Kind of Blue
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| Kind of Blue | |||||
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| Studio album by Miles Davis | |||||
| Released | August 17, 1959 | ||||
| Recorded | March 2, 1959 and April 22, 1959 |
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| Genre | Jazz | ||||
| Length | 45:44 | ||||
| Label | Columbia CL-1355 |
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| Producer | Irving Townsend | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
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| Miles Davis chronology | |||||
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Kind of Blue is a jazz album by musician Miles Davis, released August 17, 1959, on Columbia Records, in both mono and stereo, CL1355 and CS8163. Recording sessions took place at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in March and April of 1959.
As of January 16, 2002, it has been certified triple platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America.[3] Though precise figures have been disputed, Kind of Blue has been cited as Davis' best-selling album, and as the best-selling jazz record of all time. It is also regarded by many as the greatest jazz album of all time and ranks at or near the top of many "best album" lists in disparate genres.[4][5][6][7][8] In 2002, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. [9]
As noted by Bill Evans in his liner notes for the original 1959 LP release, "Miles conceived these settings only hours before the recording dates."[10] Evans gives a general introduction as to the modes used in each composition on the album. "So What" consists of a mode based on two scales: sixteen measures of the first, followed by eight measures of the second, and then eight again of the first. "Freddie Freeloader" is a standard twelve bar blues form. "Blue in Green" consists of a ten-measure cycle following a short four-measure introduction. "All Blues" is a twelve bar blues form in 6/8 time. "Flamenco Sketches" consists of five scales, each to be played "as long as the soloist wishes until he has completed the series".[10]
All compositions were listed as being written by Davis, but many scholars and fans believe that Bill Evans wrote part or the whole of "Blue in Green" and "Flamenco Sketches".[citation needed] Bill Evans himself assumed co-credit, with Davis, for "Blue in Green" when recording it on his Portrait in Jazz album, his authorship acknowledged by the Davis estate in 2002.[citation needed] This appropriation of publishing by the bandleader was far from an unknown occurrence in the jazz world, Davis having been on the receiving end of such practice himself; while employed as a sideman in Charlie Parker's quintet in the late 1940s, Parker took credit for the Davis-penned tune "Donna Lee"[11], which later became a popular jazz standard. Additionally, the introduction to "So What", attributed to Gil Evans, is actually very closely based on the opening measures of Claude Debussy's Voiles, the second prelude from his first collection of preludes.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Sessions
| It must have been made in heaven. Jimmy Cobb |
The album was recorded in two sessions, on March 2 for the tracks "So What", "Freddie Freeloader", and "Blue in Green", composing side one of the original LP, and April 22 for the tracks "All Blues", "Flamenco Sketches", making up side two. As was Davis' penchant, he called for almost no rehearsal and the musicians had little idea what they were to record; as described in the original liner notes by Evans, the band had only sketches of scales and melody lines to go on. Once the musicians were assembled, Davis gave brief instructions for each piece, then set to taping. While the results are impressive with so little preparation, the persistent legend of the entire album being recorded in one pass is untrue. Only "Flamenco Sketches" yielded a complete take on the first try, that take not the master but issued in 1997 as a bonus track. The five master takes issued, however, were the only other complete takes; an insert for the ending to "Freddie Freeloader" was recorded, but never used.[12]
Kelly may not have been happy to see the man he replaced back in his old seat. Perhaps to assuage the pianist's feelings, and also to take advantage of Kelly's superior skills as both bluesman and accompanist, Davis had Kelly play instead of Evans on the album's most blues-oriented number, "Freddie Freeloader".
The live album Miles Davis at Newport documents this band. However, the recording, from the Newport Jazz Festival on July 3, 1958, reflects the band in its hard bop conception, the presence of a Bill Evans only six weeks into his brief tenure in the Davis band notwithstanding, rather than the modal approach of Kind of Blue.[13]
[edit] Reception and influence
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This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (January 2008) |
Kind of Blue is not only regarded as one of Davis's masterworks, but one of the most influential albums in the history of jazz. One reviewer has called it "a record generally considered as the definitive jazz album, a universally acknowledged standard of excellence."[14] Several of the songs from the album have become jazz standards. It is consistently ranked among the greatest albums of all time.
