Birth Of The Cool

I really liked this. Well, by liked, I mean tolerated it. Well, by tolerated it, I mean I would rather have my eyeballs injected with spider eggs, whilst having by pubes yanked out by an aggressive Bulgarian dinner lady, all the while a parrot is screeching "Jordan Henderson is the best in the world" down my ear, with every woman I've ever fancied and my family and friends all watching on; than ever listen to a single second of this ever again.

They don’t call this Birth of the Cool for nothing. What a fucking classic

'The Birth of Cool' reminds me of when I spent my forties as an adult baby. We would meet up in groups of 12-15 and our mums would feed us milk, hug us and change our nappies. I would often piss and shit myself for real, which was a source of such joy for both me and the mums. I was thrown out in disgrace after an incident. I suggested, or more tried to force myself up one of the mums, so I could be reborn. Please understand that this was not sexual, I was merely trying to understand how it would feel to be born, to experience the journey from the womb, through the vagina and into the world, all with the awareness of an adult. Needless to say, the police were called in, the adult baby centre was shut down and I served 18 months in prison.

I know I am biased here because I really do love Miles Davis and a lot of his "cool jazz" contemporaries and artists that followed their lead, and I am also influenced by the music reviews of the time that likened this album and similar works to impressionist-style visual arts, but, what the heck, I'll embrace it all. This album is gorgeous. The layers, textures, colors...man. I love to imagine what it would be like to find a little time-space portal to loop back to NYC in the late 40s through early 60s when so much amazing jazz was happening. I love this album. Such art.

Feels like you should have a cigar and a whisky. Very smooth

Listening to this album makes me feel like I should be shaving in front of a foggy mirror with a straight razor while telling the dame who spent the night in my apartment that she has nice gams and should call before she comes around, all in a voice that sounds exactly like Philip Marlowe. 5 stars all day.

Miles Davis is probably the single most talented musician to have lived in the 20th century, well known for occasionally blowing open the entire genre he worked in and inspiring dozens if not hundreds of imitators. For any other musician, this would be their masterpiece - for Davis, it barely cracks the top ten.

Jazz melts in to the bakground and disapears, to me. I reallice that this is god jazz, but i cant rember anything from listening to this record.

Too hip. Possibly in my top five all time jazz albums. Responsible for a whole subgenre full of bad imitators but, both as the wellspring of an aesthetic and as a standalone collection of music, this is crazy good

If peeing your pants is cool, then I'm Miles Davis.

3.3 - I suppose context is everything - whereas I've found other Miles Davis albums groundbreaking, to my ears this sounds like laid back big band jazz. Certainly "cool" and pleasant but I'm not feeling that sense of awe and excitement that I'm probably supposed to.

This is a very pleasant jazz album, and I’m actually really excited to see something from the 50s come up. I don’t think I had ever really listened to any Miles Davis before, although I’d heard lots about him.

It does its thing, I don't care for it.

I love when I see an album that can be pointed to and say "Right here. That's where it all started." What a cool formative moment in jazz history, and not to mention its fucking BALLER. The head for Budo always slaps, and the ending section of Moon Dreams slays me every time.

Just cool.

Good ass jazz

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

Can't say no to some more Miles. I can definitely tell that this came before Kind of Blue. The songs are shorter, less exploratory and experimental. Still, there are flashes here and there that bear the Miles Davis edge, like the end of "Moon Dreams." I was about to say I'm not feeling as jazzed by this, then "Budo" hit me like ONE TWO THREE HO! This is great, and a welcome reprieve from the middling selections last week. Favorite tracks: Budo, Move, Moon Dreams. Album art: Like Kind of Blue, this cover is unimaginative. Granted, it's 1957. But it's a black and white photo of Miles Davis. I do like the angle of the photo and the framing of text all around the picture. As far as '50s jazz album covers go, this one's not bad. 4/5

Man, it’s just not my thing. I’ll give it two stars because I feel guilty, but it sounds like an episode of Charlie Brown.

