Birth Of The Cool

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.

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

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.

not my genre

Relativ gut für ein Jazz-Album

Interessante

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

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

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

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

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

32 minutes that made cleaning fun.

I felt cooler listening to this album.

decent album

Does what it says on the tin -

Good vibe

всё красиво но не захватывает, какие-то неинтересные тональности

Definitely a cool jazz album 3.8/5

fine, relaxing, 3

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

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.

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

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.

High 3

Kind of a slog to get through to be honest.

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.

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

Solid work from the king of cool. 3.5 stars.

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

later

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.

This all slowly started blending into one

Jazz!

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

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

It's alright, Daddio.

Jazz. Like but don’t love.

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

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

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.

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.

Not bad, but not my cup of tea

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

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.

Now That’s What I Call Jazz

one of a few MD album I can actually listen to

Good background music

'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.

An essential jazz listen.

Standouts Jeru Bodu

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

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

not my kinda music but i can understand liking it

Now this is my jam

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

it was nice

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.

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

3..5

A pleasant enough listen

Don’t mind me a bit of jazz

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 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.

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

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

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

Swag money

I'ts jazz

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

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

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

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 much to say

Cool - Bosch - Sunday morning

I dig this cool jazz sound, and I like it a lot better than a lot of the jazz albums we've had.

Always nice to have miles Davis on, but it’s hard to remember songs without lyrics. These are great background cocktail party or study albums, but would I go back to it to really get in to it? Probably not. Still lovely sounding and great for the era.

Jazz! Pffft! They just make it up as they go along. I could do that. [To the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb] Do-de-do-de-do-do-do...

This is the first jazz album that was ve kinda vibed with. Usually it's straight over my head. Not sure if this process has improved my perception, or if my recent run of bad albums has altered my standards

3.75. Cool

Bit disappointed with this- it just sounds like elevator music to me.

yup

3.4/maybe not his best work. some scary trumpets

The slow songs are lovely. The fast songs hurt my brain.

I can see how he's talented, and it's amazing and cool. But I just don't enjoy jazz 😂

Enjoyed this more than some of his other stuff

Decent listen

I wish I had more knowledge of jazz history so I can appreciate both the artistry and historical significance of this record. All I bring to the table is my ears, which tells me this is a pleasant jazz album.

Not bad. But certainly not the birth of cool. More Big Band than jazz, and Big Band ain't cool. Vibe kinda ruined by the one track that had a vocal. Really could have done without that. I think this needs another listen but for now it's a 3.

Standout track for me here is Godchild

It’s enjoyable but not something I would normally listen to. 3/5

It started off strong and then got ok

Fine? I am ambivalent about jazz.

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: 28/1001 This is more or less what I think of when I think of stereotypical Jazz music. I saw another review that stated Jazz sounds better live and a recording can't do it justice. I agree. I would be enthralled listening to this live. I still enjoyed listening to it here, but nothing can compare to the live sound of such a beautifully calming composition. For the period, the album is extraordinary even if it feels a bit more stereotypical to my modern ears. I still found it to be engaging and resonant. It's varied with captivating brass featuring fun trumpet, and warm sax. The beats evolve and each track has its own life. At tines the music runs with delight and at times it crawls with purpose. It's balanced and never dull. For these reasons I give Birth Of The Cool by Miles Davis 3.5/5 stars

A solid 3 stars, weather dependent.

Good, but hard for me to listen to jazz for some reason

Cool album not really for me though.

It's a nice listen for sure, but doesn't stick out much in his discography and probably not something I would return to. Usually in jazz I'm looking for something more than just "nice sounding" and this doesn't do that much except for a few songs.

Very nize jazz! Dobra spoko!

Pros: Clean, classy, sophisticated. So short! 31 minutes long. Cons: It all just feels like the same song.

My first Miles Davis album! I was very excited to hear this one considering the lengendary status of this man. And I was even more disappointed about how unimpressed this album got me feeling, maybe due to how absurdly high my hopes were. I must clarify that I do not believe this record is bad. I do really appreciate its sound and the great performances. What I didn't like about it is how, everytime I listen to it, the whole project pass by without anything sticking with me. I wish it sounded more grandiose and energetic. So I'll leave it as a decent album, and I'm hoping to have greater experiences with the other albums from this legend.

Cool sound :)

smooth, cool but not moving me too much after the first song.

Oldest Miles Davis album I’ve heard, and it puts into perspective how quickly this man adapted and morphed jazz at his will.

