired pf Miles Davis

Don't mind it at all, pleasant for casual listening. Not anything I'm going out of my way to listen to but I can appreciate it.

Not a huge jazz listener but I enjoyed it