Probably the most popular album in jazz. Maybe the best. One of the few albums from the golden age of jazz with both John Coltrane and Miles Davis, but also in a dream team with Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans. All of these names would create at least one golden album himself. It is a miracle that Miles Davis was able to keep all these strong characters together. In the Seventies this would be called a Superband, only in reverse: the quartet existed before they were solo artists.
Of course I’m missing two artists in the group. Pianist Wynton Kelly replaced Bill Evans on one song, maybe because he might have felt disappointed that Bill Evans was chosen instead. Drummer Jimmy Cobb and Paul Chambers on bass complete the group.
Legend has it that Miles Davis didn’t prepare his band as to what they would be recording. Legend also says it was all recorded in one take, but that is in all probability not true. It is still improvisation though. Given that I listen mostly to classical music, where improv is virtually non existent, for me this is a miracle.
This is the first album I bought in the genre. Many more would follow, and I listen to a lot of jazz these last years. It is a good contrast with classical music, but discovering the good albums is still a challenge. Kind of blue was a good start.