EPT![[image loading]](http://realfresh.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/miles-davis-kind-of-blue-3607331.jpg)
What can be said about Kind of Blue. This is an amazing album. It isn't the bestselling jazz album for no reason(it just recently sold its 4 millionth copy). The musicianship in this is incredible. From John Coltrane's intense tenor licks, to Miles' extremely cool trumpet lines, the musicianship is just top-notch. Also the fact that every song except for "Flamenco Sketches" is an unedited first take makes it just like a real gig.
The album opens up with "So What," one of the most influential modal tunes of all time. I won't go into details, but modal jazz is basically the complete opposite of bebop, with few or no chord changes throughout the entire tune, meaning the soloists stay in one "mode"(jazz lingo for scale), letting them explore that mode more instead of having to focus on fast chord changes.
It then changes gears to "Freddie Freeloader," a medium blues tune. Miles plays this one brilliantly, it is a perfect fit for his cool tone and soloing style. This is the most normal track on the album, from there it just gets weirder and weirder. "Blue in Green" is a ballad featuring a 10-measure head, and "All Blues" is a standard 12-bar blues like "Freddie Freeloader," but in 6/8 time(as opposed to 4/4). The album then wraps up with "Flamenco Sketches," another ballad, which is modal, like "So What," except that instead of having a 32-bar head like "So What" does, the soloist goes through a series of 5 scales, changing to the next scale whenever he feels like it.
Overall, the musicianship on this record is just outstanding. The very unorthodox and expiremental writing style typical of Miles Davis really forces great new ideas out of the group. It truly is the greatest Jazz album of all time.
Rating: 2 thumbs up for being completely awesome.
Recommended for: Anyone, this is the best example of how awesome jazz is.
Not recommended for: The deceased.