Sounded good. I love jazzy music, but less pure jazz, but this was totally enjoyable. Nothing really stuck with me but I found it consistently enjoyable

Good album, fun jazz but not my style

I mean it's alright I guess. I don't know much about jazz other than the gigantic influence on, not just black music, but black culture as a whole, but jazz isn't my cup of tea. If I or someone else wanted to start listening, Miles Davis is one of the small handful of jazz artists I would start with, and this album in general is a good starting point. Not my style, but I dig it.

It's OK. Not one of my favorite of his (I prefer the stuff from about 1968-1975) but it's pretty good.

Jazz! Fand ich cool…

This is what people think of when they think "jazz".

Not a single weak verse.

Im just a young cat who is barely diving into the delicacy and free spirited improvisation of Jazz. Even as a musician I think its unfair for me to rate this as I dont feel competent to. But Miles Davis was a go walking amongst the mortals. This was my first listening experience from start to finish. Glad it was Sir Miles Davis. My birth of cool if I may.

One of the greats of jazz. Banging little album but unfortunately the lack of lyrics in music will typically keep it at a background music tier for me personally.

damn that's cool but i don't understand jazz enough to figure out just how good this is

Trumpet galore

This jazz album sounded a bit more energetic than some of the other jazz records I listened to before. Still, it is hard for jazz to keep me fully invested. I like it as background music, but I also think there is background music that I enjoy more than this.

Just nothing memorable. Nothing to latch on to.

For as much as I enjoyed Kind of Blue, I expected to like this more. It's all good, but I didn't remember much of what I listened to at the end.

Can be difficult to judge musical genres which are completely outside of your comfort zone. This is a pleasant and enjoyable listen but can’t really say if it’s truly great or not

Admittedly, I have not delved into the jazz genre, but of course Miles Davis is one of the greats so I was curious to hear. Smooth and easy listening.

I'm sure this is incredibly ignorant but this felt like...generic, serviceable jazz? I'm sure it must have set the blueprint for what my own casual-listener yardstick is, but it just didn't grab me like Kind of Blue.

Ei tätä jazzia pliis

3.0 or 3.5 / 5.0 Early Miles Davis songs just don't resonate with me, which is sad because he's got a crazy run of all-time great albums in his discography. I think the difference is as simple as albums that are "just" Jazz and albums where Miles Davis pulls the Jazz genre into an unexpected destination. Birth Of The Cool is a fine compilation of background music but miles (heh) behind In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, A Tribute to Jack Johnson, On the Corner, and Get Up With It.

Cool jazz. Iconic. But not my personal style of music.

Appreciate Miles Davis’s talent but not my cup of tea

Good stuff but I prefer the more bebop stuff that was co-existing around this time also. And with the short run time of most of the compositions I am definately more drawn to Miles later more expansive modal/early fusion era.

I don't think compilations should be allowed! but it was fine. good chill listen for a sunday morning.

I find this much more pleasant than Kind of Blue. For one, it's calmer. I think the instruments are more varied and mixed better.

The further back in his catalog we go, the more I like Miles Davis; less experimental and more normal. I typically like when musicians push boundaries, but not with screeching horns; it's like an icepick in my ear. They say if you don't like Miles Davis, you don't like jazz. That's bullshit. I love jazz but I only listen to Miles Davis when this list makes me. It's just generally not enjoyable for me. That said, this album was ok. There was too much of what I don't like and too little of what I do like in jazz to rate this very highly

Enjoyable but Miles has many better records

All I can visualize while listening to this is a living room from the 60's. It has blond coffee and end tables that are in some mod shape. There is a low-slung couch covered in a nubby eggshell blue fabric. All the flat surfaces have several overflowing ashtrays and old fashioned glasses with melting ice. There is a haze in the room from the cigarette smoke. This album is playing in the background as the drunk guests gesticulate wildly with lit cigarettes and drinks in hand. There's a starburst clock on the wall that indicates it's 2:10 a.m. Jazz is always background music for me.

i can see why people would like it. it's not my thing

A pleasant listen, but falls flat compared to Kind of Blue and In A Silent Way. I loved learning about the role Miles played in the birth of Cool Jazz.

