Kind of Blue

I started a new book yesterday all about 1 album, Miles Davis' masterpiece Kind of Blue. This book came out in 2000 right after the 40th anniversary of its release. The album is my all-time favorite of any genre or style. There's a reason my oldest son is named after the artist. I got this from the library but remember reading a review of the book back in 2000 when it was first published. I had been reluctant to read about the history and sessions because I wanted to maintain the mystery that is KOB for me. If you don't own this one, then I'm talking Greek, I'm sure. If you do, you might have some idea of why I wanted to keep it intact as is. But, as I was listening to it the other night and thinking about how many times I have listened and still get chills, my mind wondered back to this book. I reserved a copy at the local library and started yesterday, slowing turning each page.

KOB was recorded in an old renovated church in New York City back in 1959 with Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, the greatest bassist of all jazz time: Paul Chambers, Wynton Kelly on 1 track for piano, Bill Evans on the rest of the tracks for piano, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Miles on trumpet. You can't get any better than that. They did record another album call Milestones but the line-up was a little different (Red Garland on piano and Philly Joe Jones on drums). A classic album but not in the same sphere as KOB to me. KOB is atmospheric and about mood; Milestones is about jams, tight and powerful.

The author, Ashley Kahn, was able to go to Sony studios (they bought all the Columbia Records recordings and rights) and listen to the original master tapes, talk to the 3 remaining people who were still alive at that time who were actually in the studios or on the recordings, and review all the archives for the sessions. I am just getting past the foreword by the drummer Jimmy Cobb who was the drummer on these sessions and into the history of how the sessions came together and what Miles was looking to accomplish with this supergroup of jazz. Here's an Amazon link for the book: Kind of Blue: The Making of Miles Davis' Masterpiece and here's one for the CD with samples so you get some idea if you are new to this masterpiece: Kind of Blue. Notice that there are 669 reviews of this album, mostly positive. I don't fool myself to think it's perfect for everyone, but it is for me.

If you don't have this on CD (I have 2 copies on CD and 1 original LP from my Dad's record collection), then I recommend you check it out in some form. It's woven into the fabric of my life and remains a living breathing work, a desert island disc if there ever was for me. I don't think this book will change that but I finally decided to heed the quote from Sir Francis Crick that I tag on my emails and at the top of this blog. I decided to peel some of the mystery and gain more of the awe that makes this life so enjoyable and wonderful. Here's to awe!

See ya!