Is Kind of Blue the Best Jazz Album Ever

It's a great album, and I listen to frequently, but I have to admit it's not my favorite. For many reasons it could by described as "The Best" when considering reasons brought up on this thread, but I listen to Chet Baker and Dave Brubek albums quite a bit more.

Certainly a great album and a gateway for many listeners. The same could be said of Brubeck's "Time Out" or Mingus' "Ah Um," Oliver Nelson's "Blues and the Abstract Truth" and a whole bunch of other great albums.

In 1959, the same year "Kind of Blue" was issued, Ornette Coleman put out "The Shape of Jazz to Come." This probably is NOT a gateway album, but, arguably, it is more influential than "Kind of Blue."

The problem with a label like "the greatest" is that, for a lot of listeners the album becomes not the gateway, but the endpoint. Why go any further if I've heard the "greatest" (particularly if I didn't like it all that much)?

It is by far the best of all time. It smokes every other album out there and makes Louis, Dizzy and Bird sound broken.

Wow, Lokie,

And here I thought I was the King of Sarcasm.
(Apparently, I am only the Prince.)

;-)

I think it is the "best" jazz album for non Jazz fans that later become Jazz fans.

Does that make sense?

I thought it was the best till I discovered the HardBop Blue Notes.

If had never heard Kind of Blue ..... I doubt I would have discovered the others.

JMHO

Ken