In 1958, however, the arrival of Ornette Coleman on the jazz scene via his fall residency at the Five Spot club, consolidated by the release of his The Shape of Jazz to Come LP the same year, muted the impact of Kind of Blue, a happenstance that irritated Davis to no end. Though Davis and Coleman both offered alternatives to the rigid rules of bebop, Davis would never reconcile himself to Coleman's free jazz innovations, although he would incorporate musicians amenable to Coleman's ideas with his great quintet of the mid-1960s, and offer his own version of "free" playing with his jazz fusion outfits in the 1970s.
The influence of the album did build, and all of the sidemen from the album would achieve success on their own. Evans formed his influential jazz trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian; "Cannonball" Adderley would front his popular bands with his brother Nat; Kelly, Chambers, and Cobb would continue as a touring unit, recording under Kelly's name as well as in support of Coltrane and Wes Montgomery, among others; Coltrane would go on to become one of the most revered and innovative jazz musicians in history. Even more than Davis, Coltrane took the modal approach and ran with it during his brief career as a leader in the 1960s, leavening his music with Coleman's ideas as the decade progressed.
In his book, Kind of Blue: The Making of a Miles Davis Masterpiece, author Ashley Kahn wrote that "still acknowledged as the height of hip, four decades after it was recorded, Kind of Blue is the premier album of its era, jazz or otherwise. Its vapory piano introduction is universally recognized" [15]. Producer Quincy Jones, one of Davis' longtime friends, wrote: "That [Kind of Blue] will always be my music, man. I play Kind of Blue every day — it's my orange juice. It still sounds like it was made yesterday"[16]. Pianist Chick Corea, one of Miles' acolytes, was also struck by its majesty. He said: "It's one thing to just play a tune, or play a program of music, but it's another thing to practically create a new language of music, which is what Kind of Blue did" [17].
One significant aspect of Kind of Blue is that the entire record, not just one track, was revolutionary. Gary Burton noted this occurrence. "It wasn’t just one tune that was a breakthrough, it was the whole record. When new jazz styles come along, the first few attempts to do it are usually kind of shaky. Early Charlie Parker records were like this. But with Kind of Blue [the sextet] all sound like they’re fully into it"[18]
The album's influence reaches beyond jazz. Many improvisatory rock musicians of the 1960s name-checked this album, along with other Davis albums, or Coltrane's modal records like My Favorite Things or A Love Supreme. Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright has said that the chord progressions on Kind of Blue influenced the structure of the introductory chords of their song "Breathe" on the landmark 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon.
Along with The Dave Brubeck Quartet's Time Out (1959), Kind of Blue is often recommended as an introductory jazz album, for similar reasons: the music on both records is very melodic, and the relaxed quality of the songs makes the improvisation easy for listeners to follow, without sacrificing artistry or experimentation.
The album has sold over 3,000,000 copies.
[edit] Release history
Kind of Blue was originally released as a 12-inch vinyl record, in both stereo and mono. There have been several reissues of Kind of Blue, including additional printings throughout the vinyl era. On some editions, the label switched the order for the two tracks on side two, "All Blues" and "Flamenco Sketches". The record has been remastered many times during the compact disc era, notably the 1992 remastering that corrected the speed for side one, which had been issued slightly off-pitch originally, and the 1997 that added the alternate take of "Flamenco Sketches". All releases after the 1997 include the alternate take and are speed-corrected. In 2005, a DualDisc release included the original album, a digital remastering in 5.1 Surround Sound and LPCM Stereo, and a twenty-five-minute documentary Made in Heaven about the making and influence of Kind of Blue.
- August 17, 1959 – Columbia CS 8163, original stereo vinyl LP
- August 17, 1959 – Columbia CL 1355, original mono vinyl LP
- 1984 – Columbia CK 8163, original compact disc issue
- 1987 – Columbia Jazz Masterpiece CK 40579, compact disc, digitally remastered from original master tapes
- December 8, 1992 – Columbia CK 64403, Mastersound Gold CD, super-bit mapping, corrected speed
- 1997 - Double LP Gatefold edition from Classic Records included two side ones at original and corrected speed and a 45RPM alternate take of Flamenco Sketches
- March 25, 1997 – Columbia CK 64935, compact disc, 20-bit remastering, adds alternate track, corrected speed
- August 21, 2001 – Columbia CS 64935, SACD, corrected speed
- December 2001 – Classic Records CS8163QP, Quiex SV-P 200 gram vinyl, corrected speed, original tracks
- February 8, 2005 – Columbia CN 90887, DualDisc, 20-bit remastered standard compact disc side, 5.1 AC3 Surround Sound, LPCM Stereo side, corrected speed
The album was also released on many other formats many of which are only to be found second hand.
