Kind of Blue | ||||
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Studio album by Miles Davis | ||||
Released | August 17, 1959 | |||
Recorded | March 2 and April 22, 1959 | |||
Studio | Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City | |||
Genre | Modal jazz | |||
Length | 45:44 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Teo Macero, Irving Townsend | |||
Miles Davis chronology | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Retrospective reviews | |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
Entertainment Weekly | A+ |
MusicHound Jazz | 5/5 |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz | |
Pitchfork | 10/10 |
PopMatters | 10/10 |
Q | |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
Sputnikmusic | 5/5 |
Kind of Blue is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was released on August 17, 1959, by Columbia Records and recorded earlier that year on March 2 and April 22 at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City. The recording sessions featured Davis's ensemble sextet, consisting of pianist Bill Evans, drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, together with pianist Wynton Kelly on one track.
After the entry of Evans into his sextet, Davis followed up on the modal experimentations of Milestones (1958) by basing Kind of Blue entirely on modality, in contrast to his earlier work with the hard bop style of jazz.
Though precise figures have been disputed, Kind of Blue has been described by many music writers not only as Davis's best-selling album, but as the best-selling jazz record of all time. On October 7, 2008, it was certified quadruple platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Kind of Blue has been regarded by many critics as jazz's greatest record, Davis's masterpiece, and one of the best albums of all time. Its influence on music, including jazz, rock, and classical genres, has led writers to also deem it one of the most influential albums ever recorded. Kind of Blue was one of fifty recordings chosen in 2002 by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry, and in 2003, it was ranked number 12 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.