EYE POP EMOJI

I don’t typically listen to jazz, but when I do… Just doesn’t get any cooler.

Fine, but better appreciated by someone else, I’m sure.

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

A masterclass in jazz improvisation. Amazing tone and playing by all of the musicians involved. These tunes are still played regularly to this day by jazzers.

Davis' first truly influential project as a leader—which produced a series of recordings between 1949 and 1951 that helped shift the course of improvised music—was publicly underappreciated for almost ten years. In fact, Birth of the Cool, the title by which these tracks are now collectively known, was not applied until 1957 when Capitol Records collected the original eleven 78rpm sides and reissued them as a cohesive LP. Birth of the Cool was the most important stylistic step to follow after bebop—generating an entirely new wave of playing that influenced a new generation in the early 1950s. It started as a way of finding a way to meld the polyphony and other modern classical ideas (discordance, impressionism, unusual instrumentation) with the harmonic licenses pioneered by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Its reserved, emotional affect was its most recognized aspect: a laid-back reprieve from the unfettered frenetic energy of bebop that seemed a perfect fit for the insouciant, dark-sunglasses-at-midnight spirit that was shared by the likes of Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz and other purveyors of the Cool jazz sound. Birth of the Cool was born in a series of rehearsals that began in 1947 in a small basement apartment on 55th Street: Miles was in charge, leading a crew of like-minded musicians. The musicians who popped in and out of that basement band represented the cream of the next generation of jazz modernists: Davis’ old friends George Russell and John Lewis, Lee Konitz, Kai Winding, Mike Zwerin, Al Haig, Max Roach, Gunther Schuller, Al McKibbon and many others. Some—like Mulligan and Konitz—had been in a big band led by pianist Claude Thornhill who had developed a unique sound that drew generously from 20th Century classical textures and colors. The apartment was rented by arranger Gil Evans, another Thornhill alumni, who helped give shape to the music. The nine-man group they finally settled on was a reduced version of the jazz-band-cum-orchestra-brass Thornhill model: trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, piano, bass and drums. “We wanted that sound but . . . as small as possible, “ Davis noted, adding: “I looked at the group like it was a choir . . . I wanted the instruments to sound like human voices.” Most importantly, this “composer conclave” (as Russell described it) ultimately afforded the young trumpeter the first opportunity to spread his wings as band leader and to take an initial, calculated step towards a more relaxed, reduced sound. At first, Davis was “unsure of how to be boss” recalls trombonist/writer Mike Zwerin. “He relied quite a bit on Evans to give musical instructions to the players.” But soon he had “cracked the whip” and “dominated the band completely,” according to Mulligan. In September 1948, the marquee went up at the Royal Roost – one of Manhattan’s leading jazz haunts at Broadway and 47th Street – to announce the band’s first engagement, supporting Count Basie. Their residency lasted two weeks. It played only one other gig and disbanded the next year, but not before waxing 12 recordings for Capitol Records in early 1949 and 1950. With Miles name as the leader on the record label, the music was released over the next few years as a series of influential—but not best-selling—78s. Their initial impact was relegated to jazz critics and musicians. But before the 1950’s had passed, the critical world looked upon the Birth of the Cool sessions as a musical shift of seismic proportions in jazz. One critic hailed the nonet’s music as summarizing “the whole achievement of modern jazz up to that point.” Writer Martin Williams, in an overview of all jazz achievements of the ‘50s, hailed its influence (“the effect of melodic rhythm on phrasing and on percussion”) and its role in launching an ascending star (“the promise of maturity in Davis himself, particularly in those splendid solos in ‘Move’ and ‘Israel’.”) It had been a bold effort for the young trumpeter, and one that came with a price. While planning the nonet recordings, Davis had received the call of a lifetime: the opportunity to join the Duke Ellington Orchestra, arguably the jazz world’s most established and respected outfit. Miles still recalled being blown away: “[Duke] tells me I’m in his plans for the fall [of 1948], musically speaking, and he wants me in his band. Man that knocked me right out . . . But I had to tell him that I couldn’t make it, because I was finishing up The Birth of the Cool.” (Auto., p.121) It is nothing less than astonishing to consider that even at 22, Davis had the presence of mind and sense of commitment to turn down the security and stature-raising of a seat in Duke’s band.

