(courtesy of Columbia Records)
When Miles Davis went into the studio with his sextet on March 2, 1959 to begin recording “Kind of Blue,” no one quite knew what kind of music was about to surface, not even Davis.
There were few rehearsals and no distinct direction for the songs. Instead of giving the musicians complete scores or chord progressions for the songs, Davis merely gave each person a mode or scale to explore with no specific parameters of melody or chord change. While improvisational jazz was already at the forefront of the scene with the emergence of hard bop and cool jazz, this type of freedom of composition was unprecedented.
It became known as “modal jazz,” and proved Davis was on to something as he produced his greatest musical masterpiece.
The opening sequence to “So What” is the musical equivalent to previews before a much-anticipated movie; they are entertaining, but the movie is what everyone is waiting for. A catchy riff builds up with a smooth bass line complimented by dissonant piano chords and a subtle horn section. When drummer, Jimmy Cobb, crashes down on his symbol and Davis’ trumpet solo effortlessly floats on top of a free-flowing rhythm section, the powerful album takes off and never turns back.
The all-star sextet displays musical mastery as they trade solos back and forth. The type of jazz produced on the album was geared to spotlight pianist Bill Evans’ style. Evans was also experimenting with modal jazz at the time. The album would help solidify saxophonist, John Coltrane, as one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time; his solo in “Freddie Freeloader” combining modal technicality with emotion as a seemingly perfect complement to Davis’ sharp trumpet sound.
Although the album is considered a revolutionary composition in the eyes of musicians, it has an appeal to the everyday listener more than many other jazz albums. Davis uses 12 bar blues form—a repeated twelve bar chord progression—in “Freddie Freeloader” and “All Blues,” a common form in many popular songs.
Similarly, the improvisations are slowed down for an emotional appeal and often create recognizable, memorable riffs that can be seen as instrumental lyrics.
The feeling evoked from “Kind of Blue” is unique among jazz albums. It’s cool, emotional and somber, yet it has a power that can be felt in each note. It’s the type of power that can create introspection while still maintaining a mindless freedom.
Songs like “Blue in Green” and “Flamenco Sketches” are Miles Davis at his most sentimental moments, while “All Blues” takes a different approach, swinging with a cool jazz flavor.
The legacy and influence that Davis left with “Kind of Blue” spans throughout a wide variety of genres, the most obvious influence coming from the modal improvisational aspect of the album, which played a large influence in 1960s rock and continues to play an influence in jam-rock today. Davis’ mercurial nature would distance him from this style of jazz later in his career, but “Kind of Blue” will always be an important part of his legacy.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Davis Brown at Brownfd@colorado.edu.
