This is the one jazz record owned by people who don't listen to jazz, and with good reason. The band itself is extraordinary (proof of Miles Davis's masterful casting skills, if not of God's existence), listing John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on saxophones, Bill Evans (or, on "Freddie Freeloader", Wynton Kelly) on piano, and the crack rhythm unit of Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Coltrane's astringency on tenor is counterpoised to Adderley's funky self on alto, with Davis moderating between them as Bill Evans conjures up a still lake of sound on which they walk. Meanwhile, the rhythm partnership of Cobb and Chambers is prepared to click off time until eternity. It was the key recording of what became modal jazz, a music free of the fixed harmonies and forms of pop songs. In Davis's men's hands it was a weightless music, but one that refused to fade into the background. In retrospect every note seems perfect, and each piece moves inexorably towards its destiny. --John Szwed

Estate Agents and other coffee-tablists: This is not the be-all and end-all of jazz!, 21 Nov 2008
It has already been said here that this album is usually found in non-jazz fans' collections alongside Bob Marley's greatest hits and most probably David Gray's entire ouvre. Perhaps it stands sentry there unplayed, just so its spine can be read, head tilted sideways, begging to impress upon whoever it is browsing through their collection some ill-gotten measure of sophistication? Perhaps they did play it once then decided no, they were right about jazz all along?

Modal, understated, and (aaargh!) cool, or tedious, cicuitous and under-cooked? Amongst aficionados, the most fiercely debated issue with the session is whether you are appreciating it at the correct pitch (an issue with the tape playback speed when it was mastered). That sums up the excitement levels for you. Hardly a dynamic recording to bolster enthusiasm for a novice jazz listener.

Personally, I feel sad for Bobby Timmons. Who? The pianist in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers who wrote 'Moanin'' the year previous to this release. If he had had the temerity to just repeat the head to that tune up a semitone and then back down again as Miles practically does here (on 'So What'), it would be that album redundantly nestling in millions of style magazine-reading cretins' cd collections rather than this (somehow I picture Robert Elms owning 2 dozen copies). I find modal jazz to be a device that is prone to being abused as a way to stretch out lame ideas for twice as long as they need to be, and Miles was always fond of waiting until the cab ride to the studio to write the material. Just saying.

Just so this is not completely written off as a Davis-hating rant, here are my pointers for a few other jazz albums (from the exact same time frame as this: 1958-9) for the uninitiated to peruse rather than this stultifyingly obvious choice. Beware neophytes; no one musical genre can be defined by (and thus written off by) one album and I really do want to encourage more people to listen to jazz. These just strike me as being as accessible as Kind Of Blue.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Horace Silver - Blowin' The Blues Away
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train
Gil Evans - The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions
Bennie Green - Soul Stirrin'

My noted Blue Note bias is definitely a factor in this list. But from my own experience, being compelled to study this album as a rock-loving music student, I was put off jazz for several years by its meandering pace and lack of excitement. It took me another 5 years to discover there was more to jazz than Miles.

Before he went funny, 07 Nov 2008
I can understand why fans of Davis' jazz fusion, jazz rock and electric stuff may find this bland since it was recorded before he decided to explore that newer territory (which I find weird and disappointing). It represents just one part of his journey from the Rhumboogie Orchestra in 1944, via bop and Gill Evans, to the synthesizer-enhanced(?) din he was making towards the end of his career. Only a few days after this session was recorded Coltrane cut "Giant Steps", which is a fair indication of the direction he was a taking.

However, for me and thousands of others this is a beautiful record, with all the musicians performing at their (then) peak. Even Coltrane makes a beautiful sound and they all swing mightily when that is appropriate to the mood of the number. Yes, it is cool (although there is warmth, too) but that was what the mood required. Incidentally, in his autobiography, Davis denies that Bill Evans composed (or co-composed) any of the pieces in "Kind of Blue" although he admits Evans' influence on his approach to the work.

Whether it is "the best jazz record ever" I am not qualified to judge although it is surely among the best. But how do you compare it with King Oliver, Bechet's "Out of the Galleon" or with Bird at his best?
Such comparisons are pointless as well as impossible. Just enjoy it for what it is.


Modal Jazz begginings, 29 Sep 2008
Miles Davis and his band ( and what a band ) explore modes in this record beggining a new era in jazz improvisation previously based in chord changes.
That was quite a big step .First , it gave greater freedom.Second, you must knew what to do with the freedom to avoid a musical disaster.
The truth is that this is one of this exceptional albums that you can listen to 1000 times and discover new layers and rewarding musical moments.
I mean , if you want to understand Jazz after 1950 buy this and if you want to listen to exceptional music buy it too.

The Master, 12 Sep 2008
Don't waste your time reading anymore reviews -just buy the album. Better jazz than this is hard to imagine! Put it on, listen and relax.

this is a superb jazz album classic!!, 28 Aug 2008
im open to all music mainly eccept rap hip hop dance not my kind of thing each to there own!! but this is a classic jazz album its fab im not a massive jazz lover but love some jazz charles mingus,countbasie,frank sinatra,nat king cole,ray charles,duke ellington i like jazz thats simple not too all over the place eg john coultrane a love supreme its good in parts but goes off in places its awfull in parts i like this album more simple buy it!! classic!!

Many thought that Miles Davis's contributions to Charlie Parker's mid-1940s bebop quintet were insignificant if not disastrous, but his promise became clear on the 1949-50 nonet sides which were collected on LP in 1957 as Birth Of The Cool. If bop's breakneck tempos had caught the young trumpeter unprepared, he flourished in the more relaxed environments of such as "Jeru" and "Israel", maximising the lyricism which became the hallmark of his style. The credit must be shared, however: Miles was part of a group of young experimenters in which Gil Evans, previously noted for his impressionistic arrangements for Claude Thornhill, was a prominent voice. Hence flowing solos from Miles and alto saxophonist Lee Konitz are underpinned by detailed, multi-dimensional writing from Evans, Gerry Mulligan and John Carisi which is more intriguing than the improvisations. Kind Of Blue from 1959 is doubtless a Miles essential, but this set offers a broader sonic experience. The group's nine instruments--unusually for the time including French horn and tuba--are deployed with great craft to create rich, mobile tapestries of tone, texture and harmony. No sound like this had been heard before in jazz, and the rarefied yet vigorous mood it set floated through the collective consciousness of jazz in the ensuing years. There have been several CD editions of these sessions, but this is the first to be drawn from the original 78 tapes rather than the LP master. With transfers by Rudy Van Gelder, the result is a new freshness in music which in some respects still sounds like it could have been written yesterday. --Mark Gilbert

Estate Agents and other coffee-tablists: This is not the be-all and end-all of jazz!, 21 Nov 2008
It has already been said here that this album is usually found in non-jazz fans' collections alongside Bob Marley's greatest hits and most probably David Gray's entire ouvre. Perhaps it stands sentry there unplayed, just so its spine can be read, head tilted sideways, begging to impress upon whoever it is browsing through their collection some ill-gotten measure of sophistication? Perhaps they did play it once then decided no, they were right about jazz all along?

Modal, understated, and (aaargh!) cool, or tedious, cicuitous and under-cooked? Amongst aficionados, the most fiercely debated issue with the session is whether you are appreciating it at the correct pitch (an issue with the tape playback speed when it was mastered). That sums up the excitement levels for you. Hardly a dynamic recording to bolster enthusiasm for a novice jazz listener.

Personally, I feel sad for Bobby Timmons. Who? The pianist in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers who wrote 'Moanin'' the year previous to this release. If he had had the temerity to just repeat the head to that tune up a semitone and then back down again as Miles practically does here (on 'So What'), it would be that album redundantly nestling in millions of style magazine-reading cretins' cd collections rather than this (somehow I picture Robert Elms owning 2 dozen copies). I find modal jazz to be a device that is prone to being abused as a way to stretch out lame ideas for twice as long as they need to be, and Miles was always fond of waiting until the cab ride to the studio to write the material. Just saying.

Just so this is not completely written off as a Davis-hating rant, here are my pointers for a few other jazz albums (from the exact same time frame as this: 1958-9) for the uninitiated to peruse rather than this stultifyingly obvious choice. Beware neophytes; no one musical genre can be defined by (and thus written off by) one album and I really do want to encourage more people to listen to jazz. These just strike me as being as accessible as Kind Of Blue.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Horace Silver - Blowin' The Blues Away
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train
Gil Evans - The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions
Bennie Green - Soul Stirrin'

My noted Blue Note bias is definitely a factor in this list. But from my own experience, being compelled to study this album as a rock-loving music student, I was put off jazz for several years by its meandering pace and lack of excitement. It took me another 5 years to discover there was more to jazz than Miles.

Before he went funny, 07 Nov 2008
I can understand why fans of Davis' jazz fusion, jazz rock and electric stuff may find this bland since it was recorded before he decided to explore that newer territory (which I find weird and disappointing). It represents just one part of his journey from the Rhumboogie Orchestra in 1944, via bop and Gill Evans, to the synthesizer-enhanced(?) din he was making towards the end of his career. Only a few days after this session was recorded Coltrane cut "Giant Steps", which is a fair indication of the direction he was a taking.