Walk into a random jazzclub across the globe and there's a good chance that the orchestra playing is still trying to mimic the sound and atmosphere created on Birth of the Cool. With one collection of songs, bebop was surpassed by cool jazz, and smoke-filled venues never looked back. Highlights were 'Venus de Milo', 'Godchild' and 'Boplicity', but everything was just cool as heck.

Not often a claim like this can be actually backed up, but this seems to do so. A really solid album from someone who seems to have defined and redefined jazz over and over for others to follow behind him.

It's interesting to understand that "Birth of the Cool" is a compilation and not an album per se. Comprised of songs recorded in three sessions during 1949 and early 1950, it's a record that shows the evolution of cool jazz, a style being molded on the go with different session bands full of musicians that would make history or were already doing so. Max Roach, Gerry Mulligan, Kenny Clarke, Lee Konitz and John Lewis all have great contributions on this release, showing that Miles Davis was not only a great musician, but also great at chosing his band. It's an 11 track compilation with 11 pieces of jazz history put together.

Smooth. Really enjoyed this. Godchild is the best of the album for me. I like the low bass intro.

One of his very best

Fantastic album, completely different from what I would normally listen to but enjoyed it a lot.

I feel like this is very interesting perspective, as the first Miles Davis album I (and probably most people) is Kind of Blue, which I feel like is very sonically different from this. This is quite a lot more lively in terms of percussion and much more standard (I think) in terms of song length and structure. This means that its something you can nod your head to, but it doesn't feel as interesting or experimental as his later stuff, ESPECIALLY the fusion stuff in the late 60s and early 70s, albums like in a silent way are a million miles off this. I think I heard he began to hate this era of his career, which I can see, given how sophisticated his stuff began. obviously playing and stuff is great. Might have just been because I was listening more passively but I didn't really notice his trumpet jumping out of the songs, like its does in some of the later stuff. Favourite songs: Jeru, moon dream, Venus de Milo, budo, deception, bolicity, rouge. Overall around 7/10

Dad, What is Jazz Music? Well dear, listen to this album - this is jazz. <puts on Birth of Cool> Ohhhhh, that's Jazz Music....cool Yes, dear, cool indeed! - END SCENE -

Not a big jazz guy, but this was a good listen, know there's more Miles to come on this album journey so looking forward to that