- As a Two Track open reel tape by which Freddie Freeloader and Sketches Of Spain are omitted to keep cost down. This release was discontinued after approximately 4-6 months on the market and remains rare. Sonically most often better than the 4-Track counterpart that replaced it. The reports that the Two-Track version was the only one to be issued at correct speed for the tracks off the first album side are false. None issued at the correct speed.
- As a 4-Track open reel tape as the complete 5 track album. This release replaced the Two-Track release and remained in the Columbia catalog for a few years. Some tracks are available on other reel tapes issued current at the time of or following the original release of the album, as by Various Artists. None issued at the correct speed.
- As a Philips Compact Cassette. Both as the original album prior to the Jazz Masterpiece remaster, and as the 1987 Jazz Masterpiece remaster. Common and not so desired by collectors except for completists. Neither are at the correct speed.
- As a MiniDisc. Only as the master prior to 1997, but not as the Jazz Masterpiece remaster. This was unavailable by the end of the 90s when production of prerecorded MiniDiscs had ceased. Sonically pleasing there is an analog warmth to many of the ATRAC encodings, but the format was never widely adopted by the consumer segment. It is rare over magnetic tapes and requires dedicated hardware to use. For completists. None issued at the correct speed.
The album was not released on the following formats:
- 8-Track cartridge. Though some of the tracks are available on 8-Track on the Greatest Hits album.
- 4-Track cartridge.
- Quadraphonic formats, neither vinyl nor tape. None of the albums tracks feature on any Quadraphonic demo record and tapesŐДѓЃ.
An album entitled "The Making of Kind of Blue" features 73 minutes of the album's recording sessions, including false starts and unfinished takes.[1]
[edit] Track listing
Only six full takes of the five tunes on the album exist, indicated by the song numbers.
[edit] Side one
| Track | Recorded | Song Number | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 3/2/59 | CO 62291-4 | So What | Miles Davis | 9:22 |
| 2. | 3/2/59 | CO 62290-4 | Freddie Freeloader | Miles Davis | 9:46 |
| 3. | 3/2/59 | CO 62292-5 | Blue in Green | Miles Davis and Bill Evans | 5:37 |
[edit] Side two
| Track | Recorded | Song Number | Song Title | Writer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 4/22/59 | CO 62294-2 | All Blues | Miles Davis | 11:33 |
| 2. | 4/22/59 | CO 62293-6 | Flamenco Sketches | Miles Davis | 9:26 |
[edit] 1997 reissue bonus track
| Track | Recorded | Song Number | Song Title | Writer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 4/22/59 | CO 62293-1 | Flamenco Sketches | Miles Davis | 9:32 |
[edit] Personnel
- Miles Davis – trumpet, leader
- Julian "Cannonball" Adderley – alto saxophone, does not play on "Blue in Green"
- John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
- Wynton Kelly – piano, only on "Freddie Freeloader"
- Bill Evans – piano on all except "Freddie Freeloader," liner notes
- Paul Chambers – bass
- Jimmy Cobb – drums
[edit] Additional personnel
- Irving Townsend – original recording producer
- Fred Plaut – recording engineer
- Michael Cuscuna – reissue producer
- Mark Wilder – remix engineer
- Gil Evans - arranger
[edit] Charts
Billboard Music Charts (North America) – album
- 1977: Jazz Albums – 37
- 1987: Top Jazz Albums – 10
- 2001: Top Internet Albums – 14
[edit] Certifications
| Country | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum [19] | 70,000+ |
| UK | Gold [20] | 100,000+ |
| U.S. | 3x Platinum [21] | 3,000,000+ |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.counterpoint-music.com/5star.html Penguin Guide To Jazz©: "Five Star" Recordings - One of the most authoritative and comprehensive compilations of reviewed jazz recordings....
- ^ http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1088519/a/Kind+Of+Blue.htm Kind of Blue CD product notes at CDUniverse.com
- ^ RIAA database search item Kind of Blue, retrieved 16 June 2006.
- ^ The All-TIME 100 Albums.
- ^ The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
- ^ Rateyourmusic's 'Top Albums of All-Time'.
- ^ Q magazine (4/99, p.129), included it in Q's list of "The Best Jazz Albums of All Time."
