Kind Of Blue [Remastered] - Miles Davis > Reviews > Cool jazz at its pinnacle

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
Value for Money

Advantages:	Outstanding music from outstanding musicians
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

In Kind of Blue, Miles Davis created a timeless album which epitomised the period of 'cool jazz' between bebop and fusion. The personnel list is impressive - Cannonball Adderly on alto and Coltrane on tenor were also in extremely productive periods at the time, and their solos on Kind of Blue, especially the two alternate Flamenco Sketches takes, are great examples of their styles, which both contrast and complement the other's. Although "So What" is remembered as the highlight of the album by most, I think Freddie Freeloader and Blue in Green are the outstanding tracks. The decision to use his new pianist Wynton Kelly instead of Bill Evans on Freddie Freeloader was inspired - Kelly's solo is sublime. This wasn't my introduction to jazz, but it was the album which sold the genre to me. Miles, forever the innovator, later said he couldn't stand to listen to Kind of Blue (just as he couldn't listen to any of his old works), complaining that it was "too slow" and that he sounded like he was playing underwater. For the rest of us, Kind of Blue remains one of the most listenable jazz albums ever.