Birth Of The Cool

Nice gentle listening.

cool album, not my personal favorite of what i've heard of Miles Davis

It's cool alright

I’m kinda glad this site makes me listen to jazz so often, cause i probably wouldn’t sit to do it on my own. Solid 3 but it was enjoyable.

listening to this album on a windy night definitely helped with this listening experience. never really got into jazz that much, but this album is genuinely such a fun listen for some ambience noise. reminds me of the bar scene towards the end of the movie green book or entering the lobby of a fancy hotel.

Great album name. The whole album is instrumental until the last song and then they hit you with some vocals.

I feel like I force myself to think jazz is the best genre because of how great it's talked about but it's just good to me, nothing insane to listen to.

This is a very different Miles Davis to the one who made “Bitches Brew”. There’s twenty years between “Birth of the Cool” and “Bitches Brew”, but they might as well be an entire universe apart. The latter sounded more like something Can, or even Radiohead, might come out with. The former is more grounded and restrained, and far less outwardly experimental. Although, in true Miles Davis form, he was already innovating. This whole collection of songs is a reaction to the speedy bebop jazz of the late 40s. The music here is calmer, restrained, airy and… cool. Rather than showing off virtuoso skills in individual solos, battling against each other, the instruments are harmonising together in interesting ways, coming together to make something interesting. It feels like a focus more on space and texture than showing off technique. Everything feels restrained. If there’s improvisation happening here, you can’t tell. It all feels very intentional and designed. I’m much more of a fan of that later period Davis, where he was experimenting with hypnotic grooves in improv. Not to say that this wasn’t enjoyable. I particularly liked the calmer songs that focused on those interesting harmonic textures, like “Moon Dreams” in particular. The album could have done without “Darn That Dream” at the end though. I’m not sure why, but the vocal performance really ruined it for me. It really is hard to believe that this is the same Miles Davis that created “Bitches Brew”. Two different universes of the same artist. 3.5 stars

This shit is so fucking sad and depressing yet cool at the same time. Not for me but I see why people adore this and call it a masterpiece. Feels like smoking a cigar in the rain in a trench coat

Not as exciting and engaging as his other work. A good album, but nothing really stood out or grabbed me.

Great background noise, nice and peaceful. However, not something I would choose if it was set in front of me.

lo escuché leyendo un libro y es gran música de ambientación. Tenía al tipo de nombre pero creo que nunca había escuchado nada (por lo menos siendo consciente que era el)

Not Miles' best, but cool nonetheless

Alright but Jazz isn't really my thing

This is straight instramental Jazz. To be honest I didn't think I'd like it much but I just let it play and found myself half way through the album before I even noticed. I was in the zone and just letting the music slide through me. I don't think I'd come back to this album, but I think it would be a good study/mindfulness album where you can get some work done in the background. I never considered I'd like jazz, but I think I enjoy this one. Seems like a 4 for to me!

5/10

Just never really got into this, no tunes to catch onto. I really like some of his other music but this didn't grab me at all. Tossing up between two and three stars.

mannnn I know these recordings are important in their own way, but I can't help but wish this compilation was swapped out with some other Miles album that isn't on this list ("'Round About Midnight" if we're sticking within the decade, "Sketches of Spain" if we're looking for some boundary-breaking). I'm curious how this was perceived at time of release (1957, same year as 'Round About Midnight) considering these recordings were captured between 1949-1950, and Miles had already starting moving on from this sound. maybe audiences were still hungry for it, but Miles was years past this already, and those intervening years were very productive and quickly evolving, and he continued in that fashion for decades. you can especially tell that these songs were of a certain era due not only to their sound, approach, and recording quality but also to their length -- each of these recordings would have fit onto their own physical media and purchased separately before they were compiled onto a 12-inch format. love Miles and of course appreciate him for his early contributions and breaking barriers with those early forms of jazz; however, I prefer what happened later.

It's cool

it's an instrumental mood to that time when the music create an atmosphere that make you feel suspense. The album also creates a sexy and romantic ambient.

I appreciate him immensely as a musician but I dont know style enough to see if this album was impressive

Own this one and listened again. It's not my favorite Miles period but it is cool and nice to listen to.

Very Groovy Jazz album. Honestly might be the oldest album I have ever listened to.

Classic Miles Davis as he transitions between big band and Kind of Blue and certainly a far cry from Bitches Brew just over a decade later. Moon dreams is my favorite.

Heel fijn toegankelijk Jazz album wat fijne achtergrond muziek is (uitgeprobeerd bij koken). Realiseer me elke keer als ik Jazz luister weer hoe bijzonder het is dat chaos zo goed kan klinken.

