Kind of Blue

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Recording

"Kind of Blue" was recorded in two sessions at Columbia Records' 30th Street Studio in New York City, on March 2 for the tracks "So What", "Freddie Freeloader", and "Blue in Green", composing side one of the original LP, and April 22 for the tracks "Flamenco Sketches", "All Blues", making up side two. Production was handled by Teo Macero, who had produced Davis' previous two LP's, and Irving Townsend.

As was Miles Davis' penchant, he called for almost no rehearsal and the musicians had little idea what they were to record; as described in the original liner notes by pianist Bill Evans, the band had only received sketches of scales and melody lines to improvise and go on from Davis. Once the musicians were assembled, Davis gave brief instructions for each piece and then set to taping the sextet in studio. While the results were impressive with so little preparation, the persistent legend of the entire album being recorded in one pass is untrue. Only "Flamenco Sketches" yielded a complete take on the first try, that take not the master but issued in 1997 as a bonus alternate track. The five master takes issued, however, were the only other complete takes; an insert for the ending to "Freddie Freeloader" was recorded, but was not used for release or issued on the issues of "Kind of Blue" prior to the 1997 reissue.Khan, Ashley. "Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece". New York: Da Capo Press, 2000; p. 111.]

Pianist Wynton Kelly may not have been happy to see the man he replaced, Bill Evans, back in his old seat. Perhaps to assuage the pianist's feelings, and also to take advantage of Kelly's superior skills as both bluesman and accompanist, Davis had Kelly play instead of Evans on the album's most blues-oriented number, "Freddie Freeloader". The live album "Miles Davis at Newport" documents this band. However, the Newport Jazz Festival recording on July 3, 1958 reflects the band in its hard bop conception, the presence of a Bill Evans only six weeks into his brief tenure in the Davis band notwithstanding, rather than the modal approach of "Kind of Blue". [Blumenthal, Bob. Liner Notes, "Miles Davis at Newport 1958"; Columbia/Legacy CK85202, 2001, p. 4.]

Music

Composition

The entire album was composed as a series of "modal" sketches, in which each performer was given a set of scales that defined the parameters of their improvisation and style.
*citation |last= Kahn |first=Ashley |authorlink=Ashley Kahn |title=Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece|year=2001 |publisher=foreword by Cobb, Jimmy, Da Capo Press, USA |isbn=0-306-81067-0
*Citation| last =Blumenthal | first = Bob| title = Liner Notes, Miles Davis at Newport 1958 | publisher = Columbia/Legacy CK85202| year = 2001

External links

* [http://www.modaljazz.com ModalJazz.com]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10862796 Miles Davis: 'Kind of Blue' program] in National Public Radio's "Jazz Profiles" series