Sometimes It Takes You A Long Time To Sound Like Yourself 1001 Albums Generator 81 (07/24/2025) I can't believe I got 3 Mild David albums in the first 100. He is one of my favorite artists of all time, so I am quite happy about that. Birth Of The Cool is a compilation album released by Miles Davis 7 years after its last recording session. All of the tracks on Birth Of The Cool were recorded by Miles' Nonet between three sessions in 1949 and 1950, with many of the musicians being different across different sessions while the instruments themselves were essentially consistent throughout. As the name suggests, these songs, many of which were released as singles around the time they were recorded, constituted a foundation of the cool jazz sound that would become very popular in the earlier part of the 50's. I'm going to be vulnerable. I kind of don't like cool jazz that much. Don't get me wrong, when cool jazz is mixed in with other sounds, like hard bop on Cannonball Adderley's Somethin' Else or modal jazz on Miles' own Kind Of Blue, it can be really great. But something like Birth Of The Cool, where even the faster paced songs are still fully entrenched in the "cool", is hard for me to fully get behind. It's not bad at all, but it fails to really be memorable in the way that my favorite jazz (and favorite Miles) albums are. Moon Dreams, while beautiful, encapsulates what I'm saying quite nicely. The arrangement and instrumentation itself is beautiful, but it just washes over me and I forget that it happened at all. Godchild has some energy behind it, but I don't know; it doesn't feel particularly high quality or anything. Again, this is just personal preference; I prefer my jazz weird, energetic, and memorable. While the songs on this compilation were inventive for the time, they do feel very much like background music to me now. Venus De Milo is extremely catchy and fun. I think the horn harmonies in the background behind the main melody are especially striking here and the melody itself is awesome. Budo has a fantastic energy that makes me long for more bebop on this thing. Rocker has always been my favorite song and it's the only one that really gets stuck in my head. Israel is uniquely arranged and composed as well, with the intro being really interesting. Overall, Birth Of The Cool works well as what it is: a compilation of early Miles recordings that were highly influential for cool jazz. It is of no fault of these songs that cool jazz happens to be one of my less favorite subgenres of jazz. 3/5. Favs: Venus De Milo Rocker Israel Least Fav: Moon Dreams

Teils gute Songs, teils einfach wieder hektisches Jazz Gebrabbel

Kind of Blue von Miles Davis hat 5 Sterne von mir bekommen. Cool Jazz ist mir aber definitiv zu stressig. Aber für die damalige Zeit bestimmt ein Hit

There are some nice tunes on this- and there are moments where everyone is playing together and it’s lovely and melodic. And then there are moments where dudes are soloing and I get bored. The songs are all right around three minutes so the portions are perfect. It’s fine THREE STARS

This website is going to Stockholm Syndrome me into liking Jazz, I swear. It saw Jazz listed as one of my bottom 3 genres and then gave me some pretty good albums for 2 days in a row. Not a lot to say about this one other than that it’s good. Easy to follow, and very soothing on the ears. Not something I would ever actively seek out, and picking a favorite song for a Jazz album just sounds like a gargantuan task, but overall it’s pretty good. Was able to groove to it for the entire day. Apparently Miles Davis is considered by many to be the best Jazz artist of all time. He's got a few albums on here, including the highest rated Jazz album on the site. This is the first one of his that I've rolled so far though. So, yeah. I’m actually starting to feel it now. You win this round, Jazz. I’m bestowing my highest honor for this genre of music, a 3.

Not something I'd listen to again

It's good, but it feels more like background jazz at a club than something truly noteworthy.

An early career, undeveloped Miles Davis + bad recording + a collection of singles retrofitted into an album = an interesting curio and document of this period of his career, but ultimately barely a footnote. 2.5*

great album

Very smooth and seemingly less experimental. Probably why I liked it more than some other jazz I've listened to but as one other reviewer said - better appreciated by someone else, I'm sure.

Dad- 4 Mom- 5 Mike- 8 Lori- 7.5 Michael- 8.5 Miles- 8 Cole- 7 Avg- 6.86

So I’ve said before I’m not a jazz fan, but this was actually quite pleasant - the music itself was very pleasant, it was like background music that when I listened was very nice. Like a 3.5 but not quite a 4

If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis... ...It was good, but felt like one huge song than an album. It needed a bit more variety for a higher rating. Favorite Track: "Jeru(Mulligan)"

Just okay, very jazzy so need to be in the right mood for it.

Jazz. Cool I guess? 3 stars

I wish I were more sophisticated. I like the boppy structured shit better than the modal stuff I think. Sounds pretty good, but as the joke goes - there's no way to be sure.