However, for me and thousands of others this is a beautiful record, with all the musicians performing at their (then) peak. Even Coltrane makes a beautiful sound and they all swing mightily when that is appropriate to the mood of the number. Yes, it is cool (although there is warmth, too) but that was what the mood required. Incidentally, in his autobiography, Davis denies that Bill Evans composed (or co-composed) any of the pieces in "Kind of Blue" although he admits Evans' influence on his approach to the work.

Whether it is "the best jazz record ever" I am not qualified to judge although it is surely among the best. But how do you compare it with King Oliver, Bechet's "Out of the Galleon" or with Bird at his best?
Such comparisons are pointless as well as impossible. Just enjoy it for what it is.


Modal Jazz begginings, 29 Sep 2008
Miles Davis and his band ( and what a band ) explore modes in this record beggining a new era in jazz improvisation previously based in chord changes.
That was quite a big step .First , it gave greater freedom.Second, you must knew what to do with the freedom to avoid a musical disaster.
The truth is that this is one of this exceptional albums that you can listen to 1000 times and discover new layers and rewarding musical moments.
I mean , if you want to understand Jazz after 1950 buy this and if you want to listen to exceptional music buy it too.

The Master, 12 Sep 2008
Don't waste your time reading anymore reviews -just buy the album. Better jazz than this is hard to imagine! Put it on, listen and relax.

this is a superb jazz album classic!!, 28 Aug 2008
im open to all music mainly eccept rap hip hop dance not my kind of thing each to there own!! but this is a classic jazz album its fab im not a massive jazz lover but love some jazz charles mingus,countbasie,frank sinatra,nat king cole,ray charles,duke ellington i like jazz thats simple not too all over the place eg john coultrane a love supreme its good in parts but goes off in places its awfull in parts i like this album more simple buy it!! classic!!

Caution, 15 Jul 2007
I own several of MD's album - my personal favourite being Sketches of Spain. This album, which is rather dull, I made the mistake of buying on the basis of the track Rocker on a compilation. It's dificult to describe, but to me the sound is too undifferenciated to let the melodies and tune speak. It is an ambient album. Pleasant, but doesn't set the blood racing. Instead, buy in A Silent Way, Sketches... or Kind of Blue.....Or better yet by the Best of Blue Note Comp' - not a duff track on it

Not many better starts to jazz than this, 26 Nov 2004
If you're new to jazz, you can easily be swayed away from the genre by stuff that sounds like a tray of dropped cutlery.

This, however, is a sheer joy to listen to - whether dipping a tentative toe into the ocean that is jazz, or if your beard smells of real ale and your favourite chords are augumented thirteenths.

The remarkable consensus amongst critics that this is one of the finest jazz albums made goes to show how strong it is. It is a major achievement that even jazz critics can't be snobbish about this - a groundbreaking record made in 1949 that still sounds fresh.

Buy - you will not be disappointed.

Cool and Blue, 11 Sep 2001
The cool ooozes out of this great Miles classic. Surely, together with Kind of Blue, a must have...

And if you liked this one, check out Gerry Mulligan's "Rebirth of cool"

And a genius is born..., 28 Apr 2001
This is where it all starts, people. You have to hear this stuff. If the only jazz CD you've ever heard of is 'Kind Of Blue', for my money this has a little more bite to it - oooh controversial. Still great though.

Miles Davis's impact on jazz is almost incalculable. From his early days as a sideman for Charlie Parker, through his groundbreaking Birth of the Cool sessions, to his stunning small groups of the 1950s and 1960s, through to his electric renaissance, the trumpeter, bandleader and composer has left a deep mark on all who came after. He is one of jazz's true giants. Sketches of Spain, though one of Davis's most commercially successful sessions, is also one of his most controversial. Re-teaming with arranger and composer Gil Evans, who played such a pivotal role in Davis's 1949 Birth of the Cool recordings, Davis recorded a series of large group albums beginning in the late 1950s, including Porgy and Bess, Miles Ahead, and Quiet Nights. Sketches of Spain, with its emphasis on flamenco, rich orchestrations and relaxed tempos is certainly one of Davis's most mellow recordings (he even works out on fluegelhorn), and proved to have broad appeal. To some critics, however, the project was "elevated elevator music". -- Fred Goodman

Estate Agents and other coffee-tablists: This is not the be-all and end-all of jazz!, 21 Nov 2008
It has already been said here that this album is usually found in non-jazz fans' collections alongside Bob Marley's greatest hits and most probably David Gray's entire ouvre. Perhaps it stands sentry there unplayed, just so its spine can be read, head tilted sideways, begging to impress upon whoever it is browsing through their collection some ill-gotten measure of sophistication? Perhaps they did play it once then decided no, they were right about jazz all along?

Modal, understated, and (aaargh!) cool, or tedious, cicuitous and under-cooked? Amongst aficionados, the most fiercely debated issue with the session is whether you are appreciating it at the correct pitch (an issue with the tape playback speed when it was mastered). That sums up the excitement levels for you. Hardly a dynamic recording to bolster enthusiasm for a novice jazz listener.

Personally, I feel sad for Bobby Timmons. Who? The pianist in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers who wrote 'Moanin'' the year previous to this release. If he had had the temerity to just repeat the head to that tune up a semitone and then back down again as Miles practically does here (on 'So What'), it would be that album redundantly nestling in millions of style magazine-reading cretins' cd collections rather than this (somehow I picture Robert Elms owning 2 dozen copies). I find modal jazz to be a device that is prone to being abused as a way to stretch out lame ideas for twice as long as they need to be, and Miles was always fond of waiting until the cab ride to the studio to write the material. Just saying.

Just so this is not completely written off as a Davis-hating rant, here are my pointers for a few other jazz albums (from the exact same time frame as this: 1958-9) for the uninitiated to peruse rather than this stultifyingly obvious choice. Beware neophytes; no one musical genre can be defined by (and thus written off by) one album and I really do want to encourage more people to listen to jazz. These just strike me as being as accessible as Kind Of Blue.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Horace Silver - Blowin' The Blues Away
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train
Gil Evans - The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions
Bennie Green - Soul Stirrin'

My noted Blue Note bias is definitely a factor in this list. But from my own experience, being compelled to study this album as a rock-loving music student, I was put off jazz for several years by its meandering pace and lack of excitement. It took me another 5 years to discover there was more to jazz than Miles.

Before he went funny, 07 Nov 2008
I can understand why fans of Davis' jazz fusion, jazz rock and electric stuff may find this bland since it was recorded before he decided to explore that newer territory (which I find weird and disappointing). It represents just one part of his journey from the Rhumboogie Orchestra in 1944, via bop and Gill Evans, to the synthesizer-enhanced(?) din he was making towards the end of his career. Only a few days after this session was recorded Coltrane cut "Giant Steps", which is a fair indication of the direction he was a taking.

However, for me and thousands of others this is a beautiful record, with all the musicians performing at their (then) peak. Even Coltrane makes a beautiful sound and they all swing mightily when that is appropriate to the mood of the number. Yes, it is cool (although there is warmth, too) but that was what the mood required. Incidentally, in his autobiography, Davis denies that Bill Evans composed (or co-composed) any of the pieces in "Kind of Blue" although he admits Evans' influence on his approach to the work.

Whether it is "the best jazz record ever" I am not qualified to judge although it is surely among the best. But how do you compare it with King Oliver, Bechet's "Out of the Galleon" or with Bird at his best?
Such comparisons are pointless as well as impossible. Just enjoy it for what it is.


Modal Jazz begginings, 29 Sep 2008
Miles Davis and his band ( and what a band ) explore modes in this record beggining a new era in jazz improvisation previously based in chord changes.
That was quite a big step .First , it gave greater freedom.Second, you must knew what to do with the freedom to avoid a musical disaster.
The truth is that this is one of this exceptional albums that you can listen to 1000 times and discover new layers and rewarding musical moments.
I mean , if you want to understand Jazz after 1950 buy this and if you want to listen to exceptional music buy it too.

The Master, 12 Sep 2008
Don't waste your time reading anymore reviews -just buy the album. Better jazz than this is hard to imagine! Put it on, listen and relax.

this is a superb jazz album classic!!, 28 Aug 2008
im open to all music mainly eccept rap hip hop dance not my kind of thing each to there own!! but this is a classic jazz album its fab im not a massive jazz lover but love some jazz charles mingus,countbasie,frank sinatra,nat king cole,ray charles,duke ellington i like jazz thats simple not too all over the place eg john coultrane a love supreme its good in parts but goes off in places its awfull in parts i like this album more simple buy it!! classic!!

Caution, 15 Jul 2007
I own several of MD's album - my personal favourite being Sketches of Spain. This album, which is rather dull, I made the mistake of buying on the basis of the track Rocker on a compilation. It's dificult to describe, but to me the sound is too undifferenciated to let the melodies and tune speak. It is an ambient album. Pleasant, but doesn't set the blood racing. Instead, buy in A Silent Way, Sketches... or Kind of Blue.....Or better yet by the Best of Blue Note Comp' - not a duff track on it

Not many better starts to jazz than this, 26 Nov 2004
If you're new to jazz, you can easily be swayed away from the genre by stuff that sounds like a tray of dropped cutlery.

This, however, is a sheer joy to listen to - whether dipping a tentative toe into the ocean that is jazz, or if your beard smells of real ale and your favourite chords are augumented thirteenths.

