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| | Kind of Blue | | | Music Artist : | | Miles Davis | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Sony | | Release Date : | | 1997-03-25 | | Store Price : | | $7.99 | | Artistopia's Price: $7.99 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. So What
2. Freddie Freeloader
3. Blue in Green
4. All Blues
5. Flamenco Sketches
6. Flamenco Sketches [Alternate Take][*]
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 Kind of Blue Purchase
Submitted on: 2009-11-17 |
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| I love this CD. The purchase was handled promptly and I received it without a problem and in a short time, which I love. Thank you for your service. |
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Miles Breaks Through
Submitted on: 2009-11-02 |
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| With this album we're definately dealing with one of those "what more can one say" sort of situations when it comes to reviewing it,mainly because of it's acclaim for listeners outside the jazz sphere. But whatever it ended up being this is Miles and jazz at some of it's very finest. One of the greatest things about it is that it definately leaves creative impressions on you. Considering all the great musicianship that went into the creation of music such as the best known tunes on this album "So What" and "All Blues" alone and THAN actually get captured into the spirit of these song's modalities sounding so free and effortless.....your definately inspired to express yourself in some way. I am a painter who listens to music while I paint. The range I listen to is very diverse but when I am in the middle of a rendering that's particularly interesting I find myself drawn heavily towards listening to jazz and funk because,despite the division lines some people choose to put between them both styles of music over a free wheeling yet technically demanding style of music that is very fluid in tempo and rhythm. This being the beginning of modal jazz,where the harmonies and melodies were less structured that liquid quality that Jimmy Cobb,Paul Chambers and in particular those dramatic chord blocks of Bill Evans really do bring out the artist in you whatever the style of it happens to be. "Freddie Freeloader" is particularly interesting in that the song not only has more of an uptempo flavor of the song but it gives the opportunity for 'Trane and Cannonball to let loose on their saxes. Interestingly enough,even though Miles' whole "tugging at the ears softly" approch to his horn tends to take presidents in both his solos and the compositions themselves you can hear in 'Trane's many solos throughout this recording that his sound is actually beginning to edge into that free spirited and transcendent style of playing that would culminate six years after this on his own A Love Supreme. Both the original and alternate take of "Flamenco Sketches" find Miles (and on the latter his sax players more over) really re-introducing that so important "spanish tinge" into the music. Miles was and would continue to be very deeply interested in Spanish melodies and styles of playing and this would be one of his most significant uses of the form aside from what he'd accomplish with Gil Evans on Sketches of Spain. "Blue In Green" is for sure the most "modal" of the songs as the bluesy tempo seems to stretch out into infinity. So many things were happening in jazz in the late 50's and early 60's. The most sigificant of the classic 33RPM long playing records were coming out at the time and with vigor. And that Miles and his various quartets and quintets were responsible for over a handfull of those records points to the legendary status his music and his general presense continues to have. |
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SACD Review: 4 1/2 Stars
Submitted on: 2009-10-30 |
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I can hear the cries from the audiophiles now -- "Kind of Blue in Surround Sound... They've ruined it!" But in fact "they" haven't. As one of the most high-profile releases in the growing catalog of SACD, Miles Davis' Kind of Blue has been gently remixed for SACD in a multi-channel format that takes advantage of additional speakers (mostly front speakers) to create a wider and more open soundstage for an album that every true music enthusiast owns (possibly in several editions).
The fear of a bad multi-channel mix is understandable, considering what could be done with this artistic performance. With the power to put John Coltrane ping-ponging in the rear speakers, it takes restraint, taste and respect to avoid overpowering the recorded performance with audio trickery. That restraint and taste are just what you will find on this SACD. The center channel is used to add height and width to the sound stage. In direct comparisons to a number of versions of remixed Kind of Blue that I own on CD, the SACD clearly takes the cake. No matter how well your speakers are angled for optimum imaging, you simply cannot get the stereo version to spread out the way you will hear it do on the SACD. I found it fun to highlight the differences for some friends over for cocktails recently. They think I am a bit crazy with all of my audio talk, but when they sat down to listen to the differences they could hear them clearly.
I found that having additional space around the instruments brought to life new subtle details on a record where I thought I knew all of the subtle details. You can hear James Cobb spin his brushes on cymbals with such detail that you feel like you can hear the angle for which he attacks his set. The additional resolution from the SACD leads to increased overall smoothness in the sound without giving up one ounce of clarity. This is a definite advantage of SACD over CD or even LP (we aren't still talking about LP, are we?). When Davis mutes his trumpet, you can hear the tone get brighter, but it is never shrill or overpowering. While this never was a problem for me on past CD versions of the album, the additional resolution from the SACD format and an excellent mix makes the virtuoso performance just that much better.
As far as the songs on the record go, you likely know them all by heart already. If you are buying or have invested in an SACD player at this point, it is very unlikely that you are unfamiliar with Kind of Blue. It is one of, if not the, most influential jazz records of all time and should be considered art, as well as a national treasure. Notable on the SACD version of the album is an alternate take of the last track, "Flamenco Sketches," which isn't found on most CD versions of Kind of Blue.
The SACD remix was compiled from master tapes, using an all-tube, three-track machine, which was reportedly the type used for the original mix. Another improvement on the SACD release is correction of the tape speed, which fixes a pitch problem that caused musicians trying to play along with the record to end up pulling out their hair in frustration. As a guitar player, I never had the urge to try to play along with Kind of Blue, but I surmise that the improvements made in the pitch of the album, along with other improvements, all add up to the discernable difference you can hear on the SACD version.
This record alone makes a strong argument as to why one could consider starting to upgrade their collection from CD to higher-resolution formats like SACD. The careful work done to remix and master the record, paired with the beautiful audio heard on SACD, makes it a must-own for any music lover, jazz fan and/or audio enthusiast. If it requires the investment in a new player, consider it a worthy expenditure to get this much closer to an important performance. -- Jerry Del Colliano, August 2001
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 Miles Davis at his best
Submitted on: 2009-10-22 |
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| I purchased this album because I've heard that it's one of Miles Davis' best. After listening to it I agree. This is simply a great album. |
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If you don't like this, then jazz isn't your thing
Submitted on: 2009-10-19 |
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| One of the best jazz albums of all time. And it's not simply because it's stacking a lot of great artists in there (Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Davis, etc)--there's a great flow throughout the album, and the synergy between the artists is readily evident. Each brings their own distinct flair to the table--if you're any fan of jazz this is a must-have. As an added bonus, it's also a very approachable album, cementing it as a timeless classic. |
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