I think I’ve reached the point where I enjoy jazz, but still don’t “get” it outside the clear classics. Got bored halfway through. Crazy this was recorded in the 40s

Pretty cool. Some nice harmonies. Did not blow me away, however. But a nice listening experience. Nice to have some "actual" jazz for a change.

Thank you Miles, very cool.

It's basic Jazz. Nothing special IMO

Of course you shouldn't die without listening to a Miles Davis album, but while this was enjoyable it felt like background music. Don't really have the ears to appreciate jazz I guess

A good intro to Miles - not as good as what came after. It’s a strong bebop record, but in my mind lacks the edge that hard bop provides.

i dig it.

I don't think I really understand jazz, but this makes me feel like I'm walking through a city street late at night in the 1940s.

Gutes Instrumentelles Jazz Album, aber würde ich nicht nochmal hören. 3/5

point6.

Ovaj me album nije ni blizu impresionirao kao njegov prošli i sad, čitajući biografiju i historiju, imam i objašnjenje. Ovo je puno "običniji" album bez puno eksperimentacije. Opet nije ni najmanje loš.

Solid, always a good listen.

I do appreciate the talent and work that goes into the music. Im still not into jazz.

Glemte å følga med som vanlig, men va sikkert greit

aðeins meira bopp og minni drungi en í síðari verkum. hressilegur djass. aðra, 3,5.

Not my style of music, but nothing bad to say about it. If it were my taste I'm sure I'd absolutely love it.

Love me Miles Davis. Kind of Blue is in its own league but this one sounds very classic.

I enjoy jazz I just don’t get it.

Good 'ol classic jazz album.

Meh Standard Jazz halt

Det treffer ikke helt i dag. Fullt mulig at en annen dag så ville dette vært helt gull.

Very solid foundational jazz album, not what I would choose most times but I liked it.

I have no reference point for this and I'm definitely not in the mood for this and probably never will. I'm 3 starring for its "importance" in music culture. But I don't get it.

Monumental and just a vibe

Can see why people would like it, but not really my vibe

Jazz again, however this was more enjoyable! Still no traditional song structure, by then again, it is Jazz. Chilled vibes all around, keen to explore more Davis.

Jazz isn’t really my cup of tea, but I appreciate that this is an important album. I’ve listened to it a bit, but I always get the impression that Jazz musicians have more fun playing their music than I have listening to it.

So smooth, so nice. I had a bit of difficulty distinguishing each song from one another, but could definitely see myself putting on this album to go along with a nice dinner and wine.

Not my fave Miles album, but I appreciate it was short and good.

Pretty good album compared to what was available at the time but this was not has best. I can see how this would've made an impact but it wasn't my favorite. I am biased because cool or smooth jazz isn't my cup of tea. Crazy to think that he would record "Bitches Brew" 12 years later. It's better to look at it as the beginning of the best.

Lekkere oldscool jazz, maar wel een beetje saai: geen zang en weinig interessante geluidjes die er uit springen / karakter geven. Wel heeeele mooie trompet solo's

Is pretty cool

yeahhhhh it’s a cool album, so 10/10 for title! not something i’d usually listen to as i’m a lyric gal but you can’t deny the playing on this in amazing! so quick and interesting and makes me want to listen to more jazz! really enjoyed listening to this and would defo play again if i was hosting a dinner party and wanted to seem cool and cultured!

I do not have an ear for jazz and feel incredibly unqualified to judge this. I know it’s one of the greatest jazz albums of all time but I’d rather listen to the Dead Kennedys.

Prefer some of his other albums

Underwhelming. Good but does get repetitive. I was hoping for more

Is this cool? Depends how you define cool. I suppose it is and was for its time. If you're into jazz this must be heaven. I'll give a

So I probably just don't like jazz that much. There is obvious talent here, but it's just background music to me.

Cool

Fine players. A historically significant album.

Definitely a nice, enjoyable listen, even if it doesn't hit me the same as the seminal records that he would drop a few years later.

A monumental album in bringing out a new style of jazz. It can still be fast and complex, but it’s more relaxed than its predecessor bebop. It feels more collaborative than competitive. This album is filled with quick jazz tunes that are melodically and harmonically rich. It’s a nice listen but by no means a top jazz album of mine.

I have never listened to an entire jazz album before. It is good, relaxing music, with some nice grooves, too.

I like cool jazz, it turns out. Do I like it enough to listen to an entire Miles Davis album? Possibly not. It got quite repetitive but okay for background. I did not like the last track which has singing on it. That felt old.

