Jazz

[VideoGameCritic]

Never really been into jazz but collecting vinyl has me expanding my horizons. Picked up "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis at the local Barnes and Noble after hearing it was the definitive jazz album.

I like it. It has a cool laid-back vibe like when you're at some dark, fancy restaurant ordering some drinks from the bar. I just played it while having dinner with the wife and she liked it. This is the kind of album well suited to vinyl, in that you just put it on and kick back.

I still remember when Miles would appear on the David Letterman show back in the day.

[Zack Burner]

Other than Rock N Roll and Classical music, I've always had a soft spot for Jazz, nice and soothing makes you want to slow dance with your date/spouse/wife. I still have my CD copy of greatest hits of Louis Armstrong, he always makes me smile (does Satchmo grin) whenever I hear it. Hello Dolly, What a Wonderful World, Kiss to build a dream on, the list is endless.

[ActRaiser]

Never really been into jazz but collecting vinyl has me expanding my horizons. Picked up "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis at the local Barnes and Noble after hearing it was the definitive jazz album.

I like it. It has a cool laid-back vibe like when you're at some dark, fancy restaurant ordering some drinks from the bar. I just played it while having dinner with the wife and she liked it. This is the kind of album well suited to vinyl, in that you just put it on and kick back.

I still remember when Miles would appear on the David Letterman show back in the day.

Ha! The only downside to starting with "Kind of Blue" is that no other jazz album compares. I've tried but there's something special about it. It's is its own genre in and of itself. I first listened to Kind of Blue nearly 25 years ago and it's still the best jazz album of all time and it's in my list of top 5 albums if I had to create one, probably top 3. It's that freaking good.

[Retro STrife]

Glad I clicked on this topic... know absolutely nothing about jazz, but just started googling the "Kind of Blue" album after reading the posts here. Got intrigued enough that I just bought the vinyl album online.

[ActRaiser]

Glad I clicked on this topic... know absolutely nothing about jazz, but just started googling the "Kind of Blue" album after reading the posts here. Got intrigued enough that I just bought the vinyl album online.

Coltrane and Miles Davis are something special. You won't be disappointed.

[goldenband]

If you like Kind of Blue, you might enjoy these records by Miles:

Milestones
Sketches of Spain
Someday My Prince Will Come

All are different, but all share some elements with KOB. You could also try In A Silent Way, which is quite different in terms of its instrumentation (uses electric guitar, Rhodes piano, etc.) but has a similar hypnotic quality.

But I wonder whether the best option of all is for you to check out some Bill Evans records from the same era. It's Bill's style that really permeates the album -- Miles specifically built the record around him and his approach (though Wynton Kelly replaced him at the piano for one track).

I'd also suggest certain Coltrane records. You might try The Gentle Side of John Coltrane, a compilation of some of his most laid-back tracks. I think a Kind of Blue fan might enjoy Crescent as well, as it has more space in it than some Coltrane records.

And Cannonball Adderley is fantastic, of course. Not sure which record to recommend but 74 Miles Away is a good one.

Kind of Blue is a really special record, and it's not for nothing that it's so popular. It's one of those records like Dark Side of the Moon, where putting it on and having your mind blown or horizons expanded is a little bit of a cliché -- but that's because it's capable of blowing minds and/or expanding horizons. In other words, the cliché exists because the phenomenon is real.

Oh, and someone who likes Kind of Blue might also enjoy Herbie Hancock's album Maiden Voyage. Very similar conception in some ways, especially the title track, though the sound is a little bit less "timeless cool" and more "1960s jazz". The thing about Kind of Blue is that the way it was recorded is almost as big a factor as the music itself; those Columbia records by Miles are incredibly well-engineered.

[C64_Critic]

Now maybe you'll have a newfound respect for Smashing Pumpkins "Gossamer"

[VideoGameCritic]

Why the hell you gotta bring that up!

[AtariToday]

alright guys...ya got me. I've never listened to Jazz in my life but after reading the above posts I just had to check it out on Spotify. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis was pretty dang good. Best Jazz album I've ever heard (haha! only one I've heard at this point). Goldenband mentioned John Coltrane so I've got that going at the moment. Currently listening to the album "Duke Ellington & John Coltrane" and only two tracks in I'm completely sold.

Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming!

[ActRaiser]

If you like Kind of Blue....

If there was a like button or way to vote this as my favorite post of 2020 you'd get it. Thanks for the awesome write up.