Miles Davis invented Cool Jazz, a Jazz genre that tried to be relaxed and "cool" and the way he did it, it was really cool. This album here is a compilation of many songs recorded between 1949 and 1959 and released back then on singles or EPs. But it still was an important release, 7 years later as this not only gave a whole other light on Miles Davis and his artistry but also on Cool Jazz at its rise to stardom. The songs are a mix of Cool Jazz improvs with Bebop as the pillar for these songs. And while it isn't his best album, many still see it as a classic Jazz record to this very day. The album is opened with 'Move' which isn't much Cool Jazz at all but mainly just a really groovy Bebop tune that really goes out with the energetic mood while still being nice, warm and full of mellow tones. It's a lovely first song with many great moments and improvisations and although I much prefer longer Jazz recordings, these short tunes here are still really good. This is an absolutely incredible track right off the bat. To me, 'Jeru' starts off by sounding a lot like a christmas song but I don't know why I think that. It's a pretty nice Cool Jazz song that does tune down the very energetic performance of the first track and adds a nice Hard Bop groove to it instead. It's a beautiful track and while it isn't as good as 'Move', it still has some great improvs throughout which makes it a great song in my book. 'Moon Dreams' sounds pretty similar to something you'd might hear Mingus do somewhere in "The Black Saint a.t.S.L.". Mainly because both are very influenced by the Third Stream genre which combines Jazz and elements of Classical music. And this Cool Jazz approach to it is something really relaxing and moving. Miles Davis really puts all of his soul into this song and while a couple parts do feel a little off, others really take the spotlight. It's a great song through and through. The groovy Bebop returns with 'Venus de Milo' and this time it's mixed with Miles very well performed Cool Jazz improvs. It's a lovely track and actually one of the most consistent and best working moments on the entire record. It's not perfect but really close with the only thing holding it back being a couple of other improvs from other players that aren't quite on the same level. 'Budo' is just plain Bebop and one of the three songs composed by Miles himself. This was still pretty early in his career so he obviously didn't compose one of his greatest pieces but it's still pretty solid. It is one of the weaker tracks on the album but it's still far from bad. It mainly feels unfocused and out of touch with itself and like it moves around aimlessly. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't have some really nice moments on it. The albums first half is closed with 'Deception' which is another mix of different genres but this time it doesn't really work. It is again composed by Miles himself and again, it moves around without going anywhere. This time it's actually quite "annoying" because it builds up to nothing, it is unstructured and not the "Avant-Garde" good way. It's just not that great overall. It's good but much closer to being average than great. 'Godchild' opens the albums second side and while some moments like the start do also feel pretty unstructured, it does find itself after a couple of movements and turns actually pretty solid and consistent after that. It's got some really nice moments throughout and I really like the way some parts are performed. It's an absolutely incredible track. The last song composed by Miles is 'Boplicity' which in comparison feels weak and basic. It is structured much better and it goes somewhere at least but the performances are really weak and standard. It's not bad but I think that it's not much more than a good piece with a couple of really well made moments namely the Miles solo halfway through. The more up-beat performance of 'Rocker' isn't really Rocker because it's Jazz but it's still nice to listen to. It's structured really well but some performances lack the interesting parts that would make them stick out. It's pretty standard and basic but it doesn't feel like you could pull out much more, so it's okay. A couple of Big Band influences are present on 'Israel' which again isn't that special. It has some nice moments and some good performances but as a whole it feels a little bit dull and unfinished and more like a quick session than a finished work. 'Rouge' finishes the album with another high quality song that really works within the album especially as it is the closing track. It's nice that he ended the album with a great song like this, full of beautiful moments and performances. An incredible song to finish a diverse but well made compilation with. favourites: Move, Rouge, Godchild, Venus de Milo, Moon Dreams least favourites: Deception, Rocker, Israel Rating: strong 7 to light 8 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Shorter jazz compositions when cool jazz was just emerging. This is the peak of music of the era and so I would have to give it 4 stars. However, jazz still has quite a journey to go, and Davis has yet to attain his zenith of creativity. I don't think the shorter pieces work well with the genre.

Jazz. Seems cool. Easy to listen to, I guess.

When I hear a jazz album, it might sound superficial, but I just don’t want to my hear beaten to death by high pitches of the trumpet. And this one manage to make jazz extremely enjoyable and fun while also technically brilliant. As of now one of the best if not the best jazz album I ever heard. Might be higher on based on future listens

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

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

Horny

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

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

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

Great album!

Good, enjoyed

“If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis” - my mom every time I mention Miles Davis

Ok, now this was truly Cool. A smooth set of tracks. I can get behind this Miles, and listening to this might be a better entry point than the other 2 I've had on the list so far.

I am by no means qualified nor worthy to do justice to any sort of review of this album (as if I am of any of the other albums). But here it goes. This is a compilation of 11 tracks recorded by Davis' nonet (nine musicians) over three sessions between 1949 and 1950. The music was a major development in post-bebop jazz. Bebop is 1940's jazz with a fast tempo, complex chord progressions and changes of key. There are several songs that fit maybe more into the bebop fast tempo area. On the flipside is cool jazz which is a more relaxed tempo and this album is credited with starting this cool jazz movement. A number of songs fall in this category. One of the innovative arrangements used on this album is polyphony which is two or more independent melody lines. Again, multiple examples of this throughout the album. There is a lot more history and in-depth breakdown to this album and music but the above-mentioned musical techniques are the ones I found to standout while listening. This is another album with really not a bad song to choose. The first song is "Move" and it does just that rolling along fitting maybe more in the bebop category. A good example of the polyphony with multiple melodies. "Jeru" and "Venus De Milo" are slower tempo, definitely cool jazz. "Jeru" also has a couple outstanding horn solos. I learned a lot from this album. Definitely a good album to chill to. I'm sure to get more jazz and Miles in this challenge and it'll be interesting to see the differences. I'm sure to learn more.