The remarkable consensus amongst critics that this is one of the finest jazz albums made goes to show how strong it is. It is a major achievement that even jazz critics can't be snobbish about this - a groundbreaking record made in 1949 that still sounds fresh.

Buy - you will not be disappointed.

Cool and Blue, 11 Sep 2001
The cool ooozes out of this great Miles classic. Surely, together with Kind of Blue, a must have...

And if you liked this one, check out Gerry Mulligan's "Rebirth of cool"

And a genius is born..., 28 Apr 2001
This is where it all starts, people. You have to hear this stuff. If the only jazz CD you've ever heard of is 'Kind Of Blue', for my money this has a little more bite to it - oooh controversial. Still great though.

Overdose on Castanets, 14 Aug 2008
I originally bought this album as a boxed set of three LP's, Kind of Blue, Porgy and Bess were the other two. It tends to be loathed by "true believers" largely, I think, because it was one of the most popular. Therefore: it was a sore trial to the sort of deaf elitists that you find at Jazz and Orchestral music events. (People who clap harder as the music gets worse.)

It does have it's faults, the over use of castanets, which is like adding atmosphere with ketchup. The gushing orchestration which pervades the collection like cheap perfume in dance-hall. Occasional shrieking trumpet - where MD definitely looses the thread.

It's still a great album and well worth a listen. It maybe the weakest of the three albums mentioned. It's still worth five stars.



Vastly overrated; mostly quite dull, 16 Jan 2008
'Sketches of Spain' is one of those albums that, for some reason, has been talked up so much over the decades that it has now become something that people buy, and say they love, simply because that's what's expected.
A lot of Davis' albums fall into this category - 'On The Corner' is another good example - an almost unlistenable album that many self-conscious music-lovers profess to 'get' when, in reality, they would only be able to tolerate listening to it a few times before putting it away for good (in a smugly conspicuous position, I might add) in the hope that they can impress their friends by owning it.
OK, I'm being a bit extreme here, 'Sketches of Spain' is far from unlistenable; in many places it is very tender and beautiful, in others there is superb tension and release, but it is most certainly NOT one of the all-time greatest jazz records.
More often than not it is tedious, and Davis' playing too unfocused - as though he wasn't quite sure exactly what to play in parts. The orchestral accompaniment at times is just brilliant, but at others strays too far into muzak territory or abstraction just for the sake of it.
I guess it's a mixed bag really.
If you want to hear the best that the Davis-Evans collaboration produced you'd be far better off with 'Miles Ahead' or 'Porgy & Bess', and if you want to hear Spanish classical/folk music rendered perfectly, then get hold of a few decent recordings of music by Rodrigo (there are a few budget-priced CDs on Naxos which are a good start).
If you're a big Miles fan then you'll no doubt want to own this - it is certainly a distinctive disc in the whole Davis canon - but don't try to fool yourself or convince others that it is worthy of the 5 stars that every man and his dog throw at it.

miles en espanol, 02 Sep 2007
This is a great rendition of various Spanish pieces,most notably "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquin Rodrigo.Miles and Gil Evans seem to really enjoy this,and while it's not as cutting edge as "Kind Of Blue",it's great fun.By the by,Rodrigo,when he heard Miles' version,hated it.No pleasing some people!!

Miles fuses the sounds of Spain with American Jazz, 19 Mar 2007
Sketches of Spain is one of my favorite of Miles Davis' fusion works. Here, he fuses the sounds of Spain with American Jazz. It's not nearly as radical as much of his fusion work, but it's not likely to be heard on an elevator either. If you've enjoyed Miles' easiest-to-listen-to-albums (for example, Kind of Blue, Birth of the Cool), and you want to be challenged just a little more, take a listen to Sketches of Spain.


Pictures Of A Master, 31 May 2006
When I got this album it came in a three pack which included Kind of Blue and Porgy and Bess; this is fundamental Jazz; another classic from this man; whos life I have now adopted as god status; this is the man that got me into to Jazz in a massive way, this and its two companians are the three greatest Jazz albums from Davis and up there amoungst the best ever recorded

Originally released in March 1964, this collaboration between saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist João Gilberto came at seemingly the end of the bossa nova craze Getz himself had sparked in 1962 with Jazz Samba, his release with American guitarist Charlie Byrd. Jazz Samba remains the only jazz album to reach number one in the pop charts. In fact, the story goes that Getz had to push for the release of Getz/Gilberto since the company did not want to compete with its own hit; it was a good thing he did. Getz/Gilberto, which featured composer Antonio Carlos Jobim on piano, not only yielded the hit "Girl from Ipanema" (sung by Astrud Gilberto, the guitarist's wife, who had no professional experience) but also "Corcovado" ("Quiet Night")--an instant standard, and the definitive version of "Desafinado". Getz/Gilberto spent 96 weeks in the charts and won four Grammys. It remains one of those rare cases in popular music where commercial success matches artistic merit. Bossa nova's "cool" aesthetic--with its understated rhythms, rich harmonies, and slightly detached delivery--had been influenced, in part, by cool jazz. Gilberto in particular was a Stan Getz fan. Getz, with his lyricism, the bittersweet longing in his sound, and his restrained but strong swing, was the perfect fit. His lines, at once decisive and evanescent, focus the rest of the group's performance without overpowering. A classic. --Fernando Gonzalez

Estate Agents and other coffee-tablists: This is not the be-all and end-all of jazz!, 21 Nov 2008
It has already been said here that this album is usually found in non-jazz fans' collections alongside Bob Marley's greatest hits and most probably David Gray's entire ouvre. Perhaps it stands sentry there unplayed, just so its spine can be read, head tilted sideways, begging to impress upon whoever it is browsing through their collection some ill-gotten measure of sophistication? Perhaps they did play it once then decided no, they were right about jazz all along?

Modal, understated, and (aaargh!) cool, or tedious, cicuitous and under-cooked? Amongst aficionados, the most fiercely debated issue with the session is whether you are appreciating it at the correct pitch (an issue with the tape playback speed when it was mastered). That sums up the excitement levels for you. Hardly a dynamic recording to bolster enthusiasm for a novice jazz listener.

Personally, I feel sad for Bobby Timmons. Who? The pianist in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers who wrote 'Moanin'' the year previous to this release. If he had had the temerity to just repeat the head to that tune up a semitone and then back down again as Miles practically does here (on 'So What'), it would be that album redundantly nestling in millions of style magazine-reading cretins' cd collections rather than this (somehow I picture Robert Elms owning 2 dozen copies). I find modal jazz to be a device that is prone to being abused as a way to stretch out lame ideas for twice as long as they need to be, and Miles was always fond of waiting until the cab ride to the studio to write the material. Just saying.

Just so this is not completely written off as a Davis-hating rant, here are my pointers for a few other jazz albums (from the exact same time frame as this: 1958-9) for the uninitiated to peruse rather than this stultifyingly obvious choice. Beware neophytes; no one musical genre can be defined by (and thus written off by) one album and I really do want to encourage more people to listen to jazz. These just strike me as being as accessible as Kind Of Blue.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Horace Silver - Blowin' The Blues Away
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train
Gil Evans - The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions
Bennie Green - Soul Stirrin'

My noted Blue Note bias is definitely a factor in this list. But from my own experience, being compelled to study this album as a rock-loving music student, I was put off jazz for several years by its meandering pace and lack of excitement. It took me another 5 years to discover there was more to jazz than Miles.

Before he went funny, 07 Nov 2008
I can understand why fans of Davis' jazz fusion, jazz rock and electric stuff may find this bland since it was recorded before he decided to explore that newer territory (which I find weird and disappointing). It represents just one part of his journey from the Rhumboogie Orchestra in 1944, via bop and Gill Evans, to the synthesizer-enhanced(?) din he was making towards the end of his career. Only a few days after this session was recorded Coltrane cut "Giant Steps", which is a fair indication of the direction he was a taking.

However, for me and thousands of others this is a beautiful record, with all the musicians performing at their (then) peak. Even Coltrane makes a beautiful sound and they all swing mightily when that is appropriate to the mood of the number. Yes, it is cool (although there is warmth, too) but that was what the mood required. Incidentally, in his autobiography, Davis denies that Bill Evans composed (or co-composed) any of the pieces in "Kind of Blue" although he admits Evans' influence on his approach to the work.

Whether it is "the best jazz record ever" I am not qualified to judge although it is surely among the best. But how do you compare it with King Oliver, Bechet's "Out of the Galleon" or with Bird at his best?
Such comparisons are pointless as well as impossible. Just enjoy it for what it is.


Modal Jazz begginings, 29 Sep 2008
Miles Davis and his band ( and what a band ) explore modes in this record beggining a new era in jazz improvisation previously based in chord changes.
That was quite a big step .First , it gave greater freedom.Second, you must knew what to do with the freedom to avoid a musical disaster.
The truth is that this is one of this exceptional albums that you can listen to 1000 times and discover new layers and rewarding musical moments.
I mean , if you want to understand Jazz after 1950 buy this and if you want to listen to exceptional music buy it too.

