Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, 1959 album
It's difficult to approach an artist like Miles Davis and an album of this historical and cultural magnitude without being banal or showing inexperience, and that's why, despite the multitude of listens to this record and his other masterpieces, I haven't done it until now. However, it's also true that its absence is a huge gap in a blog that aims to deal with “progressive rock in all its forms.”
In fact, even though Kind of Blue is not a purely progressive album, it is associated with the genre due to its revolutionary nature, unconventional structure, intellectual approach, and immersive atmospheres that link it to prog, anticipating jazz-rock.
This album marks the beginning of something immense in progressive rock, with Miles Davis integrating perfectly into the progressive world during his “electric period” (late '60s - mid '70s). In the following albums, the jazz structure dissolves to make way for long psychedelic suites and rock rhythms. Bitches Brew (1970), the “Big Bang” of jazz-rock, is a double album composed of long collective improvisations, analog studio editing, and dark atmospheres. It is considered a masterpiece of progressive jazz for its monumental complexity. In a Silent Way (1969), perhaps the first ambient-prog record, is a hypnotic, almost circular work that deeply influenced bands like the Pink Floyd and Can.
Kind of Blue is the undisputed masterpiece of jazz and the best-selling album of the genre. Introducing modal jazz, the album creates a relaxed, melancholic, and “blue” atmosphere, making it an accessible yet profound cornerstone.
It is an unmissable record for every music lover, thanks to its legendary sextet:
Miles Davis on trumpet. Raised in bebop with Charlie Parker, this leader and visionary revolutionized jazz several times, moving from cool jazz to modal jazz and finally to fusion.
John Coltrane on tenor sax. After this experience, he became a force of nature, a spiritual leader of avant-garde jazz and free jazz, pushing the instrument to extreme technical limits with his power and harmonic exploration.
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on alto sax. With his blues and swing sound, he brought the group a warmth and a more traditional sense of “swing” compared to Coltrane, thanks to the influence of blues and gospel.
Bill Evans on piano. The harmonic architect, introspective and cultured, brought influences from European classical music (Debussy, Ravel), fundamental in defining the album’s ethereal atmosphere, and which were crucial for the introspective and modal aesthetic.
Paul Chambers on double bass. The steady heartbeat, the rhythmic pillar, was the most sought-after bassist of the time despite his young age. His impeccable timing and ability to transform the double bass into a melodic solo instrument set him apart from all others.
Jimmy Cobb on drums. With his discreet yet pulsating accompaniment, he was the last survivor of the original lineup, a musician with a delicate and elegant touch.
Wynton Kelly on piano. The blues pianist, called by Davis to replace Evans on the track “Freddie Freeloader”, stands out for his joyful style and incredible sense of rhythm.
This album is not just a record, but a true milestone of 20th-century music and the manifesto of modal jazz. It marks the definitive break from the frenetic structures of bebop, embracing an approach based on scales (modes) instead of rigid chord sequences. This allowed musicians unprecedented melodic freedom, creating a contemplative, almost hypnotic atmosphere.
Davis provided the musicians with only rough sketches a few hours before recording, relying entirely on pure improvisation. Despite its theoretical complexity, the album is famous for its melodic beauty and fluidity, making it the perfect entry point for anyone wanting to approach jazz.
Recorded in just two sessions (March and April 1959), almost all the tracks were captured on the “first take” to preserve the freshness of the momentary inspiration.
“So What”, introduced by double bass and piano, explodes into an iconic Dorian theme. The two-chord structure offers melodic freedom to the soloists, with Davis’s solo as an example of subtraction and elegance.
“Freddie Freeloader”, the album’s only traditional 12-bar blues track, features a rhythmic and joyful touch thanks to Wynton Kelly on piano.
“Blue in Green” is a melancholic ballad, characterized by a “liquid” tempo and the absence of sax, creating a nocturnal intimacy.
“All Blues” is a 6/8 blues with a hypnotic feel. The sextet works as a single organism, with the sax riff and the chromatic variations of the soloists.
“Flamenco Sketches”, without a fixed melody, explores modal experimentation through improvisation on five different scales.
Kind of Blue is a fundamental record, not only for jazz, but for Western culture in general. It freed musicians from the complexity of bebop chords, introducing modal jazz and shifting the focus to melody and space. This allowed for longer and more meditative improvisations. The album taught the value of simplicity, influencing genres such as psychedelic rock, ambient, and minimalism.
It was a turning point for the musicians involved, launching John Coltrane towards his spiritual phase and consecrating Bill Evans’s cultured aesthetic.
With over 5 million copies sold in the USA alone, it is the best-selling jazz record ever and appears on every list of the “greatest albums of all time” for its accessibility and complexity. Recorded almost entirely in an improvised and “first take” manner, it set a new standard for the purity of studio recording.
An album that had such a profound impact that it crossed the boundaries of jazz, influencing rock, pop, and electronic artists.
Richard Wright and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd have cited it as a key influence, with the use of space and the expansive atmospheres of tracks like “Breathe” and “Us and Them” deriving from Davis’s modal lesson.
Duane Allman, guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band, modeled his solos, especially in “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”, on the style of Davis and Coltrane on this record, seeking to emulate their melodic fluidity.
Quincy Jones, producer of Michael Jackson, called Kind of Blue his “number one influence”, listening to it daily for decades to understand how to balance simplicity and sonic depth.
Radiohead, during the OK Computer sessions, tried to capture the same “atmosphere of space and melancholy” present in the album.
Brian Eno, pioneer of ambient music, drew inspiration from the contemplative and non-invasive nature of the record to develop his soundscapes.
Finally, Lana Del Rey has cited Davis’s “mood” as a reference point for her more jazz-pop and dreamy productions.
Essential Album
My Version
Label: Not Now Music – NOT2LP145, Not Now Music – NOTLP145
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, Mono, 180 gram, Gatefold
Country: Europe
Released: 2011
Tracklist
Mono version
A1 - So What 9:16
A2 - Freddie Freeloader 9:43
A3 - Blue In Green 5:33
B1 - All Blues 11:31
B2 - Flamenco Sketches 9:24
Stereo version
C1 - So What 9:26
C2 - Freddie Freeloader 9:49
C3 - Blue In Green 5:39
D1 - All Blues 11:36
D2 - Flamenco Sketches 9:28
LineUp
Miles Davis: Trumpet
John Coltrane: Tenor sax
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley: Alto sax
Bill Evans: Piano
Paul Chambers: Double bass
Jimmy Cobb: Drums
Wynton Kelly: Piano (only on "Freddie Freeloader")
Link for listening:
Kind of Blue by Miles Davis in Digital Streaming (Audio)
Spotify: Kind of Blue - Album
YouTube Music: Kind of Blue (Full Album)
Apple Music: Kind of Blue (Legacy Edition)
Amazon Music: Kind of Blue - Album
Deezer: Kind of Blue - Album
Qobuz (Hi-Res): Kind of Blue - Album
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists"
