Is Kind of Blue the Best Jazz Album Ever

Glad you clarified that,Lloydc, because your comments and my new-found-interest in hardbop were about to make me feel like I'm totally missing the point.

It would have been back to SunRa, Eric Dolphy and my wife wondering WTF I'm listening to.

Don't lose any sleep over it. The answer is no. What do you like? Horns? Piano? Strings? Vocals? There's lots to choose from. Nostalgia is the equalizer.

Why not just ask, "Is Kind of Blue the most representative or widely accepted Jazz recording?"

You know, many worship Brubeck's Time Out just as much.

I love the opiate-enriched Anita O'Day signing Sweet Georgia Brown as much as the above, but I'm bent.

It's all subjective. Mary Lou Williams and Ellington would never have got past the word "Jazz" to attempt an answer.

Teo! Teo! (in that hoarse voice) I hear beyond the grave.

Later..

Even though I had read in many places that KOB was one of the best Jazz album, it wasn't until recently I started to listen to regularly. I bought the CD probably over 10 years ago, but it was not one of my favorite. Just hard to listen to and the sound recording was not good either.
However, I bought a newly released LP about a year or so ago and started to listen to again, and I've realized that it was indeed something. I just listened to it again and it felt just fresh and the sound was just fantastic.

However, I still prefer many of my other jazz collections to KOB, including Getz/Gilberto, Brubeck's Timeout, Muddy Waters Folk Singer, to name a few.

Ihcho:

Muddy Waters in Jazz collection? That's broadening the category, but Ellington would appreciate it cause he hated the categorization of music. Ihcho, you like blues? Here's a good one to listen to: James Ulmer, No Escape from the Blues. Let me know what u think.