The Master, 12 Sep 2008
Don't waste your time reading anymore reviews -just buy the album. Better jazz than this is hard to imagine! Put it on, listen and relax.

this is a superb jazz album classic!!, 28 Aug 2008
im open to all music mainly eccept rap hip hop dance not my kind of thing each to there own!! but this is a classic jazz album its fab im not a massive jazz lover but love some jazz charles mingus,countbasie,frank sinatra,nat king cole,ray charles,duke ellington i like jazz thats simple not too all over the place eg john coultrane a love supreme its good in parts but goes off in places its awfull in parts i like this album more simple buy it!! classic!!

Caution, 15 Jul 2007
I own several of MD's album - my personal favourite being Sketches of Spain. This album, which is rather dull, I made the mistake of buying on the basis of the track Rocker on a compilation. It's dificult to describe, but to me the sound is too undifferenciated to let the melodies and tune speak. It is an ambient album. Pleasant, but doesn't set the blood racing. Instead, buy in A Silent Way, Sketches... or Kind of Blue.....Or better yet by the Best of Blue Note Comp' - not a duff track on it

Not many better starts to jazz than this, 26 Nov 2004
If you're new to jazz, you can easily be swayed away from the genre by stuff that sounds like a tray of dropped cutlery.

This, however, is a sheer joy to listen to - whether dipping a tentative toe into the ocean that is jazz, or if your beard smells of real ale and your favourite chords are augumented thirteenths.

The remarkable consensus amongst critics that this is one of the finest jazz albums made goes to show how strong it is. It is a major achievement that even jazz critics can't be snobbish about this - a groundbreaking record made in 1949 that still sounds fresh.

Buy - you will not be disappointed.

Cool and Blue, 11 Sep 2001
The cool ooozes out of this great Miles classic. Surely, together with Kind of Blue, a must have...

And if you liked this one, check out Gerry Mulligan's "Rebirth of cool"

And a genius is born..., 28 Apr 2001
This is where it all starts, people. You have to hear this stuff. If the only jazz CD you've ever heard of is 'Kind Of Blue', for my money this has a little more bite to it - oooh controversial. Still great though.

Overdose on Castanets, 14 Aug 2008
I originally bought this album as a boxed set of three LP's, Kind of Blue, Porgy and Bess were the other two. It tends to be loathed by "true believers" largely, I think, because it was one of the most popular. Therefore: it was a sore trial to the sort of deaf elitists that you find at Jazz and Orchestral music events. (People who clap harder as the music gets worse.)

It does have it's faults, the over use of castanets, which is like adding atmosphere with ketchup. The gushing orchestration which pervades the collection like cheap perfume in dance-hall. Occasional shrieking trumpet - where MD definitely looses the thread.

It's still a great album and well worth a listen. It maybe the weakest of the three albums mentioned. It's still worth five stars.



Vastly overrated; mostly quite dull, 16 Jan 2008
'Sketches of Spain' is one of those albums that, for some reason, has been talked up so much over the decades that it has now become something that people buy, and say they love, simply because that's what's expected.
A lot of Davis' albums fall into this category - 'On The Corner' is another good example - an almost unlistenable album that many self-conscious music-lovers profess to 'get' when, in reality, they would only be able to tolerate listening to it a few times before putting it away for good (in a smugly conspicuous position, I might add) in the hope that they can impress their friends by owning it.
OK, I'm being a bit extreme here, 'Sketches of Spain' is far from unlistenable; in many places it is very tender and beautiful, in others there is superb tension and release, but it is most certainly NOT one of the all-time greatest jazz records.
More often than not it is tedious, and Davis' playing too unfocused - as though he wasn't quite sure exactly what to play in parts. The orchestral accompaniment at times is just brilliant, but at others strays too far into muzak territory or abstraction just for the sake of it.
I guess it's a mixed bag really.
If you want to hear the best that the Davis-Evans collaboration produced you'd be far better off with 'Miles Ahead' or 'Porgy & Bess', and if you want to hear Spanish classical/folk music rendered perfectly, then get hold of a few decent recordings of music by Rodrigo (there are a few budget-priced CDs on Naxos which are a good start).
If you're a big Miles fan then you'll no doubt want to own this - it is certainly a distinctive disc in the whole Davis canon - but don't try to fool yourself or convince others that it is worthy of the 5 stars that every man and his dog throw at it.

miles en espanol, 02 Sep 2007
This is a great rendition of various Spanish pieces,most notably "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquin Rodrigo.Miles and Gil Evans seem to really enjoy this,and while it's not as cutting edge as "Kind Of Blue",it's great fun.By the by,Rodrigo,when he heard Miles' version,hated it.No pleasing some people!!

Miles fuses the sounds of Spain with American Jazz, 19 Mar 2007
Sketches of Spain is one of my favorite of Miles Davis' fusion works. Here, he fuses the sounds of Spain with American Jazz. It's not nearly as radical as much of his fusion work, but it's not likely to be heard on an elevator either. If you've enjoyed Miles' easiest-to-listen-to-albums (for example, Kind of Blue, Birth of the Cool), and you want to be challenged just a little more, take a listen to Sketches of Spain.


Pictures Of A Master, 31 May 2006
When I got this album it came in a three pack which included Kind of Blue and Porgy and Bess; this is fundamental Jazz; another classic from this man; whos life I have now adopted as god status; this is the man that got me into to Jazz in a massive way, this and its two companians are the three greatest Jazz albums from Davis and up there amoungst the best ever recorded

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands of times by thousands of artists and continue to be a top staple for jazz as its played all over the world. They have spilled over from jazz into other mediums. They introduced the wider world to the music of Brazil. Arguably the earlier Getz/Byrd, album put Brazil on the wider musical map but it was this album that exposed it in all its exotic glory.

Brazil is a land in which there are as many genres of music as there are in the rest of the world put together. The influence of Jobim and Bossa and their quintessence as captured in these songs, on this album, continues to be a point of departure and return for any number of musical offshoots in their home country, and beyond, to this very day.

From a musicological point of view the impact of this album is unprecedented. There is no other album which has so vividly alerted such a huge proportion of the world to what was going on in a previously little known lesser part of the world, the repercussions of which are still playing out, with vivacity and freshness, almost fifty years later.

Sax Max, 02 Jun 2006
Bossa Nova was and is not to everybody's taste. Many jazz aficianados can't stand Astrud Gilberto's singing either. The thing with this session in particular, however, is Stan Getz's playing. There is only one word for it - divine! Which is why I suspect there are so many accolades for this CD. The brevity and melodiousness of his ideas is quite exceptional, not so on many other examples of his work before or after.

I love jazz and I like this, but I can't say I can listen to Bossa Nova all the time. Stan Getz on this CD, however, I don't think I'll tire of...

Getting in the groove, 31 Dec 2005
Great album for bossa nova. Fun to listen and get in the groove of dreaming of Brazil.. or mellow enough to have in the background for a wine party.

Getz/Gilberto, 06 May 2004
I think you either have an innate love of this sort of music built in or it is something that will be totally lost on you ...if its there and you stumble across it you will never look back..
I already had 7 of the tracks on other cd's but the three i did'nt have are absolutely enchanting and worth the price on their own.
I could listen to this a thousand times and find something new in Stan Getz's incredible intonation every time.
If you hav'nt heard this stuff before,if you have an open mind,like walking on a deserted beach just where the sea meets the sand,if you love living ...you might just love this...
The best Bossa Nova there is.

Mark

Pure Cool, 26 Feb 2004
I've been listening to jazz for about 5 years now and wanting to broaden my taste i thought this would be a good direction to go. And what a direction to go!! The album has the ever popular Girl From Ipanema but the more i listen to it, the more i fall in love with the beauty of the other songs. Stan Getz ability is beyond words, as goes for Jobim on the guitar. The voices of Joau and Astrud Gilberto round the album off superbly causing you to hum and sing with them. This album has shown me there is more to bossa nova than i thought. So buy it, and then sit back, close your eyes and think of Brazil!!!

Boasting the first jazz instrumental to sell a million copies, the Paul Desmond-penned "Take Five", Time Out captures the celebrated jazz quartet at the height of both its popularity and its powers. Recorded in 1959, the album combines superb performances by pianist Brubeck, alto saxophonist Desmond, drummer Joe Morrello and bassist Gene Wright. Along with "Take Five", the album features another one of the group's signature compositions, "Blue Rondo a la Turk". Though influenced by the West Coast-cool school, Brubeck's greatest interest and contribution to jazz was the use of irregular meters in composition, which he did with great flair. Much of the band's appeal is due to Desmond, whose airy tone and fluid attack often carried the band's already strong performances to another level. Together, he and Brubeck proved one of the most potent pairings of the era. --Fred Goodman

Estate Agents and other coffee-tablists: This is not the be-all and end-all of jazz!, 21 Nov 2008
It has already been said here that this album is usually found in non-jazz fans' collections alongside Bob Marley's greatest hits and most probably David Gray's entire ouvre. Perhaps it stands sentry there unplayed, just so its spine can be read, head tilted sideways, begging to impress upon whoever it is browsing through their collection some ill-gotten measure of sophistication? Perhaps they did play it once then decided no, they were right about jazz all along?

Modal, understated, and (aaargh!) cool, or tedious, cicuitous and under-cooked? Amongst aficionados, the most fiercely debated issue with the session is whether you are appreciating it at the correct pitch (an issue with the tape playback speed when it was mastered). That sums up the excitement levels for you. Hardly a dynamic recording to bolster enthusiasm for a novice jazz listener.