Ellepel: Toffe instrumentele jazz die goed te luisteren is. Ik vind dit muziek die je heel goed op de achtergrond kan hebben als vrienden over zijn, het gaat van snel naar rustig. Verder is het een relatief kort album. Teeuw-s: I love mijn kipje

There's not much, if anything, wrong with this release, but I do like it considerably less than the rest of the Miles Davis catalogue I've heard, simply because it is just too short and slight. Personally, I'd go with another one of his numerous great albums over a compilation, but this is fine as well. Favourite track: Move

Album war recht chillig. Gut fürs lesen und ruhige Atmosphere. hab ein paar neue favs

First time listen Good Miles Davis album. Not his best work, definitely a little more low-key than some of his most famous stuff. I still found it to be nice background music. Feels like walking through a bustling city taking in the scenery. Didn't really have a favorite or least favorite portion for this album, it all blended together well and made for a pleasant experience 3.5/5

I’m not a jazz fan, so couldn’t get into this, but I suppose it’s good for what it is. My untrained ear doesn’t know though, because it all just runs together to me. (3)

Exceptionally forgettable background music. I would challenge myself to focus on one instrument at a time, and 30 minutes later I realised I hadn't listened to any of them. This happened several times.

Zone out a fair bit. Same jazz music throughout the album except for the last song. Darn that dream has lyrics. Lots of darn in that song.

Was good through and through I would say. Couldn't tell you which song was which, but I enjoyed listening to it while at work. Caught myself bopping my head a few times. I do know the first half of Move was good though, the first song on the album lol

When I hear this album I can only wonder what happened to the other Jazz greats of the era, Roy Donk, Paul Buffano, Marcus "The Worm" Hick, and Mookie Kramer & the Eight Balls.

Pretty cool sound, I liked it better than I expected!

To be honest, I’m not much of a jazz fan. Most of the time I feel like I don’t fully get it. Still, this record was a pleasure to hear. For me it wasn’t something incredibly unique or mind-blowing, but it created a clear picture in my mind: a big city during rush hour, people moving quickly, cars passing, everyone going somewhere. The music kind of flows like that movement. Overall it’s a good album and I enjoyed the experience.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Boplicity Third Miles Davis album. I've got no inherent problems with this album or the genre in general, but this seemed to be lack in variety unlike the last two (Bitches Brew and Kind Of Blue). I'm not sure this is something I need to hear before I die.

acompaña un dia de lluia o una noche de trabajo

Äthat s the old 😎 cool

shoutout lisa simpson B4 isn't a legitimate song music to aggresively snap your fingers to enjoyable, albeit too repetitive for my taste 3.5/5

No es mi estilo pero realmente se hace muy disfrutable al tipo. Tiene ESO que, aun sin ser conocedor del género o querer meterme tanto, se nota que es un distinto. Lindo álbum 7/10

Love the tempo and the harmonies followed by back-and-forth solos for each instrument. Cool 3.5

3.0

Miles Davis is one of my favorites, but when it's 70s fusion Miles lol. Should have been Bitches Brew.

I liked this but if it were any longer I wouldn’t.

alright

Don’t listen to Jazz daily but this was great to listen to while wrapping up the work week

Estuve bailando como abuelo con parkinson durante 30 minutos

Not as interesting as some of his later stuff but some good bops

Smooth bombast brilliance ★★★½

Very pleasant. It was good Easter egg making music

nice and chilled, good lounging music

Good vibes to work to and some real classics in there, last song is for sure a skipper which is a shame.

Nice, but not memorable to me. I just don't think I have enough knowledge about jazz and instrumental music only to truly enjoy it really. I may try to listen to it again.

a fun listen but i enjoyed reading abt the album more than playing it. it was interesting to read abt how ppl found it 'strange' at the time / didnt think it sounded like jazz / spotted the influences of impressionists like ravel, bc nowadays that slower 'cool' jazz is so ubiquitous it deffo doesnt come across as strange and unique. but it does come across pleasant

very smooth sounding but felt quite repetitive

I feel birth reborn and cool. Liked the short songs, kept things interesting. Weakest track was the last one, didn't enjoy the vocals. I'm fine with just musicians showing off.

Decent 3,5

Miles Davis has a smooth sound. I enjoy it. It doesn't light me up enough to buy the album, but its smooth.

It was good. Nothing that really grabbed me, like on Kind of Blue. But I'll listen more to see if it grows on me

I feel sacrilegious giving this a 3, but I just didn't really wow me. Sorry Miles Davis

Приємне звучання, на фон непогано

I listen to jazz only a few times a year. I love it live, I love it around the holidays. This was a great jazz album, but I miss the lyrics of vocal jazz when they aren’t there.

