20. Kind of Blue Miles Davis
Oh my.
This album to Jazz is what the Beatles “Revolver” album was to rock/pop music.
Recorded in only 2 sessions in 1959, the musicians (Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Jimmy Cobb and Paul Chambers) didn’t have much in the way of preparation for the session. Miles let them in on what they were doing when they showed up to the studio.
The tension, inquisitiveness, and overall mood of “Kind of Blue” is unlike anything else that seems to exist on recorded media. If pensive was a sound, it would be “Kind Of Blue”.
Jazz musicians have been trying to recreate KOB for 50 years.
My favorite moment on KOB is the piano solo by Wynton Kelly on “Freddie”. There is something incredibly special about that moment in time.
Also recorded in 1959 was my other Jazz favorite, Dave Brubek’s “Time Out”.
It sounds nothing like KOB, of course. It’s very playful, and often bombastic! I was going to write a bit about “time out”, but it’s been written about too much.
Together, these two albums really taught me what jazz is supposed to be… beautiful, thoughtful, moody, playful art.