7/10 Put off rating this one for ages because I have no idea how to. I think taking this album out of its musical context removes any sense of the awe it should probably inspire in me. It just sounds like well-performed but nondescript jazz - really nice as background music though. I'm expecting later Miles Davis work to excite me a lot more. Listens: 1

YES. No new wave or Britpop today baby. WOOOO *shoots guns in the air* HA HA WOOOO. Alright. I’ve been told by my parole officer that even writing about a celebratory gun shot could have me back in Sing Sing by the end of the week, so I would like to apologize and rescind my earlier firearms based enthusiasm. I will however load this water gun full of champagne and what? No? Ugh. Get in a drunken brawl with a mannequin ONE time and I’m paying for it with my life. This world is the true prison. Miles. Ease the pain, would you? Move - These drum fills are electrifying. Extremely apt song title as this thing rips along really nicely. Jeru - The Damaja? Fun fact. No matter what I do with this site, when it reloads it brings up my review of Jeru the Damaja’s 1994 epic “The Sun Rises in the East.” A classic to be sure, but I am confounded by the daily appearance. No rambling can take away the smoothness of this track. Less exhilarating, but musically excellent and smooth as anything. Moon Dreams - Even smoother. The arms of wrought iron and synthetic steel dust the lunar surface. At one with the dusts of the orbiting giver of night’s warm glow. Bask in the majesty of earth’s warm presence. Glide through the cosmos. Venus De Milo - Mr. Simpson NOOOOOOO. What a shift in tone. This one is a little repetitive, but not bad at all. Obviously the big chart topper. Miles you scamp. Budo - I lack the knowledge to critique each and every note, but I will say I’m enjoying myself, and if that isn’t the true meaning of any of this, I don’t know what is. Deception - Really liked the energy of this one. What a crucial track review. “Can’t miss” writing from yours truly. You really have to hang on my every word. Godchild - He loves this godchild. Excellent bass based spine through this sucker. Boplicity - I don’t even know what this could possibly mean, but I’m all about fake words. Rocker - The Marty Janetty song. The drugs Israel - Uh oh. Good call on the lack of lyrics here. Don’t want to get too political on the track. They probably should stop slaughtering children. Rouge - This is another shade of red! And a makeup. I’m sorry I have nothing to say about the music. I am a fraud. Darn that Dream - AHHHHHH NO KILL IT AHH. Sorry. After half an hour of a vocalist free album, this weirdo nestling up to the mic kind of ruined my day. A rare stinker. Hmm. This was an interesting experiment. On one hand, it was enjoyable. Some real high points throughout and a general vibe that I enjoy. No lame 80’s pop disguised as meaningful art, no David Bowie. Life is good. However, I thought this was a little too “friendly” in places. Too many big band elements to take this onto a higher plane. John Coltrane and Miles Davis autoplayed after this and I can say with confidence that’s more my style. More improvisation, more left turns. Birth of the Cool is cool to be certain, but is it a full five piece purple suit with the sweet top hat and the bronze walrus topped cane? It most certainly isn’t. Oh well. None of us are born at our full evolution. Hey, im still picking glass out of my hair from when I tackled that mannequin off the second floor of the Bay. Damn government. 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Move, Deception

Good

It was okay. Definitely not my favorite album of theirs

Not bad. Just can’t get behind jazz as much as I wish I could.

cool

More jazz. This didn't really do anything for me, but was also inoffensive. I kind of feel like if I listened to it once a day for a fortnight I would suddenly "get" it and find it amazing, but maybe that's me trying to convince myself that jazz isn't just beyond me. Either way I don't have the patience to try that experiment right now so I'm gonna rate this one straight down the middle

Nothing bad about it, but nothing that stood out too much either.

Solid wordless tunes. Can't say I love it but I'd listen again.

There are better Miles Davis albums out there

Love a bit of jazz, especially some Miles, but he has a million more interesting albums than this one. It's very middle of the road. Enjoyable enough while it's on, but let's be real, who is taking this over something like Bitches Brew or In A Silent Way?

Enjoyed this before bed with headphones. Doesn’t grab the way Kind of Blue does but a good listen none the less

Was alright, but a bit boring for my taste.

Weirdly... awesome! Comparing this to his later opus would probably place this at an unfavorable position, but as a standalone compilation, this really bops. Really effortless to listen, with a great easy quality to it. Everyone is on top of their game, and they really bring out the cool in it. The only bad thing is that nothing stands out, but the plus side is that everything is good. ⭐⭐⭐

Great Jazz and very easy to listen to. Songs blend into each other which I think is a good and bad thing. Clearly inspired a ton of modern music. Not for me but legendary music for a reason. 7.3/10

Good music to work to.