I need more Miles Davis in my life.

I'm a huge Miles Davis fan, and jazz of this era in general. This album came two years before Kind of Blue, and it has such a different vibe. The songs are short, and the album is short too. It doesn't have the long solos I'm used to in a Davis album. It's all about the band playing together, and not about Davis in particular. It's a very sweet and complicated at the same time. This is such a good recording too. I really loved this album, but I'm likely to give all Davis albums of this era a 5.

Canciones cortas, album corto. Cool indeed. Easy to listen to. Escuchá con Edgard.

I mean of course it’s Miles but man Joe Shulmans bass lines!

Another entry from Miles Davis that's impossible to dislike. If you think you hate this, you're sorely mistaken. Probably. It's exactly what people think of when they imagine 50s jazz, and for good reason: most, if not all, jazz music after this point was influenced by Miles Davis's output. He's such a giant in his field that it's hard to ignore the sway and talent weaved between the lighthearted, upbeat lines. And speaking of melodic lines, these ones are rock-solid. Davis's 50s work showcases heavy inspiration from the earlier bebop movement, with Donna Lee-esque lines being thrown around the streets of St. Louis. Boplicity is the clearest example of melodic inspiration being taken from bebop, and it's a darn good standard. (I should know. I played it in a band. It was good.) 4/5 Key tracks: Move, Jeru, Boplicity

Jazz doesn’t need to be saved we just need this on the radio waves.

This one has such an amazing vibe to it. A warm, relaxed, subdued vibe. I am grateful for the generator expanding my taste and contributing to my appreciation of jazz, prior to the generator, I thought I didn't like jazz except jazz rap. Getting exposed to other genres - that I don't listen too much of -classics (prefered genre is punk and punk-adjacent, but still like nearly every genre) is wonderful. My favourite part of the album is the manic drums in "Move" it's not that the album peaked at the first song or anything, the album in fact had a good consistent high, no considerable dips in quality throughout. Highlight Song/s: "Move", "Venus De Milo" and "Godchild"

Before I heard this album I was a complete dorkus malorkus. Now, upon hearing it for the first time, I am driving through midtown Manhatten at midnight in a Lincoln Continental, shades on. I'm wearing a pinstripe suit, I have a martini in my hand and a knockout dame on my lap.

Very early Davis, that sounds like jazz to me. I definitely don't know enough about the period to understand how it differs. Sound pretty cool for music recorded in 1949! 4 Heard before? No Owned: No: 39/153 (24%) Will I get? Probably not

I have high hopes for this album but also not neccasarily a jazz fan but know the legend of miles Davis. Right off the bat I get it with “move”. Incredible trumpet player. Sax is incredible too. Wish it was longer. I like Jeru a lot too. It hard to give good analysis because I don’t really know what I’m listening for, but it is audibly pleasing/uplifting while have no words. I didn’t want Jeru to end. Moons dreams is just a little too slow for me. I like how it builds up as the song goes. Venus de Milo is awesome. Can’t help but nod along. And then into budo. I’m getting the hype. Deception is fine, not the best on the album. Godchild is just fine as well. Back on track with boplicity. Great music. And it just keeps getting better as it goes. What a fun song. Rocket and Israel were both fun too, but middle of the pack as far as song rankings. Rouge is really fun, and a great way to close out. It’s a very fun 33 minutes. Will listen again. 4 stars.

