Kind of Blue

Interestingly my favorite bits of this are the saxophones which would explain why I prefer Coltrane over Miles if I am listening to jazz.

Incredible musicianship is what garners this a 3 for me, would be higher if I were a Jazz Guy, but I'm not.

A great album for a great day

Haven't I already had this album? Eh, not for me.

Wow, back-to-back Miles Davis, what a treat! This album was much shorter but still very solid. I'd recommend it. It gives strong charlie Brown jazz vibes.

Що тут ще можна поставити окрім 5? Ви тільки подивіться на склад музикантів на цьому альбомі.

What an album! I am having a horrible day so this is a great treat. A superb jazz album , really a masterpiece. I have no idea how can anyone think this is bad??! 500 stars for this one, also what a legendary lineup here!

If you’re listening to jazz it may as well be this

I kind of hate AI but it is good for some things. I now understand that cool jazz and modal jazz is the sweet spot for me.

Jazz sub genres as LEGO (according to AI)

Swing is like building from one LEGO set with clear instructions, placing each brick in a regular rhythm.

Bebop also uses one set, but you build super fast with tiny pieces, switching pieces constantly while still following the plan.

Hard bop still uses one set, but the bricks are heavier, brighter. Like building the same model but with duplo.

Cool jazz uses one set and builds slowly and smoothly, following instructions but keeping everything relaxed and clean.

Modal jazz uses one big baseplate and a single set. Instead of lots of steps, it gives you one big area to explore freely, making your own shapes from the set.

Free jazz dumps all LEGO sets together and ignores instructions completely, letting you build anything in any direction.

Well. Not my thing but coming at the heels of bob Dylan this is like a breath of fresh air. Will I listen to this again? Nah. Not the worst thing on this list though.

I don't understand this album. I listened to it three times just to confirm that I don't understand it. It just isn't very interesting to listen to. Maybe it's a great read?

I got “Birth of the Cool” yesterday! I don’t really know how to rate jazz albums, but I liked this one more, so I’m giving it 4 stars. I don’t know that I would have done that if I’d gotten this one first.

EDIT: I've been thinking about this rating for several months now. I got "Ellington at Newport" the next day, which I liked so much more. Taking that into consideration, alongside the fact that Davis was a shitty person, I'm downgrading "Kind of Blue" to 3 stars.

Good tuneful jazz, evocative of sitting at a table in a smoky club, drinking an old fashioned
I particularly enjoyed the mournful tone of Blue in Green, which takes you late into the night
A lot of jazz feels like background music and a lot more is frankly unlistenable, Kind of Blue is neither. Sure its perfect background music but is also highly listenable as the focus of your attention. This album just exudes cool.

I just, don't see the attraction in jazz. I'm trying, because the generator is throwing so much jazz at me, but I just don't get it. I can objectively hear that Miles is clearly a talented trumpet player, and I love brass instruments generally, but I just don't find the songs being played interesting at all.

Maybe somewhere in this list, there will be a jazz album that scores more than a 3 from me (my current high score), but if something like Miles Davis doesn't, I'm not holding out much hope. I sort of wish I could hear what other people do, but alas...

2/5

Better than Coldplay

Kind of Blue is the ultimate jazz album and, in addition to its great concept, features one of the best combo lineups imaginable (Coltrane, Adderley, Evans/Kelly, Chambers, Cobb). Personally, I really like the modal approach, as you can add or reduce any timbres at any time, thus achieving an infinite number of expressive possibilities. On this album, Miles Davis and his band demonstrate what can be achieved with this approach, while at the same time opening up the field for all styles of jazz that are no longer strictly based on chord changes. And each of the five pieces on “Kind of Blue” is a legend in its own right.

A jazz classic! I loved it, nothing else left to say really. I wouldn't give it 5 stars though, it's not my favourite.

The Good: There’s no doubt which color we are talking about!
The Bad: What if we don’t like that color?
The Ugly: The insecurity of the album, not even knowing what kind it is…

I can understand why there are so many people applauding the heck out of this album. It is a staple, and one that can played without problem, anytime a day… as far as I'm concerned.

Yes, I understand that all hail the great Miles, as well as Mr Coltrane or Adderley, not to forget about Evans and Kelly on the ivory! However, Cobb and Chambers steal the show, keeping the rhythm tighter than a sheep’s sphincter at a herder convention.

I’ve played 4 times in the past 24 hours, because it is relaxing, and just lovely…

5*

(4.85) i 🫶 miles davis

Another excellent jazz album. Another 5 star rating. What the hell is going on???

I think a lot of ink has been spilled on this album already, so I haven't got much to add. It's definitely a classic, and was one of the first jazz albums I listened to and grew to appreciate. I kind of forgot about it for a few years though, when I got into more modern and avant garde jazz. But then I came back to it sometime over covid, got it on vinyl, and discovered it all over again. I don't see it ever leaving my collection.