KIND OF BLUE

Jazz Masterpiece is really an understatement for this album which was recorded in March and April 1959. Anybody who likes Jazz has this album in their collection and the majority will say "this is the one" as I do. The personnel on this album are simply stunning with really a who's who of Jazz musicians. The great John Coltrane regarded by this reviewer as the greatest saxophone player ever, Julian Cannonball Adderley the alto player and who would go into jazz history with his future composition to come Mercy Mercy. Bill Evans provides piano as does Wynton Kelly (you know you are in for some fine light playing) and with the inclusion of Jimmy Cobb on drums and the ever regular great Bass player Paul Chambers you have the rythmn section. Red Garland and Philly Joe Jones were dropped because of their style which was great for Hard Bop but a bit too energetic for this album.

Miles Davis during the recording only gave each player a sketch of the compositions and provided an intro and the rest was left to them with Miles giving free rein to them in their solos and the results are spectacular.There was more than one take for these but only the completed were used except for Flamenco Sketches which has two complete takes.

The music on this album is Modal and the Hard Bop sound in Milestones has been replaced. Five tracks only are the song listing on the original release, the first being So What which is one of the specific modal pieces on the album with Blue in Green and Flamenco Sketches being the others. Freddie Freeloader and All Blues are straight jazz blues numbers. I think that describing the components of these compositions is something that you do not need to hear as if you are even remotely interested in Jazz you will like this album or know it and with every more play you will still hear something new or just be spell bound by the quality of the music and the musicians who are playing it. Atmosphere is what this album makes.

There are so many different releases to this album some with a slight speed change as they claim side one ran a tad faster than it was supposed to have originally. There are deluxe editions,SACD.Blu Spec,Shm,etc, all for you to decide on.

If the star rating for reviews was a meter it would have just blown as 5 stars does not do this totally essential album in any music collection justice. All Jazz and what a standard this record obtained and even today it holds its own, head and shoulders above the rest.

Next time you are watching In The Line of Fire ( Clint Eastwood) listen for All Blues as Clint has it on the player the old Jazz Hound.