Probably very good, but not as obviously timeless as Kind of Blue/ Sketches of Spain or arresting and challenging as his '65-'76 studio releases

326/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

Too much miles Davis too soon

Not a huge jazz fan

The death of my attention span

I'm no jazz expert or aficionado, cool if that's your thing I suppose? But who changed the rules and let a compilation album in?

While the sound here wasn't specifically my thing, I absolutely can tell it's being played masterfully. He makes the trumpet sound completely effortless like it's the easiest thing in the world to play. Having a best friend growing up who was a complete band geek trumpet player, I know that takes tremendous skill. While I don't think I will listen again, this is absolutely something you should hear before you die.

nice and well done, but nothing particularly interesting to me

I think I've always been on Team "Fusion-Jazz Miles" as opposed to "Cool Jazz Miles", though both have their perks. And I mean, it's Miles Davis, and while this is no 'Kind of Blue', in essence, you're getting a very similar vibe, idea, and aesthetic. You have a song like 'Moon Dreams' which is much slower and more melancholic, and then your more upbeat, airy songs like 'Rocker' with these fluttery solos and a nice refrain. Not a standout in his discography by any means, but a short and enjoyable experience nevertheless.

Solid, relaxing trumpet music. Nothing really stood out to me as amazing, but it was solid, and I'd be happy to listen to it any time.

Jazz. Smooth, cool, laidback. Not doing it for me at all

very original jazz. driving beat with soft bass and quiet hi-hat. Punchy but soft trumpet. Half the album was a psuedo "solo" from a jazz band. Decent.

Not a huge fan of this type of jazz. Interested in listening to more jazz however.

איש מוכשר מאוד ומוזיקאי בחסד קשה להתחבר לאלבום אינסטרומנטלי

Not my first time listening but it’s still mostly lost on me. This is like THE jazz album and I just can’t follow it super well. I absolutely enjoyed parts as well as disliked parts but I am confident that my opinion on this should be taken with a grain of salt. 3 for neutrality because I don’t think my uncultured, Neanderthal-forehead ass has any ground to critique Miles Davis.

I took a 'History of Jazz' class in college and this was obviously included. Boplicity was on the final exam, where the professor played the first 30 seconds of a song and we had to know what it was. it will always stick out for me, and it brings up some lovely memories of studying jazz with one of my best friends from college, sitting in my room just recounting jazz facts and listening to our jazz playlist of songs. that being said, I respect Miles Davis obviously and his influence on the genre. This album, while I could definitely throw it on for the background of a party or something, I probably wouldn't seek it out to listen to it on my own under a regular circumstance. that said, Miles Davis is cool as hell and is one of the GOATs.

I really enjoyed vibing out to this. Not the typical 3 star, but I think for this type of album, I enjoyed it a lot more than others on the list.

Good

this was fun but got lowkey repetitive towards the end and im not a big trumpet guy myself but i can see why mr. davis is a big deal

I guess I don’t consider peeing my pants to be cool.

My third Miles Davis album on this list. I find myself having similar feelings to this as the other two. I think that people that play an instrument would get more out of this than non players like myself. I do love seeing albums from the 50's pop up though, it's a refreshing change of pace.

It’s interesting that Winthrop Sargeant didn’t really consider this music jazz. At the time, perhaps it took jazz in a whole new direction, but listening to it now, I know it as pretty textbook jazz music.

Early Miles is a lot swingier than I imagined. Swingier is not a word, but you know what I mean. I like it. I like the cocaine and funk more, though.

I just get so bored of this stuff after like 20 min. The sort of meandering nature isn't my thing. I like more structure i guess. Even if it's just like each guy solo-ing for a while around a common melodic theme. Something to tie stuff together.

Helt ok. Fan av miles. Kanskje er dette en grower men basert på en halvhjertet gjennomhøring traff ikke denne meg helt

Toot toot

are we dealing in compilation albums now mr dimery? i see, i see apparently its a very important album for the history of cool jazz, this is one instance where i dont know enough and i have to judge it as it stands, and it sounds like a decently pleasant jazz album for its time

Wäre mit Gesang geiler, aber ist trotzdem schön und entspannend

I continue to have absolutely no idea whether any particular jazz album is good or not. They almost universally strike me as fine for background music, and I can also almost universally say that I didn't specifically enjoy much about them. 2.5 I guess?