Better than the other miles Davis, but still not a jazz fan

I liked the album, but compared with other jazz albums I have heard i didn't liked it that much. It has that feeling from the 50s and sending you back to those times.

Perfectly pleasant - I like as background music, but not a jazz enthusiast

I’m sure it’s good, better than a 3, but I can’t get into jazz too much.

Die Aufnahmen zu Miles Davis – Birth Of The Cool stammen aus drei Sessions in den WOR‑Studios in New York City, die überwiegend 1949 und 1950 stattfanden; das Album erschien 1957 als Zusammenstellung dieser Session‑Tracks. Die Besetzung der Nonet‑Formation um den amerikanischen Trompeter umfasst neben Davis u. a. Lee Konitz (Altsaxophon), Gerry Mulligan (Baritonsaxophon) und Bill Barber (Tuba), arrangiert von Gil Evans, John Lewis und Mulligan. Kennenswerte Stücke auf diesem Jazz‑Album sind „Boplicity“, „Jeru“, „Move“ und „Moon Dreams“, die in ihrer Kombination aus Bebop‑Wurzeln und zurückhaltender Klangästhetik den Sound des Cool Jazz mitprägten. Die ungewöhnliche Instrumentierung mit Waldhorn und Tuba unterscheidet den Sound von üblichen Jazz‑Combos der Zeit. Nationalität des Interpreten: amerikanisch. Genre: Jazz / Cool Jazz. Das Ergebnis wirkt reflektiert in der Balance zwischen Ensemble‑Arrangements und Soloparts; es dokumentiert einen frühen Schritt von Davis als Bandleader und arrangierter Klanggestalter der Moderne. Bewertung: ein historisch bedeutsames, thematisch kohärentes Dokument der frühen Miles‑Davis‑Karriere.

I'm gonna be a little mean; cool jazz is one of those genres meant to be background noise. It's just a little too safe, a little too consistent to really grab my attention the way other jazz music can. It's good music, no complaints about listening to it, but it just doesn't excite as much as it could.

I haven’t listened to lots of Miles before other than the early bebop stuff. I guess miles was sick of bebop and was slowing things down compared to the bebop standard of playing 1000 mph over super fast chord changes and he wanted to make it less of a jam and more like a composition. Really interesting and a good listen. Shows how much he was experimenting and changing the sound in jazz even before he dropped Kind of Blue later on which was a real shift. Hard not to give it a 10/10 on the historical importance basis but assuming we’re going off of personal enjoyment I’ll say like a 7/10. Enjoyable but I think I just enjoy the whackier side of miles’ discography more than earlier more traditional jazz stuff. Did I need to hear this before I die? Yeah

i believe this qualifies as "the good shit". far from my favorite Miles Davis recording, but these sessions put him on the map! really groundbreaking for 1949-50 and aged pretty well to boot. deserves to be one of the 1001? totally!

Good.

Moon dreams was great!!!

Fine jazz album. Not a big standout for me

Cool

This is a really solid jazz album. I enjoyed listening to it while I worked.

not all that fussed about jazz but this was decent to have on in the background. reminded me of some of the big band stuff that my parents love and would play a lot when i was a child.

Ich hab keine Ahnung von Jazz, aber das klang schon gut. Kann aber überhaupt nicht einschätzen, wie revolutionär das jetzt ist oder wie es sich im Vergleich zu anderen Jazzalben der Zeit schlägt. Ich konnte es gut durchhören und mochte die Grundstimmung.

Unexpected, but pleasant

Bra Jazz album mycket trumpet, saknar vocals Favoritlåt: Israel

Real fun album with a lot of differents moods. Second Miles Davis album I listen to and he can make me feel really different things with his instrument.

Pretty good overall. Was confused on why on song was randomly called Israel but it was released in 1956 which is pretty far away from when I was born soo.... Anyway nice instrumental, cool smooth sound

Super good tbh

Overall: 6/10 I think this is fine. This is the type of jazz I imagine when people say the word jazz. Most people would use it as background noise for a fancy party or something. I might use it to play video games like Fallout or Bioshock. Fav Song: Budo

Not quite kind of blue but at the time I’m sure it was groundbreaking, the recording hiss of the technology places it in its era.