Personally, I feel sad for Bobby Timmons. Who? The pianist in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers who wrote 'Moanin'' the year previous to this release. If he had had the temerity to just repeat the head to that tune up a semitone and then back down again as Miles practically does here (on 'So What'), it would be that album redundantly nestling in millions of style magazine-reading cretins' cd collections rather than this (somehow I picture Robert Elms owning 2 dozen copies). I find modal jazz to be a device that is prone to being abused as a way to stretch out lame ideas for twice as long as they need to be, and Miles was always fond of waiting until the cab ride to the studio to write the material. Just saying.

Just so this is not completely written off as a Davis-hating rant, here are my pointers for a few other jazz albums (from the exact same time frame as this: 1958-9) for the uninitiated to peruse rather than this stultifyingly obvious choice. Beware neophytes; no one musical genre can be defined by (and thus written off by) one album and I really do want to encourage more people to listen to jazz. These just strike me as being as accessible as Kind Of Blue.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Horace Silver - Blowin' The Blues Away
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train
Gil Evans - The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions
Bennie Green - Soul Stirrin'

My noted Blue Note bias is definitely a factor in this list. But from my own experience, being compelled to study this album as a rock-loving music student, I was put off jazz for several years by its meandering pace and lack of excitement. It took me another 5 years to discover there was more to jazz than Miles.

Before he went funny, 07 Nov 2008
I can understand why fans of Davis' jazz fusion, jazz rock and electric stuff may find this bland since it was recorded before he decided to explore that newer territory (which I find weird and disappointing). It represents just one part of his journey from the Rhumboogie Orchestra in 1944, via bop and Gill Evans, to the synthesizer-enhanced(?) din he was making towards the end of his career. Only a few days after this session was recorded Coltrane cut "Giant Steps", which is a fair indication of the direction he was a taking.

However, for me and thousands of others this is a beautiful record, with all the musicians performing at their (then) peak. Even Coltrane makes a beautiful sound and they all swing mightily when that is appropriate to the mood of the number. Yes, it is cool (although there is warmth, too) but that was what the mood required. Incidentally, in his autobiography, Davis denies that Bill Evans composed (or co-composed) any of the pieces in "Kind of Blue" although he admits Evans' influence on his approach to the work.

Whether it is "the best jazz record ever" I am not qualified to judge although it is surely among the best. But how do you compare it with King Oliver, Bechet's "Out of the Galleon" or with Bird at his best?
Such comparisons are pointless as well as impossible. Just enjoy it for what it is.


Modal Jazz begginings, 29 Sep 2008
Miles Davis and his band ( and what a band ) explore modes in this record beggining a new era in jazz improvisation previously based in chord changes.
That was quite a big step .First , it gave greater freedom.Second, you must knew what to do with the freedom to avoid a musical disaster.
The truth is that this is one of this exceptional albums that you can listen to 1000 times and discover new layers and rewarding musical moments.
I mean , if you want to understand Jazz after 1950 buy this and if you want to listen to exceptional music buy it too.

The Master, 12 Sep 2008
Don't waste your time reading anymore reviews -just buy the album. Better jazz than this is hard to imagine! Put it on, listen and relax.

this is a superb jazz album classic!!, 28 Aug 2008
im open to all music mainly eccept rap hip hop dance not my kind of thing each to there own!! but this is a classic jazz album its fab im not a massive jazz lover but love some jazz charles mingus,countbasie,frank sinatra,nat king cole,ray charles,duke ellington i like jazz thats simple not too all over the place eg john coultrane a love supreme its good in parts but goes off in places its awfull in parts i like this album more simple buy it!! classic!!

Caution, 15 Jul 2007
I own several of MD's album - my personal favourite being Sketches of Spain. This album, which is rather dull, I made the mistake of buying on the basis of the track Rocker on a compilation. It's dificult to describe, but to me the sound is too undifferenciated to let the melodies and tune speak. It is an ambient album. Pleasant, but doesn't set the blood racing. Instead, buy in A Silent Way, Sketches... or Kind of Blue.....Or better yet by the Best of Blue Note Comp' - not a duff track on it

Not many better starts to jazz than this, 26 Nov 2004
If you're new to jazz, you can easily be swayed away from the genre by stuff that sounds like a tray of dropped cutlery.

This, however, is a sheer joy to listen to - whether dipping a tentative toe into the ocean that is jazz, or if your beard smells of real ale and your favourite chords are augumented thirteenths.

The remarkable consensus amongst critics that this is one of the finest jazz albums made goes to show how strong it is. It is a major achievement that even jazz critics can't be snobbish about this - a groundbreaking record made in 1949 that still sounds fresh.

Buy - you will not be disappointed.

Cool and Blue, 11 Sep 2001
The cool ooozes out of this great Miles classic. Surely, together with Kind of Blue, a must have...

And if you liked this one, check out Gerry Mulligan's "Rebirth of cool"

And a genius is born..., 28 Apr 2001
This is where it all starts, people. You have to hear this stuff. If the only jazz CD you've ever heard of is 'Kind Of Blue', for my money this has a little more bite to it - oooh controversial. Still great though.

Overdose on Castanets, 14 Aug 2008
I originally bought this album as a boxed set of three LP's, Kind of Blue, Porgy and Bess were the other two. It tends to be loathed by "true believers" largely, I think, because it was one of the most popular. Therefore: it was a sore trial to the sort of deaf elitists that you find at Jazz and Orchestral music events. (People who clap harder as the music gets worse.)

It does have it's faults, the over use of castanets, which is like adding atmosphere with ketchup. The gushing orchestration which pervades the collection like cheap perfume in dance-hall. Occasional shrieking trumpet - where MD definitely looses the thread.

It's still a great album and well worth a listen. It maybe the weakest of the three albums mentioned. It's still worth five stars.



Vastly overrated; mostly quite dull, 16 Jan 2008
'Sketches of Spain' is one of those albums that, for some reason, has been talked up so much over the decades that it has now become something that people buy, and say they love, simply because that's what's expected.
A lot of Davis' albums fall into this category - 'On The Corner' is another good example - an almost unlistenable album that many self-conscious music-lovers profess to 'get' when, in reality, they would only be able to tolerate listening to it a few times before putting it away for good (in a smugly conspicuous position, I might add) in the hope that they can impress their friends by owning it.
OK, I'm being a bit extreme here, 'Sketches of Spain' is far from unlistenable; in many places it is very tender and beautiful, in others there is superb tension and release, but it is most certainly NOT one of the all-time greatest jazz records.
More often than not it is tedious, and Davis' playing too unfocused - as though he wasn't quite sure exactly what to play in parts. The orchestral accompaniment at times is just brilliant, but at others strays too far into muzak territory or abstraction just for the sake of it.
I guess it's a mixed bag really.
If you want to hear the best that the Davis-Evans collaboration produced you'd be far better off with 'Miles Ahead' or 'Porgy & Bess', and if you want to hear Spanish classical/folk music rendered perfectly, then get hold of a few decent recordings of music by Rodrigo (there are a few budget-priced CDs on Naxos which are a good start).
If you're a big Miles fan then you'll no doubt want to own this - it is certainly a distinctive disc in the whole Davis canon - but don't try to fool yourself or convince others that it is worthy of the 5 stars that every man and his dog throw at it.

miles en espanol, 02 Sep 2007
This is a great rendition of various Spanish pieces,most notably "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquin Rodrigo.Miles and Gil Evans seem to really enjoy this,and while it's not as cutting edge as "Kind Of Blue",it's great fun.By the by,Rodrigo,when he heard Miles' version,hated it.No pleasing some people!!

Miles fuses the sounds of Spain with American Jazz, 19 Mar 2007
Sketches of Spain is one of my favorite of Miles Davis' fusion works. Here, he fuses the sounds of Spain with American Jazz. It's not nearly as radical as much of his fusion work, but it's not likely to be heard on an elevator either. If you've enjoyed Miles' easiest-to-listen-to-albums (for example, Kind of Blue, Birth of the Cool), and you want to be challenged just a little more, take a listen to Sketches of Spain.


Pictures Of A Master, 31 May 2006
When I got this album it came in a three pack which included Kind of Blue and Porgy and Bess; this is fundamental Jazz; another classic from this man; whos life I have now adopted as god status; this is the man that got me into to Jazz in a massive way, this and its two companians are the three greatest Jazz albums from Davis and up there amoungst the best ever recorded

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands of times by thousands of artists and continue to be a top staple for jazz as its played all over the world. They have spilled over from jazz into other mediums. They introduced the wider world to the music of Brazil. Arguably the earlier Getz/Byrd, album put Brazil on the wider musical map but it was this album that exposed it in all its exotic glory.

Brazil is a land in which there are as many genres of music as there are in the rest of the world put together. The influence of Jobim and Bossa and their quintessence as captured in these songs, on this album, continues to be a point of departure and return for any number of musical offshoots in their home country, and beyond, to this very day.

From a musicological point of view the impact of this album is unprecedented. There is no other album which has so vividly alerted such a huge proportion of the world to what was going on in a previously little known lesser part of the world, the repercussions of which are still playing out, with vivacity and freshness, almost fifty years later.

