fuche_bu's Full Review: Kind of Blue [Remaster] by Miles Davis
When I first began to explore jazz music, one of the first musicians I discovered was Miles Davis. This was partly owed to his documented affection for the music of Hendrix. It gave him name notoriety for a rock fan like myself. I was first blown away by B!tches Brew and In a Silent Way. Then I worked my way back to this one: Kind of Blue. Finding this disc led to this giant of jazz becoming a staple in my everyday musical diet.
This is one of the finest recordings ever made both musically and sonically. Originally released in 1959, it remains vital over four decades later. Many jazz buffs view this as the zenith of Miles career. It is an extraordinary document of musical history. One music magazine cited this as the most sonically perfect album ever recorded given technology available for the era.
The concept behind this album was for the soloists to work out on a scale or a set of scales instead of chords. Bill Evans in the liner notes likened Miles Davis music to a Japanese visual art that forced the artist to be spontaneous. That was part of the agenda for Miles when he developed this concept. This modal style was an ingenious concept that required great musicians. That didn't prove to be a problem as Miles was always surrounded by great musicians who enabled him to execute his visions. These sessions were no exception.
The sextet for this album was Miles on trumpet, Julian 'Cannonball' Adderly on alto sax, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Bill Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and James Cobb on drums. Wyn Kelly provided the piano on Freddie Freeloader.
So What opens the set with a bang. This is now a jazz standard that continues to inspire young players. So What works out of a simple melody which allows the players to easily work in their solos. It's nine minutes long so even then Miles had an affection for allowing his bandmates to play. Coltrane and Adderly are stellar in their contributions to this track.
Freddie Freeloader; keeps the ball rolling in fine style. Miles playing achieves a piercing precision here. This song also has a great swing to it. This may be the finest jazz sextet in history. Wyn Kelly does not miss a beat here. I love the simplicity of the track. The soloing also attains amazing levels.
The remaining three tracks continue with great verve. Blue in Green is a lovely ballad. Miles always had the ability to play beautiful music when he chose. His playing here is downright pretty. All Blue and Flamenco Sketches are both blues numbers. They show Miles had an ability to tackle the blues. They both work out of a slow melody and allow the musicians to take solos along the way. Bill Evans especially shines on these blues numbers. Those with the re-mastered version get a bonus alternate take on Flamenco Sketches.
This spontaneous jazz became a landmark. Coltrane and Adderly provide a remarkable impetus to scaling new heights. They sustain the mood with great skill. Paul Chambers and James Cobb lend a splendid rhythm backdrop to the music. The playing of Bill Evans also deserves special note here. His playing and personality seemed to push Miles to another level.
Miles, who continually changed his setting and sound throughout his career, reached a phoenix on this album. It is unbelievable how good this is considering that Miles conceived the pieces only hours before each session. The other musicians never saw the music before they played it in the studio. The end result is a masterful set of jazz. It represents all that is great about this music form.
This is a CD that I absolutely recommend for anyone interested in jazz. It is an essential. It will appeal to fans of other styles who would like to branch out into jazz. For all the brilliance of this set the songs themselves are worked out of very simple structures. Miles Davis was one of the most significant musicians of the 20th Century. This one is one of his finest moments.
track listing:
1. So What
2. Freddie Freeloader
3. Blue In Green
4. All Blues
5. Flamenco Sketches
6. Flamenco Sketches (alternate take)
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![Kind of Blue [Remaster] by Miles Davis](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/af/bf/a1/2001976762-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.