This is an instrumental jazz album with a mellow feel to it. The instrumentation is impeccable and evocative, as you would expect from a classic jazz album. It is more focused on a groove than some solo-filled albums such as Head Hunters. I didn't think it was the best jazz the list has given me(it's hard to top A Love Supreme) but it's still good nonetheless.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saw Miles Davis live during his Bitches Brew album tour In 1970 at the Filmore West In San Francisco opening for the Grateful Dead we were tripping and they took us to another planet musically and the Dead spent his whole set leaning on the back of the amps completely mesmerized While not Bitches Brew still it’s Miles Davis so a solid 4 for me

Miles the man you are. Again, I'm not super keen when it comes to jazz and blues, but I do enjoy it, especially if it's miles. It's simple (in the best way possible) and pure yet so different and surprises you randomly during each piece, with a note you wouldn't expect but fits perfectly, or a rhythm variation. I think it's best for me to listen to these separately, letting some time pass by, so I can enjoy it and savour it better without letting the all album feel repetitive. Makes me feel like I'm in an old black and white film or a noir crime scene or something.

I think another commenter summed this up good for me. "Jazz melts in to the bakground and disapears, to me. I reallice that this is god jazz, but i cant rember anything from listening to this record." Ignore his god awful english. His point is good, I think it's good background music, and realise the mastership and that this was the birth of cool jazz. But would only put this on if I was cooking a 5 star meal.

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

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

Although I enjoyed the music, there were times where I didn't even realize it was playing; it sounded like it blended into everyday life. Upon reflection, it struck me as quite generic, for it to be so unnoticeable.

No. 86/1001 Move 3/5 Jeru 3/5 Moon Dream 3/5 Venus De Milo 4/5 Budo 3/5 Deception 3/5 Godchild 3/5 Boplicity 4/5 Rocker 4/5 Israel 3/5 Rogue 3/5 Average: 3,27 Good jazz album, not my favorite from Mr. Davis.

More enjoyable than Bitches Brew, less exciting than Kind of Blue.

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

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

Probably the least remarkable Miles Davis we have listened to on this list so far. 2/5

What a talent. Imagine being able to play that much trumpet while smacked out of your eyeballs? It should be a lesson to all these namby pamby modern rock'n' rollers, get off the 'gram and get on the smack.

I recognise Miles Davis as an incredible musician but with each track on this album I think of one of three things: 1. Coronation Street has just started. 2. Coronation Street has just ended. 3. Something has fallen down the stairs. I’ll go out of my way to avoid listening to this again…and watching Coronation Street

Fantastic

i enjoyed this greatly

I want to live in a world where this is the epidemy of cool.

Masterpiece

I mean, this is just an objectively incredible jazz album, and I’m never going to be able to write anything that hasn’t already been said about it. I will say that naming it “Birth of the Cool” and it being one of the best jazz albums of all time is truly the musical equivalent of Babe Ruth calling his shot.

Smooth and cool jazz, excellent for relaxing and working.

This is the very finest of all music. There are no words to describe how much this music makes me feel good. Miles Davies was a genius. And his music will last forever, which is very cool.

What a great period of his output. Short, sweet, and to the point.

Album #28: Birth of the Cool - Miles Davis Genre (W): Cool jazz No singles. I have listened to this album several times. Thoughts: This is one of my favorite albums because of the compositions and the sound! I love jazz music a lot, for instrumentals and production. Plus, the compositions usually call for a lot of technical ability. Favorite songs: All of it!!

It's jazz, pretty much always a 5 from me.

Прекрасный альбом от Майлза. Отличные соло, которые прекрасно ложиться на удивительный инструментал.

This is classic Jazz and it's Miles Davis. It's gorgeous, it's designed for passive or critical listening. It's not my genre, but it's something I've been leaning more towards as I'm getting older, I don't know why, but the music speaks to me a little more.

One of the best to ever play

Śnieg padał jak szedłem rano do pracy puszysty sypki lśniący błyszczący

First time actually listening to Miles Davis. Loved every minute of it!

I remain a jazz ignoramus but lovely to participate in one of the greats (hw)

Classic of the highest order.

Very early Miles before he became angry and isolating. Always amazing music.

What’s cooler than being cool? Miles Davis.