Sax Max, 02 Jun 2006
Bossa Nova was and is not to everybody's taste. Many jazz aficianados can't stand Astrud Gilberto's singing either. The thing with this session in particular, however, is Stan Getz's playing. There is only one word for it - divine! Which is why I suspect there are so many accolades for this CD. The brevity and melodiousness of his ideas is quite exceptional, not so on many other examples of his work before or after.

I love jazz and I like this, but I can't say I can listen to Bossa Nova all the time. Stan Getz on this CD, however, I don't think I'll tire of...

Getting in the groove, 31 Dec 2005
Great album for bossa nova. Fun to listen and get in the groove of dreaming of Brazil.. or mellow enough to have in the background for a wine party.

Getz/Gilberto, 06 May 2004
I think you either have an innate love of this sort of music built in or it is something that will be totally lost on you ...if its there and you stumble across it you will never look back..
I already had 7 of the tracks on other cd's but the three i did'nt have are absolutely enchanting and worth the price on their own.
I could listen to this a thousand times and find something new in Stan Getz's incredible intonation every time.
If you hav'nt heard this stuff before,if you have an open mind,like walking on a deserted beach just where the sea meets the sand,if you love living ...you might just love this...
The best Bossa Nova there is.

Mark

Pure Cool, 26 Feb 2004
I've been listening to jazz for about 5 years now and wanting to broaden my taste i thought this would be a good direction to go. And what a direction to go!! The album has the ever popular Girl From Ipanema but the more i listen to it, the more i fall in love with the beauty of the other songs. Stan Getz ability is beyond words, as goes for Jobim on the guitar. The voices of Joau and Astrud Gilberto round the album off superbly causing you to hum and sing with them. This album has shown me there is more to bossa nova than i thought. So buy it, and then sit back, close your eyes and think of Brazil!!!

Really Superb Brubeck SACD, 08 Jan 2008
Below is the review I recently posted on Amazon.com for the Dave Brubeck Take Five SACD. I really felt I should post the reveiw on Amazon.co.uk also, as there appear to be reviews which relate only to the CD release - same story with US Amazon. Surely there must be others out there that could stand up for this superb SACD album??!!

Although I'm not what I consider to be a great fan of jazz, I have enjoyed Dave Brubeck's music for quite some time. For the last two and a half years or so, I have bought almost only high resolution music (DVD-A or SACD), and was determined to buy this disc soon. For a short while, several years ago, I owned the standard CD version of this album - until I donated it to my father-in-law. For anyone reading this reveiw, I can confirm that there is little comparison possible between the CD version of this album, and this SACD version. Please note; this is an SACD, and not an SACD hybrid. This means that a dedicated SACD player is required for playback, unlike the hybrid SACDs where at least the CD layer can be accessed with a standard CD player. If you have an SACD player, and a half-decent set of speakers, I can't imagine how anyone would fail to be impressed. The clarity of the recording, and it's 3-dimensionalism is amazing. It is really like having someone play in your living room. For those interested, this disc offers a stereo and a 5.1 audio option, and comes packaged in a "standard CD" jewel case - unlike many SACDs which come in so-called "Super Jewel Boxes". My universal disc player is set to default to multi-channel playback wherever possible on SACDs or DVD-A, and I have therefore not listened to this disc in stereo. The multi-channel mix though is very subtle, and most of the sound comes from the front speakers, leaving the rear speakers to help create a surround effect. This works perfectly well on this disc, and I coudn't imagine how it would work any other way.

If you like Dave Brubeck and have an HD audio player, go out an buy this album. If you don't yet own an HD audio player, go out and buy one! It's high time that the standard CD hurried up and died, and made way for music only on the hi-res formats such as SACD or DVD-A!

Great Memories of Childhood, 12 Jun 2007
My review title may seem a bit strange but for a child who was born in the late 1950s and whose childhood was mainly in the 1960s these tunes feel as familiar and comfortable as a well worn pair of slippers. I can remember all the tunes being played at some time or other on TV programmes but in particular the track "Take Five" stands out for my generation as it was used for the animated "keep the countryside tidy" campaign. Who cannot forget the startled line only deer running away from a forest fire caused by a carelessly dropped cigarette.

The music is of a high standard and although Jazz was always one type of music I could take or leave I have found myself liking more and more as I discovered where many rock groups derived their influences from.

This is an essential addition to any music lover's collection and is a great album for putting on at the end of a warm day and for listening to whilst sipping a nice cold Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand of course!) dreaming about how great the world seemed when one was young and you know what it still is!


The Best Jazz Album Ever?, 01 Jun 2007
I think this is an excellent album. It experiments, but still sounds totally commercial and melodic. The different time signatures give the album a unique element that other bands of the era couldn't grasp. All of the playing is tuneful and tastefully done; you'll definitely be humming the melodies for days afterwards. The standout track is obviously 'take five', which incorporates an infectious saxophone riff, plodding piano and a simple but very effective drum solo.

This should be in every Jazz collection full stop. And if the word Jazz normally scares you off, don't worry, this is the creme de la creme, its definitely worth the money if your looking for something different to contemporary music.

Songs that made him famous, 06 Apr 2007
This is perhaps Dave Brubeck's most famous album, though not necessarily his best. These are the studio recordings that launched the quartet's most famous phase and established their international reputation. Strictly speaking this record should be called, the songs that made him famous. Modern jazz of a more commercial flavour was frowned on when this work saw the light of day and Brubeck was suitably admonished. Brubeck may have his faults but like Picasso he managed to turn them to his advantage. This recording will live in the annals of history with "Take Five" appearing in the pop charts and establishing the quartet's manifesto. The performances here are laid back and ultra cool, for more atomic renderings of the quartet's immortal repertoire try "The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall". "Time Out" is well worth the effort; it's the modern jazz album for people who don't like modern jazz. Having it in your collection could change your musical ear forever, even if you limit yourself to only one Brubeck album. The quartet's members are virtually all famous in their own right, at least in the jazz world; with many musicians paying their respects at worldwide sell out concerts. In the climate of the sixties the band had managed a break through in an age dominated by the simplistic rhythms of rock`n'roll. They were drawing attention to musicianship and technique, which a decade later became the foundation for more progressive rock. So if you missed the Brubeck group first time round and spent the time listening to some dreadful one hit wonder, this is your chance to make up for lost time.

Listening to this on the way to hear Dave Brubeck last night, 04 Dec 2006
Dave Brubeck was in Houston for a concert last night, and we were listening to this album on the way there. A classic album, a classic artist. Though there was no Paul Desmond at the concert, it was fantastic to finally get to hear Dave in person.

It's hard to pick a favorite tune from this album, as they are all wonderful to listen to. "Take Five", the main hit from this album, sounds great on this remastered version, and it sounded amazing as his 85 year old hands tickled the ivories at the concert. Bobby Militello filled in well and amply for Paul Desmond on sax at the performance, by the way.

In addition to "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo A La Turk", I also enjoy "Kathy's Waltz" and "Everybody's Jumpin'", with the Sax lead opening and Dave's piano answering, and the following exchange and counter point.

Also, if you have not heard any of Dave Brubeck's choral arrangements, I would highly recommend them. They were played last night with the Dave Brubeck quartet, the Houston Chamber Choir and a brass section. Simply amazing. You can find them on his albums "The Gates of Justice" and "To Hope".

Estate Agents and other coffee-tablists: This is not the be-all and end-all of jazz!, 21 Nov 2008
It has already been said here that this album is usually found in non-jazz fans' collections alongside Bob Marley's greatest hits and most probably David Gray's entire ouvre. Perhaps it stands sentry there unplayed, just so its spine can be read, head tilted sideways, begging to impress upon whoever it is browsing through their collection some ill-gotten measure of sophistication? Perhaps they did play it once then decided no, they were right about jazz all along?

Modal, understated, and (aaargh!) cool, or tedious, cicuitous and under-cooked? Amongst aficionados, the most fiercely debated issue with the session is whether you are appreciating it at the correct pitch (an issue with the tape playback speed when it was mastered). That sums up the excitement levels for you. Hardly a dynamic recording to bolster enthusiasm for a novice jazz listener.

Personally, I feel sad for Bobby Timmons. Who? The pianist in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers who wrote 'Moanin'' the year previous to this release. If he had had the temerity to just repeat the head to that tune up a semitone and then back down again as Miles practically does here (on 'So What'), it would be that album redundantly nestling in millions of style magazine-reading cretins' cd collections rather than this (somehow I picture Robert Elms owning 2 dozen copies). I find modal jazz to be a device that is prone to being abused as a way to stretch out lame ideas for twice as long as they need to be, and Miles was always fond of waiting until the cab ride to the studio to write the material. Just saying.

Just so this is not completely written off as a Davis-hating rant, here are my pointers for a few other jazz albums (from the exact same time frame as this: 1958-9) for the uninitiated to peruse rather than this stultifyingly obvious choice. Beware neophytes; no one musical genre can be defined by (and thus written off by) one album and I really do want to encourage more people to listen to jazz. These just strike me as being as accessible as Kind Of Blue.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Horace Silver - Blowin' The Blues Away
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train
Gil Evans - The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions
Bennie Green - Soul Stirrin'

My noted Blue Note bias is definitely a factor in this list. But from my own experience, being compelled to study this album as a rock-loving music student, I was put off jazz for several years by its meandering pace and lack of excitement. It took me another 5 years to discover there was more to jazz than Miles.