#0003: #0002: BIRTH OF THE COOL by MILES DAVIS Good quality dinner party jazz, bit of fun! #0001: ELEPHANT by THE WHITE STRIPES They are from Detroit SNA heavy and distorted bassline played on guitar w/ octave pedal not bass Produced @ Toerag Studios E. London for £5k on analogue equipment built before 1963; recorded and mastered w/out computer Meg White "tick tock drumming style" Overall: Quite enjoyed it; like the squalliness and the feel the old tech and playing styles give the music but after the first 5 tracks or so I really fell off the album and it lost my attention. Fine as background but I wasn't blown away towards the end. Maybe other WS will do it for me? Or maybe on relistening?

petit jazz tranquille

🎺

Cool en fond as usual

Miles Davis is a genius. Although Jazz is not one of my favorite genres, I appreciated listening to it

I’m not qualified to adequately review what I just heard. Likeable pleasing album but it’s probably way better than I am skilled to say. Rating purely on preference for this one.

Fine modal jazz album, but to me not as as cohesively grooving as KIND OF BLUE, probably because it is a compilation (I thought there was a rule that prevented the inclusion of compilations on this list?), rather than an album constructed out of artistic intentionality, but it's cool jazz approach is more approachable than BITCHES BREW. I respect the skill of modal jazz, but I admit that I derive more enjoyment from the big band and vocal jazz arrangements than the cool jazz/bebop modal jazz approach. I think my favorite Miles Davis album is actually COOKIN', but I doubt that will ever be on the list. Want to give it a 3 for my personal preferences, but I know too many jazz cats that cite this album as seminal record for their love of jazz, so I have to bump it to a 4.

Awsome, full of wonders and smooth, but a little repetitive at times.

I don't know how to feel about instrumental jazz and how to approach it. I appreciate the craftsmanship at least, and the significance is definitely notable enough for inclusion.

Highlights: Jeru, Venus De Milo, Budo, Godchild, Rouge Lowlights: --------------------------------------------- Objectively this is great music, but I can't see myself listening to it on a whim. By no means did I dislike it, but I have no desire to go back to it.

Listenable.

This is another case of "I need to be there to enjoy it." Please don't get me wrong, this is absolutely mind blowing talent and I respect the talent and hard work of these musicians. I just really can't make myself enjoy a recorded jazz performance. It just falls so flat for me. If I was in the audience I would be absolutely starstruck and awestruck. But unfortunately, I was not in the audience. Maybe I'll find a jazz recording someday that I really can get into and prove my feelings wrong about jazz albums. But for now, 3/5. I need to be there.

2.7 The most cool thing about this is the fact it was recorded in the 40s. I was quite looking forward to this given I quite enjoyed his later outings that have appeared on this list. Also the background that it helped propel "cool" jazz. In hindsight I think a better name for it might have been "safe" jazz. There was nothing really in any song that gripped me, that excited me, or that even thought it was remotely cool. Must have been a time and place thing.

it's definily not my type of music. So I don't really like it.

Very easy listen. I enjoyed it but nothing that will take me back to the album.

I am a Miles Davis superfan, but historically this is not my favorite of his periods. Fun to revisit! Remains the same as always. This is good, but not for me really.

I'm reasonable confident in saying "I like jazz" and I especially like MD when at his most avant-garde and experimental. However, this may just be a bit too early for my limited knowledge and appreciation to grasp it's importance. It sounds and feels really old, it is in fact music from a different generation. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Old ★★★☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 212 Already owned : 47 Purchased : 10 To buy list : 4 Nope : 151

Good

Very monsters inc-esque

Peak jazz but I prefer tracks with singing alongside.

I get it now.

Это джаз из Лефортово

Very solid, I don't know if I'd seek it out, but I do enjoy it immensely.

If Kind of Blue is a 5 this is a 3

Cool jazz. Yet to hear jazz that is higher than 3 stars for me. Maybe someday.

I still feel roughly the same about jazz as I did before hearing this.

honestly not that into anything without vocals but had this on in the background while working and it was nice :)

I think I like this kinda stuff when you see it love but find it hard to listen to as a whole album when sat at home

Very cool indeed. Not as out there as Bitches Brew + some of the stuff I'm more into, but undoubtedly masterful playing.

3.0

Significantly better than Bitches Brew and exactly what I want from jazz

he keeps it moving :)

3.5?

Kocham jazzik, ale jako że jestem jesieniarą, to zazwyczaj pochłaniam go w konkretnych okolicznościach, np. pisanie kampanii dnd w chmurnej Warszawie, smuteczki dnia codziennego i smuteczki dnia niecodziennego to jest egzystencjonalne. Tym razem słuchałem podczas robienia obrazków z rybami w pracy oraz czytania o ekosystemie wód lądowych w zachodniopomorskim, więc mogło nie wejść tak jak powinno.