Move - Enjoyed, nothing special to me Jeru - Remined me of old Christmas movies Moon Dreams - A little more solemn Venus De Milo - Not much to say Budo - Quite lively, nothing special Deception - Fine Godchild - Fine Boplicity - Fine Rocker - Fine Israel - Eh, fine Rouge - Fine, all starting to sound the same now Darn That Dream - SINGING!! HAZZAH!! Refreshing, very classic The live section of the album was fun. Final thoughts: while I appreciate the skill, this wasn't really my cup of tea. Found the compositions a bit repetitive and started to get bored towards the end.

I like boplicity and some of the brighter, lighter tracks, the darker ones like deception are grating. Melodies are really sweet, horn driven stuff is unique and different to what I have listened to. I like that.

Not bad but to me it only has not aged that well. But since I’m not a huge jazz fan maybe that’s why I don’t think it’s the greatest document.

Classic jazz is growing on me but still not really my thing

Honestly, I can't believe I wasn't impressed by Miles Davis. I've listened to quite a few of his albums, so when this popped up I was quite excited. This is fairly pedestrian fare for Davis. Nothing particularly memorable, but also not bad. Just good listenable Jazz.

I enjoy Miles Davis as much as the next generic white person. There’s some really cool parts in this record. As much as it is impressive, it’s just not my over all type of music. But I feel I can identify greatness.

It happily played in the background while I was having breakfast; forgetting it was even on. 3/5

Interesting

I like Miles but this seemed a bit dated. Good, but too structured to not sound dated.

Jazz

Eh another jazz Edit: changing from a 2 to a 3 on Oct 5 2025, I like jazz a bit more now

I'm not quite sure I'd say it plodded along, but this album moved at a pace or with a style that didn't captivate me. Venus de Milo jumped out at me. Budo maybe stayed there with some good energy to start. After that? It mostly just blended into the background again. The album is here because it was the start of cool jazz. And I can't appreciate that because I don't know what jazz was before, during or after. Sorry if I missed the landmark-ness of this album or if I'm not paying enough respect to the legend or genius that is Miles Davis. But next.

Except for when they shift to slower songs, almost everything on this album sounds the same to me and pretty basic jazz. I get that the style may have been unique when it came out, but the uniqueness is subtle and still doesn't change the fact that the style is too same-same throughout. Fine as background music, but didn't draw me in.

I remember this as being one of the few jazz albums I find mildly enjoyable, and it still was! Mildly enjoyable, I mean. And is anyone better than Miles Davis at album titles?

This is #day193 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... that's a cool way to start the week. I've only listened to Kind of Blue a few times and Bitches Brew maybe once or twice, so I'm not too versed in Miles Davis's catalog, and neither I'm a jazz connoisseur. Sure, I've heard terms like bebop, hard bop, free jazz, and so on, but I can't use them properly. So, for me, jazz boils down to whether I like it or not, sparking some personal associations. Like, with Birth of the Cool, it's fun to observe its accessibility. The songs are all pretty short, usually under 3.5 minutes, giving them a pop-song vibe. There's a nice balance of uptempo and slower tracks. When I think of jazz like this, I'm reminded of the Dzyga Art Center and the Jazz Bez festival in my hometown of Lviv, which I used to attend around 2010-2011. It was a very fragile time in my life, but somehow those memories have stuck with me. The album’s release year, 1957, also makes me think of the Beat Generation... On the Road by Jack Kerouac was published that same year, and I think there might be a connection here. With more of Davis's albums down the road, I'm giving this one a 3. Looking forward to #day194.

great listening.

Background music. I forgot I was listening to it. I think his later albums got more experimental and I assume they are on this list, but this feels a little generic. Great musicianship is stellar but I zoned out...

chill jazz…makes me feel like im in a coffeee shop, the trumpet playing was very nice and it was just nice and cool