Before he went funny, 07 Nov 2008
I can understand why fans of Davis' jazz fusion, jazz rock and electric stuff may find this bland since it was recorded before he decided to explore that newer territory (which I find weird and disappointing). It represents just one part of his journey from the Rhumboogie Orchestra in 1944, via bop and Gill Evans, to the synthesizer-enhanced(?) din he was making towards the end of his career. Only a few days after this session was recorded Coltrane cut "Giant Steps", which is a fair indication of the direction he was a taking.

However, for me and thousands of others this is a beautiful record, with all the musicians performing at their (then) peak. Even Coltrane makes a beautiful sound and they all swing mightily when that is appropriate to the mood of the number. Yes, it is cool (although there is warmth, too) but that was what the mood required. Incidentally, in his autobiography, Davis denies that Bill Evans composed (or co-composed) any of the pieces in "Kind of Blue" although he admits Evans' influence on his approach to the work.

Whether it is "the best jazz record ever" I am not qualified to judge although it is surely among the best. But how do you compare it with King Oliver, Bechet's "Out of the Galleon" or with Bird at his best?
Such comparisons are pointless as well as impossible. Just enjoy it for what it is.


Modal Jazz begginings, 29 Sep 2008
Miles Davis and his band ( and what a band ) explore modes in this record beggining a new era in jazz improvisation previously based in chord changes.
That was quite a big step .First , it gave greater freedom.Second, you must knew what to do with the freedom to avoid a musical disaster.
The truth is that this is one of this exceptional albums that you can listen to 1000 times and discover new layers and rewarding musical moments.
I mean , if you want to understand Jazz after 1950 buy this and if you want to listen to exceptional music buy it too.

The Master, 12 Sep 2008
Don't waste your time reading anymore reviews -just buy the album. Better jazz than this is hard to imagine! Put it on, listen and relax.

this is a superb jazz album classic!!, 28 Aug 2008
im open to all music mainly eccept rap hip hop dance not my kind of thing each to there own!! but this is a classic jazz album its fab im not a massive jazz lover but love some jazz charles mingus,countbasie,frank sinatra,nat king cole,ray charles,duke ellington i like jazz thats simple not too all over the place eg john coultrane a love supreme its good in parts but goes off in places its awfull in parts i like this album more simple buy it!! classic!!

Caution, 15 Jul 2007
I own several of MD's album - my personal favourite being Sketches of Spain. This album, which is rather dull, I made the mistake of buying on the basis of the track Rocker on a compilation. It's dificult to describe, but to me the sound is too undifferenciated to let the melodies and tune speak. It is an ambient album. Pleasant, but doesn't set the blood racing. Instead, buy in A Silent Way, Sketches... or Kind of Blue.....Or better yet by the Best of Blue Note Comp' - not a duff track on it

Not many better starts to jazz than this, 26 Nov 2004
If you're new to jazz, you can easily be swayed away from the genre by stuff that sounds like a tray of dropped cutlery.

This, however, is a sheer joy to listen to - whether dipping a tentative toe into the ocean that is jazz, or if your beard smells of real ale and your favourite chords are augumented thirteenths.

The remarkable consensus amongst critics that this is one of the finest jazz albums made goes to show how strong it is. It is a major achievement that even jazz critics can't be snobbish about this - a groundbreaking record made in 1949 that still sounds fresh.

Buy - you will not be disappointed.

Cool and Blue, 11 Sep 2001
The cool ooozes out of this great Miles classic. Surely, together with Kind of Blue, a must have...

And if you liked this one, check out Gerry Mulligan's "Rebirth of cool"

And a genius is born..., 28 Apr 2001
This is where it all starts, people. You have to hear this stuff. If the only jazz CD you've ever heard of is 'Kind Of Blue', for my money this has a little more bite to it - oooh controversial. Still great though.

Overdose on Castanets, 14 Aug 2008
I originally bought this album as a boxed set of three LP's, Kind of Blue, Porgy and Bess were the other two. It tends to be loathed by "true believers" largely, I think, because it was one of the most popular. Therefore: it was a sore trial to the sort of deaf elitists that you find at Jazz and Orchestral music events. (People who clap harder as the music gets worse.)

It does have it's faults, the over use of castanets, which is like adding atmosphere with ketchup. The gushing orchestration which pervades the collection like cheap perfume in dance-hall. Occasional shrieking trumpet - where MD definitely looses the thread.

It's still a great album and well worth a listen. It maybe the weakest of the three albums mentioned. It's still worth five stars.



Vastly overrated; mostly quite dull, 16 Jan 2008
'Sketches of Spain' is one of those albums that, for some reason, has been talked up so much over the decades that it has now become something that people buy, and say they love, simply because that's what's expected.
A lot of Davis' albums fall into this category - 'On The Corner' is another good example - an almost unlistenable album that many self-conscious music-lovers profess to 'get' when, in reality, they would only be able to tolerate listening to it a few times before putting it away for good (in a smugly conspicuous position, I might add) in the hope that they can impress their friends by owning it.
OK, I'm being a bit extreme here, 'Sketches of Spain' is far from unlistenable; in many places it is very tender and beautiful, in others there is superb tension and release, but it is most certainly NOT one of the all-time greatest jazz records.
More often than not it is tedious, and Davis' playing too unfocused - as though he wasn't quite sure exactly what to play in parts. The orchestral accompaniment at times is just brilliant, but at others strays too far into muzak territory or abstraction just for the sake of it.
I guess it's a mixed bag really.
If you want to hear the best that the Davis-Evans collaboration produced you'd be far better off with 'Miles Ahead' or 'Porgy & Bess', and if you want to hear Spanish classical/folk music rendered perfectly, then get hold of a few decent recordings of music by Rodrigo (there are a few budget-priced CDs on Naxos which are a good start).
If you're a big Miles fan then you'll no doubt want to own this - it is certainly a distinctive disc in the whole Davis canon - but don't try to fool yourself or convince others that it is worthy of the 5 stars that every man and his dog throw at it.

miles en espanol, 02 Sep 2007
This is a great rendition of various Spanish pieces,most notably "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquin Rodrigo.Miles and Gil Evans seem to really enjoy this,and while it's not as cutting edge as "Kind Of Blue",it's great fun.By the by,Rodrigo,when he heard Miles' version,hated it.No pleasing some people!!

Miles fuses the sounds of Spain with American Jazz, 19 Mar 2007
Sketches of Spain is one of my favorite of Miles Davis' fusion works. Here, he fuses the sounds of Spain with American Jazz. It's not nearly as radical as much of his fusion work, but it's not likely to be heard on an elevator either. If you've enjoyed Miles' easiest-to-listen-to-albums (for example, Kind of Blue, Birth of the Cool), and you want to be challenged just a little more, take a listen to Sketches of Spain.


Pictures Of A Master, 31 May 2006
When I got this album it came in a three pack which included Kind of Blue and Porgy and Bess; this is fundamental Jazz; another classic from this man; whos life I have now adopted as god status; this is the man that got me into to Jazz in a massive way, this and its two companians are the three greatest Jazz albums from Davis and up there amoungst the best ever recorded

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands of times by thousands of artists and continue to be a top staple for jazz as its played all over the world. They have spilled over from jazz into other mediums. They introduced the wider world to the music of Brazil. Arguably the earlier Getz/Byrd, album put Brazil on the wider musical map but it was this album that exposed it in all its exotic glory.

Brazil is a land in which there are as many genres of music as there are in the rest of the world put together. The influence of Jobim and Bossa and their quintessence as captured in these songs, on this album, continues to be a point of departure and return for any number of musical offshoots in their home country, and beyond, to this very day.

From a musicological point of view the impact of this album is unprecedented. There is no other album which has so vividly alerted such a huge proportion of the world to what was going on in a previously little known lesser part of the world, the repercussions of which are still playing out, with vivacity and freshness, almost fifty years later.

Sax Max, 02 Jun 2006
Bossa Nova was and is not to everybody's taste. Many jazz aficianados can't stand Astrud Gilberto's singing either. The thing with this session in particular, however, is Stan Getz's playing. There is only one word for it - divine! Which is why I suspect there are so many accolades for this CD. The brevity and melodiousness of his ideas is quite exceptional, not so on many other examples of his work before or after.

I love jazz and I like this, but I can't say I can listen to Bossa Nova all the time. Stan Getz on this CD, however, I don't think I'll tire of...

Getting in the groove, 31 Dec 2005
Great album for bossa nova. Fun to listen and get in the groove of dreaming of Brazil.. or mellow enough to have in the background for a wine party.

Getz/Gilberto, 06 May 2004
I think you either have an innate love of this sort of music built in or it is something that will be totally lost on you ...if its there and you stumble across it you will never look back..
I already had 7 of the tracks on other cd's but the three i did'nt have are absolutely enchanting and worth the price on their own.
I could listen to this a thousand times and find something new in Stan Getz's incredible intonation every time.
If you hav'nt heard this stuff before,if you have an open mind,like walking on a deserted beach just where the sea meets the sand,if you love living ...you might just love this...
The best Bossa Nova there is.