- ^ Vibe magazine (12/99, p.158), included it in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century.
- ^ http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/nrpb-masterlist.html.</ref.>
[edit] Conception
By late 1958, Davis employed one of the best and most profitable working bands pursuing the hard bop style; his personnel stabilized to alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianists Wynton Kelly and Bill Evans, long-serving bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb. His band played a mixture of pop standards and bebop originals by the likes of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Tadd Dameron; as with all bebop-based jazz, Davis's groups improvised on the chord changes of a given song.
However, Davis was one of many jazz musicians growing dissatisfied with bebop, seeing its increasingly complex chord changes as hindering creativity. In 1953, pianist George Russell published his Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, which offered an alternative to the practice of improvisation based on chords. Abandoning the traditional major and minor key relationships of Western music, Russell developed a new formulation using scales or a series of scales for improvisations; this approach came to be known as modal in jazz.
Influenced by Russell's ideas, Davis implemented his first modal composition with the title track of his 1958 album Milestones and his first sessions with Bill Evans, the '58 Sessions. Satisfied with the results, Davis now prepared an entire album based on modality. Pianist Bill Evans, who had studied with Russell but recently departed from the Davis band to pursue his own career, was successfully drafted in to the new recording project — the sessions that would become Kind of Blue.
[edit] Composition
The entire album was composed as a series modal sketches, in which each performer was given a set of scales that defined the parameters of their improvisation. This was in contrast to more typical means of composing, such as providing musicians with a complete score or, as was more common for improvisational jazz, providing the musicians with a chord progression or series of harmonies. Modal jazz of this type was not unique to this album. Davis himself had previously used the same method on his album Milestones, and the method had been developed in 1953 by noted jazz music theorist George Russell. Davis saw Russell's methods of composition as a means of getting away from the dense chord-laden compositions of his time, which Davis had labeled "thick". Modal composition, with its reliance on scales and modes, represented "a return to melody."<ref>{{citation | last = Palmer | first = Robert | author-link = Robert Palmer (author/producer) | contribution = Liner Notes to 1997 Reissue | title = Kind of Blue (CD) | publisher = Sony Music Entertainment, Inc./Columbia Records | place = New York, NY |date=1997}}</li> <li id="cite_note-1959notes-9">^ [[#cite_ref-1959notes_9-0|<sup>'''''a'''''</sup>]] [[#cite_ref-1959notes_9-1|<sup>'''''b'''''</sup>]] {{citation | last = Evans | first = Bill | author-link = Bill Evans | contribution = Liner Notes to 1959 LP, reprinted in 1997 CD reissue | title = Kind of Blue (CD) | publisher = Sony Music Entertainment, Inc./Columbia Records | place = New York, NY |date=1997}}</li> <li id="cite_note-10">'''[[#cite_ref-10|^]]''' Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe, "Miles: The Autobiography," Simon and Schuster, 2001, 103-104.</li> <li id="cite_note-11">'''[[#cite_ref-11|^]]''' Khan, Ashley. ''Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece''. New York: Da Capo Press, 2000; p. 111; take information chapters 3 & 4.</li> <li id="cite_note-12">'''[[#cite_ref-12|^]]''' Blumenthal, Bob. Liner Notes, ''Miles Davis at Newport 1958''; Columbia/Legacy CK85202, 2001, p.4.</li> <li id="cite_note-13">'''[[#cite_ref-13|^]]''' [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hx68mpnd9f8o~T1 allmusic ((( Kind of Blue > Review )))<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li> <li id="cite_note-14">'''[[#cite_ref-14|^]]''' Kahn, 19</li> <li id="cite_note-15">'''[[#cite_ref-15|^]]''' Kahn, 19.</li> <li id="cite_note-16">'''[[#cite_ref-16|^]]''' Kahn,16.</li> <li id="cite_note-17">'''[[#cite_ref-17|^]]''' Kahn, 179.</li> <li id="cite_note-18">'''[[#cite_ref-18|^]]''' [http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-2003.htm ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2003 Albums<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li> <li id="cite_note-19">'''[[#cite_ref-19|^]]''' [http://www.bpi.co.uk The Bpi<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li>
<li id="cite_note-20">'''[[#cite_ref-20|^]]''' http://ww.riaa.com</li></ol></ref>
- Ashley Kahn (2001). Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, foreword by Jimmy Cobb, Da Capo Press, USA. ISBN 0-306-81067-0.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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