On Arts

If you have never really listened to Jazz music before, Miles Davis’ classic record, Kind of Blue, is a great starter album. If you do like Jazz and do not have this album in your collection, put it on the must buy list. Recorded in the spring of 1959, it is considered by many to be one of the greatest albums ever recorded, or at the very least, one of the greatest Jazz albums. Jazz is a truly American art form. Flowing out of American blues and popular European music, Jazz began life in the early 20th century. The artists made each song their own by finding new ways to do improvisational solos. It is to those roots in blues and improvisation that Miles Davis returned for Kind of Blue. When Miles Davis brought together some great improvisational Jazz artists, his desire was to keep the overall structure simple and let their creative energies give the songs beauty. John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb worked together to create music that is quite complex while still seemingly simple. The reason Kind of Blue is such a great album is due to its’ listenablilty. To enjoy this album you need not know anything about Jazz music, or any music at all, for that matter. Kind of Blue is the type of album that works for any situation. It can be background music in an intimate setting or a party. On the other hand, if you are the type of person who likes to close your eyes and just listen—this album has enough going on that you will be fascinated for the length of it.