Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue at 60: A New Video Essay Celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Iconic Album

As Josh Jones observed yesterday, Miles Davis’ legendary jazz album Kind of Blue turns 60 this week. Today, we want to keep the party going a little longer and feature this video essay from Sweetwater. They write:

In 1959, Miles Davis went to Columbia Records in Manhattan to forge a new style of music improvisation. With the company of other legendary musicians, like John Coltrane and Bill Evans, Kind of Blue was recorded; the greatest selling jazz album of all time. Miles chose to take an interpretive dance approach to improvisation, developing ideas and using space to create his unique style. This new style of modal jazz pushed musicians to express themselves through melodic creativity. Take a look into the history and music theory of Kind of Blue with Sweetwater’s Jacob Dupre (piano/trumpet), accompanied by Michael Patterson (bass) and Sean Parr (drums). Karl Stabnau (alto sax) performs the solo on “Blues For Alice,” as played by Charlie Parker.

For a more in-depth study of the timeless album, read Ashley Kahn’s well-reviewed book, Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece.

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Related Content:

Miles Davis Iconic 1959 Album Kind of Blue Turns 60: Revisit the Album That Changed American Music

1959: The Year That Changed Jazz

Kind of Blue: How Miles Davis Changed Jazz

Herbie Hancock Explains the Big Lesson He Learned From Miles Davis: Every Mistake in Music, as in Life, Is an Opportunity

The Influence of Miles Davis Revealed with Data Visualization: For His 90th Birthday Today


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Comments (2)
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  • Martin Cleaver says:

    Kind of Blue is certainly great, but the largest selling jazz album? It’s someone forgetting Köln Concert by Keith Jarrett?

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