Kind Of Blue: The Making Of The Miles Davis Masterpiece [Hardcover]

Ashley Kahn (Author), Jimmy Cobb (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2000

Jazz musicians call it The Bible. Critics call it the one jazz album every fan must own. Forty-one years since its recording in 1959, it has sold millions worldwide and sits near the top of any list of most important records of the century. How did two impromptu sessions produce such a timeless acknowledged masterpiece?Now, for the first time, Ashley Kahn takes us into the studio to witness the creation of an album that still thrills jazz musicians, enthusiasts, and newcomers alike with its deceptively simple tunes. Using eyewitness accounts and newly discovered documents, Kahn traces Miles's move from bop to modal jazz, re-creates the sessions using master tapes (weighing in on fragmentary takes and the dispute about composers), and follows the rise of the album from its contemporary reception to its transformation into a cultural landmark through conversations with those who were there. Extensively researched and copiously illustrated, Kind of Blue recovers an invaluable piece of musical history and heightens fans' appreciation of the album they know and love.New and never-before-published material in Kind of Blue includes: The complete, unedited master session tapes, with analysis of fragmentary takes that have never been released, and studio dialogue between Davis and the musicians Over forty new interviews with musicians, producers, and critics, including Herbie Hancock, Elvin Jones, Quincy Troupe, George Avakian, Nat Hentoff-and the only people still living who witnessed the making of the album: Jimmy Cobb, engineer Bob Waller, and photographer Don Hunstein Previously unpublished photos of the recording session, featuring a rare shot of Miles's charts Studio logs and internal memos from Columbia about the making and marketing of the album The handwritten version of Bill Evans's famous liner notes

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Classic jazz's bestselling album ever, Kind of Blue, is at once a beacon to nascent jazz fans and a pillar of professionals' listening repertoires. Its immense sales figures confirm its place in music history's annals, and its musical significance still impacts artists. In this close-up look at the story behind the 1959 album, Kahn (VH1's music editor) digs through photographs, sheet music, interviews and studio recordings to present a truly impressive tribute. He begins by setting the scene: in the late 1950s, jazz had already seen various styles, from swing to hard bop. Trumpeter Miles Davis, influential even before Kind of Blue, was a respected musician who could easily pull together jazz's best talent. His team on Blue consisted of alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderly, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Bill Evans (with Wyn Kelly filling in on one tune), bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb. Whether or not they knew the two days spent in New York's 30th Street Studio would be so affecting, the musicians labored over the album with poise and dedication. Kahn transcribes revealing conversations between takes, relaying Davis's quips on rhythm and feel. The album is recognized as a groundbreaking piece that defined modal jazz, characterized by longer solos and slower tempo, with the haunting "So What" leading the pack in terms of recognition and emulation. The other tracks, especially "Blue in Green" and "All Blues," embody the album's moody, trance-like feel, and Kahn's insightful interpretation will propel veterans to reexamine the music they've been listening to for years. 64 b&w photos. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Da Capo has been well known as an excellent press for reissuing classic jazz books and for publishing notable foreign jazz titles, such as Francis Paudras' excellent Dance of the Infidels (1998), on the author's relationship with legendary jazz pianist Bud Powell, which was the springboard for Bertrand Tavernier's remarkable film, 'Round Midnight. Recently Da Capo was acquired by the protean Perseus Group (its publishing companies include PublicAffairs, Counterpoint, and Basic Books), and Da Capo's new catalog features quite a number of promising projects. Kind of Blue, also the title of the groundbreaking jazz album, leads the list. In writing about the production of that classic album, Kahn necessarily writes about the making of one of the sexiest jazz musicians of all times, the epitome of cool--Miles Davis. Miles' dark, brooding good looks, Mr. Heathcliff of the improvisational world, were made to be packaged. Fortunately, Miles had a bit of talent and the sense to surround himself with musicians possessing lots of talent to accompany all his cool. To let Miles tell it, "I was playing my horn and leading the baddest band in the business, a band that was creative, imaginative, supremely tight and artistic." Incidentally, the band on Blue was Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans (and Wynton Kelly), Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. So Kahn breezes through this exciting discussion of the appearance and the significance of Kind of Blueit being the definitive introduction of modal jazz, the next step in the evolution of jazz following bebop. He's pushed along by the interpolations of quotes from musicians, record industry personnel, critics, friends, and relatives; and by vignettes, such as on the history of Columbia Records and the one about Fred Tolbert (aka Freddie the Freeloader). Kahn reports that the record Kind of Blue has sold millions worldwide and sells briskly, "averaging 5,000 copies a week," today. That aside, with the enthusiasm of a jazz fanatic, this is a great tribute and a fine book. Bonnie Smothers
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (September 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306809869
• ISBN-13: 978-0306809866
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #586,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KIND OF BLUE's book-length new liner notes?, September 25, 2000

By 

J. Lund "jazzbrat" (SoCal, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kind Of Blue: The Making Of The Miles Davis Masterpiece (Hardcover)

I was curious to see how an entire book could be made focusing on the classic Miles Davis album KIND OF BLUE, considering that several previous Davis biographies seemed to comprehensively cover it in a few pages (e.g., the Chambers and Carr bios).