I prefer On the Corner

miles was the best jazzman from the 40s all the way up to the 70s

Jazz.

Ik vond het iets te chaotisch, de zijn andere liedjes vind ik toffer

Do ya like jazz? 🐝

Very cool. A bit too smooth and not as hard hitting as expected. Enjoyable background music, but not attention grabbing.

7.77

I still don't get it, but I can tell it's less complex than Kind of Blue, which means there's a bit less for me not to get. Which if you think about it, means I almost sort of get it a bit more?

Very mild, a little boring. Would be better live.

This is exactly why I love this service. I’m not a jazz aficionado, so I figured I could put Birth of the Cool on while driving and get the gist—but I’m so glad I gave it a second, more focused listen. My usual impression of jazz is that it can feel too freeform: a conversation among instruments that drifts without a clear pattern, and you’re never quite sure when it’s going to land. This album still has that interplay, but the music is shaped by strong arrangements and steady rhythmic frameworks, which gave me something to hold onto (shorter tracks helped, too) and made the solos easier to appreciate. I had a college buddy who was really into Miles Davis, and I’m finally starting to understand why.

two miles davis albums in a row

Nie słucham takiej muzyki na codzień, myślę, że gdybym była bardziej “awangardowa” osoba spodobałoby mi się, niestety chyba jestem zbyt chamska.

It's a jazz album, and I'm not listening in a club with a cocktail in hand. It's a 3 under these circumstances.

If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis

Easy digestible jazz

I am not a jazz fan and still not after listening to this. Great craftsmanship though.

Nice enough but not really a jazz fan so didn’t do too much for me

It was alright. Only one song really stuck out to me, I would definitely listen to this again but it took me a few tries for it to grab me. Highlights: Venus De Milo

Great album but boring. Everything sounded the same, only moon dream caught my attention. But good artistry nevertheless

Jazz init

Nice mysig liten jazz stund! Endast instrumentalt och inte helt vad jag skulle lyssna på aktivt men positiva vibes och mycket bra som bakgrundsljud till att pyssla eller diska, dansade mer än vad jag brukar göra när jag tömmer disken

Different from what I usually listen to but I enjoyed it very much and found it was compatible while I was reading.

This is a good early Miles record. Not as good as some of his other work, but still really solid. 7/10

Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: 🎺😎⬛ Production (Rudy Van Gelder 2000 Digital Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎺🖌️🖼️ Rating: 🧊🧊🧊(🧊)/5

No. 58 Not a big jazz guy, but this was a good listen.

If I was a jazz fan, I would probably give this five stars but it's just not my thing. I do like the older jazz like Louis Armstrong but I was never a fan of Bebop. The musicianship is impeccable so I have to give it three stars for that.

I loved listening to this but, haven’t got the ear for jazz yet!

Only 'Darn that dream' had vocals, which is a shame. The rest is mostly background music.

I’m not the biggest jazz-head but listenable

This was fun. Grant had informed me as to how old this record is which is incredible

Absolutely insane that this is from the 50s and recorded in the 40s. Shows how timeless jazz is, especially the version that this spawned. Still I have to admit I can’t tell the difference between this and other jazz. Open to learning more and upgrading

Whilst jazz is definitely not my go to genre, there is no doubting this is such an influential album and marks the beginning of the “cool jazz” genre. At moments within this album I could almost picture myself in 1950s NYC with a whiskey in hand listening to this. The improvisation on this album is top-notch and more incredibly when doing my research, this album was actually recorded from 1949-1950. This album was truly ahead of its time and I can very much appreciate that. Particular highlights are ‘Moon Dreams and Deception’ which highlight this new genre of “cool jazz”. Additionally, ‘Budo’ was another favourite of mine with its up-tempo and bee-bop influence. My only issue is that someone else will truly appreciate this album more than myself as I’m not a huge listener of jazz music. Although, I can see myself listening to some of my favourite tracks from this again. Overall, this album is undoubtedly hugely influential and has some great tracks on there but to a non-jazz listener perhaps I didn’t get as much as I needed to out of the whole album. (Hopefully my opinion can change after reviewing more jazz albums!) Favourite tracks: Moon Dreams and Budo My rating: 3/5

Jag gillar det, alla låtar låter ungefär lika dant för mig (förutom "darn that dream" då det är enda med text) så kan inte riktigt säga en favorit på albumet. Vet inte riktigt när jag skulle lyssna på det, men jag gillar det. Bra sätt att starta morgonen på. Bra promenad och åka kolektivt musik, vill lyssna på mer.

Gosh, this sounds really fascinating and I know it is amazing what he does, but also it is just not my genre. It just doesn't do it for me.

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.