I liked it, it was good music, not quite my style though

jazz might be ok

This is like my fifth or sixth jazz album I gotten so far, and if I’m being brutally honest, I’m starting to realize that jazz albums do nothing for me. I give every album generated for me a fair chance, but for most of the jazz albums, my attention always wanes and I can never remember any of the tracks I listened to. There might be exceptions further down the line, but I’m starting to doubt it. This album is an example of that. The album makes for some cool background noise and can definitely spice up a number of occasions. And I know Miles Davis is one of the best jazz players to live. His Kind of Blue did leave an impression on me. But unlike that album, this one didn’t leave me with much. Just a collection of recordings from various years. Nothing really to me that sticks out as memorable. I don’t know how many jazz albums are left for me. There might as well be around 100, it seems. That’s probably gonna be a lot of 3’s in the future. Favorite track: Boplicity Other hits (if I had to pick): Moon Dreams, Rocker, Venus De Milo

jazz... niet mijn ding, maar er staan heel wat slechtere dingen in deze lijst

If I’m putting this against other essential Miles albums I’ve got to give it a 3/5. I enjoyed this record but I know there are a better ones out there

Was worried after Bitches Brew but this was nice

move - i like the drums pretty nice yippee not something i would normally listen to though jeru - pretty fun and jazzy but feels very long like far longer than 3mins moon dreams - very pretty and relaxing i like it venus de milo - grooving and yet so gentle...... in love budo - back to groovin yippee do do do do do do deception - grooving a little hard but not too much. acceptable godchild - once again acceptable groove levels. quite nice boplicity - for the title not much of a bop. but nice and pleasant and relaxing anyway rocker - yeah slight banger cant lie. do do do israel - no right to be as much of a banger as it is this is a bit too fun rouge - bit of a banger too omg........ darn that dream - WHY IS THERE A SINGER???????????????/ bit snoozy i cant lie overall - nice album and probably very very good for the time!!!! wouldnt actively choose to listen to it and probably a lot more fun to dance to rather than listen

jahas koksi paiskamassa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoakoajan. oajan pitää olla vaihtamassa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoajan. paiskita ei halua, kaikkea muuta halutaan paitsi paiskia.w living (in ww living (in w ei n pitää olla vaihtamastiin kokoajan. paiskita ei halua, kaikkea muuta halutaan pasa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoakoajan. paiskita ei halua, kaikkea muuta halutaan paitsi paiskamassa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoakoajan. paia ei halua, akea muuta halutaanalutaan pasa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoako paitsi paiotiin kokoajan. paiskita ei halua, kaikkea muuta halutaan paskamassa bii godchild

Totally fine. Finding through this project that jazz isn’t really my thing but I don’t find it aurally offensive or anything

Felt like a pretty average jazz album to me. Not more, not less.

Smooth jazz is a genre I think benefits a lot from being played live. I don't mean as a live album but as physically going to a concert. Without that, smooth jazz never really reaches the heights of other jazz for me. I never get that "bite-a-lemon-feeling" that i get from more energetic jazz. Still this is perfectly good, maybe even great if this is your groove.

Definitely ’Cool’! A good listen, more upbeat than some of his other work.

I like the one that sounds like the theme to Bewitched. In fact a lot of these sound like 60s TV show themes or Carry On film themes. I still don’t really like jazz, but this is definitely at the better end of the spectrum.

Perfectly fine, jazz isn't my go to genre but I enjoyed it enough. No real strong feelings, sorry for the brief review!

Really wanted to enjoy this album more, but it's just too unmemorable.

I’ve come to learn jazz is nice driving music, especially at night. Had Moon Dreams on repeat. 3.5/5

Pretty neat. What I think of when I think of jazz. Still not really my thing but still good. Kind of Blue edges it out as the better Miles Davis album to me. 3

1) Moon dreams 2) Darn that dream 3) Boplicity 25/01/2025

Sometimes an album is able to invoke a time and a place, and this one surely does. I felt like I was in a Jazz Lounge with a martini, with smoke filled air. It was cool, It was fun. Also interesting that the compositions were limited by the format they were produced in, so all the songs end up being about the same length.

I feel like this is kinda mid for Miles Davis. It was a nice listen through, but nothing really stood out to me. I guess I can appreciate the "major development in post-bebop jazz" these songs were, but considering this came out in 1957 and I'm no where near that age, it's hard for me to be able to understand that well. I'm debating between a 2 and a 3, but when comparing to other 2 star albums I've given, it's better than those so... 3

Definitely would take drugs and pee my pants to this album. Nice smooth jazz that operates really well as background music. Not sure if I liked it as much as other jazz, but it lands right around the 3.5 mark with no intention of coming back to this particular album.

Some nice walking bass and smooth horns for about 30 minutes was perfect background music while working.

good? idk how to rate jazz

It's Jazz. I feel like this is one of those albums where like, if I were well-studied in jazz, I'd be able to hear the innovations here, but it sounds like normal jazz to me. 7/10.