2. music
  3. 1034794831

I don't understand Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue"

I'm new to Jazz. While I enjoy Amstrong and Fitzgerald duo and some of Amstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven pieces, I fail to appreciate "Kind of Blue" which is praised by many as cornerstone CD in jazz. What I hear from the CD is background music that is repetitous throughout the song and seemingly random saxo, or similar instrument - pardon my ignorance of instruments, in the front. The background music bothers me because it's simple and repetitive. Perhaps this is not my type of music. Or should I listen to other CDs before appreciate this one?

Can someone educate me what is great about this CD?
jlc993nc9cf
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
Like all milestones; since the style, techniques, formula, etc, etc are copied over and over again, future generation may not understand why it was so special. It seems typical to them.

Take the movie "Citizen Kane". It set too many new movie standards to ever list them all, on how movies are constructed, shot and edited. The techniques first used by Orson Wells have been copied so many times (thousands), that young people who watch it go.... "what's the big deal with this movie?"

Same goes for British director Michael Powell's films.
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,124 posts
 
I have not read through all the responses, but there is also the issue of the sound Miles had on this LP. He was praised at the time for having a unique sound which upon further inspection turned out to be due to a tape speed issue. Before this discovery many jazz musicians were trying unsuccessfully to duplicate the sound he had.
boski
8 posts
 
jlc, "understanding" Miles Davis and Kind of Blue may take some more time. You say you are new to jazz so maybe before you develop such a viewpoint you need to learn more, much more, about jazz, about music and how KOB changed jazz and, in so many ways, is what jazz is all about. Listen to some more of his music and other jazz music since KOB. His influence is there.
vayasteve
171 posts
 
Kind OF Blue is a CD or LP that grows on you.Try out Cumbia and Jazz Fusion by Mingus.The reason why its groundbreaking is that it was way ahead of it's time...Cheers....
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
I, too, find myself wishing Scott would weigh in on this issue of blue.
More to discover