After reading this book, I would say that the author passed the test. His access to the studio tapes (with between-takes dialogue extensively quoted), interviews with surviving witnesses/sidemen, and quotes from other sources by the deceased participants, come as close to taking the reader into the studio as possible. Furthermore, Kahn thoroughly examines the album from a number of different angles generally not of concern to most Davis biographers. There is insight into the promotional efforts in selling the album, and the marketing of Miles Davis in general (typically with little cooperation from Miles himself).

Additionally, Kahn looks at the album in the context of other major jazz events of that year (John Coltrane's GIANT STEPS, Ornette Coleman's arival on the scene, etc.). Furthermore, he examines its influence in and out of the jazz world, and its reissue history (oddly, Columbia records didn't seem to fully grasp until recently just how popular this album had become). Also of note is that the first 90 pages of the book set the stage for KIND OF BLUE by examining the first stages of Davis' musical journey, particularly those areas most pertinent to understanding the making of this landmark album.

To the potential reader who may have heard KIND OF BLUE and wants more information about Miles Davis: your best options are either to buy this book (but keep in mind that of course there is little coverage of the last three decades of Davis' life and music), or pick up Ian Carr's bio if you want the best-yet account of Miles' entire career. Actually, the best choice may be to opt for BOTH books.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars buy this book, September 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Kind Of Blue: The Making Of The Miles Davis Masterpiece (Hardcover)

Inherent in any writing (literary) about music (auditory) is the irony of using words to evoke sound. Too frequently writers' efforts to describe, explain, or otherwise translate towering musical moments in words end up on my weekly recycle pile. Not so the case with this excellent, primary-sourced recreation of the American political era, the stage of New York City cultural development, the degree of arc in Miles Davis's idiosyncratic career, and, always keeping its focus, the precise moments of creation reflected in the intuitive improvisatory sound of a timeless jazz classic. In addition to interviews with KOB session drummer Jimmy Cobb, the only surviving member of Davis's recording group, Kahn mounts a millennial archaeological dig into the actual analog tapes, reproduction of pianist/composer Bill Evans's hand-written LP-era liner notes, production and marketing notes, and rarely if ever before seen pictures by the original session photographer. Kahn's prose couples a keen historical ear with a fanatic's enthusiasm. Rather than just another factual rehash in the acrid tone of much jazz writing, the books sketches impressions of what it must have been like to participate in this culminating cultural recording event. The author does an excellent job of contextualizing art and jazz developments of the time, in NYC in general but, in particular, the intersection of Miles with innovators such as George Russell, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, and Paul Chambers. For deeper jazz fans, there are nuggets about the previous edition of Miles's working band (with Philly Joe Jones and Red Garland), KOB's enduring influence and Miles's style of leadership, social and musical. This volume is a must have for any fan of Kind of Blue -- it will enhance the veteran's as well as laymanÕs appreciation of the music, the man, and the moment. The book may also be staking new territory, providing thoughtful insights into Columbia Records' A&R, marketing, and production process of the time. Kahn elicits testimony from in-house biz legends including KOB producer Teo Macero. This suggests fertile ground for delving into the history of Columbia, a major musical touchstone of the 20th century.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading, January 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Kind Of Blue: The Making Of The Miles Davis Masterpiece (Hardcover)

If you are as obsessed with "Kind of Blue" as I am, this is an indispensible book. It provides a great blow-by-blow description of the recording sessions themselves, as well as an entertaining account of the relationships between Miles, Coltrane, Adderly, Cobb, et al...these titans that created THE enduring masterpiece of American music. It discusses how Bill Evans was robbed of writing credit for his obvious contributions to "Flamenco Sketches" and especially "Blue in Green" (one of the main reasons they never worked together again). Of how Miles didn't have the courtesy of letting Wynton Kelly know in advance of his limited role in the session (he showed up and Evans was sitting at the piano). Miles comes across as a somewhat arrogant genius, which is probably fairly close to reality.

After reading this book, you'll be blown away by the album all the more, especially if you have enough music theory knowledge to appreciate how truly innovative modal jazz was at the time.