Mark

Pure Cool, 26 Feb 2004
I've been listening to jazz for about 5 years now and wanting to broaden my taste i thought this would be a good direction to go. And what a direction to go!! The album has the ever popular Girl From Ipanema but the more i listen to it, the more i fall in love with the beauty of the other songs. Stan Getz ability is beyond words, as goes for Jobim on the guitar. The voices of Joau and Astrud Gilberto round the album off superbly causing you to hum and sing with them. This album has shown me there is more to bossa nova than i thought. So buy it, and then sit back, close your eyes and think of Brazil!!!

Really Superb Brubeck SACD, 08 Jan 2008
Below is the review I recently posted on Amazon.com for the Dave Brubeck Take Five SACD. I really felt I should post the reveiw on Amazon.co.uk also, as there appear to be reviews which relate only to the CD release - same story with US Amazon. Surely there must be others out there that could stand up for this superb SACD album??!!

Although I'm not what I consider to be a great fan of jazz, I have enjoyed Dave Brubeck's music for quite some time. For the last two and a half years or so, I have bought almost only high resolution music (DVD-A or SACD), and was determined to buy this disc soon. For a short while, several years ago, I owned the standard CD version of this album - until I donated it to my father-in-law. For anyone reading this reveiw, I can confirm that there is little comparison possible between the CD version of this album, and this SACD version. Please note; this is an SACD, and not an SACD hybrid. This means that a dedicated SACD player is required for playback, unlike the hybrid SACDs where at least the CD layer can be accessed with a standard CD player. If you have an SACD player, and a half-decent set of speakers, I can't imagine how anyone would fail to be impressed. The clarity of the recording, and it's 3-dimensionalism is amazing. It is really like having someone play in your living room. For those interested, this disc offers a stereo and a 5.1 audio option, and comes packaged in a "standard CD" jewel case - unlike many SACDs which come in so-called "Super Jewel Boxes". My universal disc player is set to default to multi-channel playback wherever possible on SACDs or DVD-A, and I have therefore not listened to this disc in stereo. The multi-channel mix though is very subtle, and most of the sound comes from the front speakers, leaving the rear speakers to help create a surround effect. This works perfectly well on this disc, and I coudn't imagine how it would work any other way.

If you like Dave Brubeck and have an HD audio player, go out an buy this album. If you don't yet own an HD audio player, go out and buy one! It's high time that the standard CD hurried up and died, and made way for music only on the hi-res formats such as SACD or DVD-A!

Great Memories of Childhood, 12 Jun 2007
My review title may seem a bit strange but for a child who was born in the late 1950s and whose childhood was mainly in the 1960s these tunes feel as familiar and comfortable as a well worn pair of slippers. I can remember all the tunes being played at some time or other on TV programmes but in particular the track "Take Five" stands out for my generation as it was used for the animated "keep the countryside tidy" campaign. Who cannot forget the startled line only deer running away from a forest fire caused by a carelessly dropped cigarette.

The music is of a high standard and although Jazz was always one type of music I could take or leave I have found myself liking more and more as I discovered where many rock groups derived their influences from.

This is an essential addition to any music lover's collection and is a great album for putting on at the end of a warm day and for listening to whilst sipping a nice cold Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand of course!) dreaming about how great the world seemed when one was young and you know what it still is!


The Best Jazz Album Ever?, 01 Jun 2007
I think this is an excellent album. It experiments, but still sounds totally commercial and melodic. The different time signatures give the album a unique element that other bands of the era couldn't grasp. All of the playing is tuneful and tastefully done; you'll definitely be humming the melodies for days afterwards. The standout track is obviously 'take five', which incorporates an infectious saxophone riff, plodding piano and a simple but very effective drum solo.

This should be in every Jazz collection full stop. And if the word Jazz normally scares you off, don't worry, this is the creme de la creme, its definitely worth the money if your looking for something different to contemporary music.

Songs that made him famous, 06 Apr 2007
This is perhaps Dave Brubeck's most famous album, though not necessarily his best. These are the studio recordings that launched the quartet's most famous phase and established their international reputation. Strictly speaking this record should be called, the songs that made him famous. Modern jazz of a more commercial flavour was frowned on when this work saw the light of day and Brubeck was suitably admonished. Brubeck may have his faults but like Picasso he managed to turn them to his advantage. This recording will live in the annals of history with "Take Five" appearing in the pop charts and establishing the quartet's manifesto. The performances here are laid back and ultra cool, for more atomic renderings of the quartet's immortal repertoire try "The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall". "Time Out" is well worth the effort; it's the modern jazz album for people who don't like modern jazz. Having it in your collection could change your musical ear forever, even if you limit yourself to only one Brubeck album. The quartet's members are virtually all famous in their own right, at least in the jazz world; with many musicians paying their respects at worldwide sell out concerts. In the climate of the sixties the band had managed a break through in an age dominated by the simplistic rhythms of rock`n'roll. They were drawing attention to musicianship and technique, which a decade later became the foundation for more progressive rock. So if you missed the Brubeck group first time round and spent the time listening to some dreadful one hit wonder, this is your chance to make up for lost time.

Listening to this on the way to hear Dave Brubeck last night, 04 Dec 2006
Dave Brubeck was in Houston for a concert last night, and we were listening to this album on the way there. A classic album, a classic artist. Though there was no Paul Desmond at the concert, it was fantastic to finally get to hear Dave in person.

It's hard to pick a favorite tune from this album, as they are all wonderful to listen to. "Take Five", the main hit from this album, sounds great on this remastered version, and it sounded amazing as his 85 year old hands tickled the ivories at the concert. Bobby Militello filled in well and amply for Paul Desmond on sax at the performance, by the way.

In addition to "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo A La Turk", I also enjoy "Kathy's Waltz" and "Everybody's Jumpin'", with the Sax lead opening and Dave's piano answering, and the following exchange and counter point.

Also, if you have not heard any of Dave Brubeck's choral arrangements, I would highly recommend them. They were played last night with the Dave Brubeck quartet, the Houston Chamber Choir and a brass section. Simply amazing. You can find them on his albums "The Gates of Justice" and "To Hope".


Excellent music for all ages and tastes. You can't go wrong with this!!! , 18 Oct 2008
This music album was made in 1963 and it's totally timeless and as fresh in 2008 as when it was first made. I'm 43 and my dad is 70. My 8 year old son and all of us can't get enough of this. Getz's Chega De Saudade (One note samba) is totally the best jazz funk ever and all the other melodies are totally gold as well. You can buy this for yourslef or as a gift for a friend and it's totally priceless - worth a 100 times it's weight in gold. Enjoy!!!!

Great disc - everyone should have this in their collection, 20 May 2007
I grew up during the '60s and this was another of the great musical themes of the time but I believe its much more enduring than the Beatles and will outlive rock. That aside I just love the relaxed happy snap and swing of '60s Bossa Nova and no one does it better than Getz and friends - ironic really when you think of it - an American jazz musician driving the popularity and enduring for 50 years that way!
If you don't know something from this disc I'd be surprised and whilst I know my own kids aren't wrapped in it, I don't understand that and think they will come round any day soon!
If you like sax and latin styles you should give this a go (that's one of the other discs you should have by the way "Getz a go go" live with Astrid Gilberto, again very much of the time yet timeless. I love the interpretative irony of the telephone song).

The best Stan Getz Album, 07 Mar 2000
The best Stan Getz album money can buy. Relaxing soothing sounds to wind down to. Jazz Masters have excelled themselves with this selection.

Very cool and laid back., 16 Jan 2000
Very relaxing,just the thing after a hard days work. You can't help relaxing with a drink listening to this . A very well put together cd, good mix of classic tracks,well balanced to give you a cool and laid back evening!

Once Chet Baker arrived in California from his native Oklahoma, his career exploded. After landing gigs with Charlie Parker and Gerry Mulligan, Baker soon found himself a solo star and bandleader. Not long after that, he also found himself whispering love songs into a microphone. Baker was not gifted with the most robust voice of the day. Indeed, listening to pure singers like Nat King Cole or Johnny Hartman can expose Baker's weaknesses, but what Baker did he did well. By choosing wistful, so-young, so-in-love tunes, Baker was able to pour his heart into the material, sketching soft, romantic moods and painting himself as the broken-hearted innocent. The effect can be devastating, as Baker's voice clings to the melody, threatening to disintegrate at any moment. Many of his best tunes--"I Fall in Love Too Easily", "But Not for Me", "Let's Get Lost"--are collected here, and, as such, there is no better place to begin an appreciation of Baker's unique singing. --S. Duda

Estate Agents and other coffee-tablists: This is not the be-all and end-all of jazz!, 21 Nov 2008
It has already been said here that this album is usually found in non-jazz fans' collections alongside Bob Marley's greatest hits and most probably David Gray's entire ouvre. Perhaps it stands sentry there unplayed, just so its spine can be read, head tilted sideways, begging to impress upon whoever it is browsing through their collection some ill-gotten measure of sophistication? Perhaps they did play it once then decided no, they were right about jazz all along?

Modal, understated, and (aaargh!) cool, or tedious, cicuitous and under-cooked? Amongst aficionados, the most fiercely debated issue with the session is whether you are appreciating it at the correct pitch (an issue with the tape playback speed when it was mastered). That sums up the excitement levels for you. Hardly a dynamic recording to bolster enthusiasm for a novice jazz listener.

Personally, I feel sad for Bobby Timmons. Who? The pianist in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers who wrote 'Moanin'' the year previous to this release. If he had had the temerity to just repeat the head to that tune up a semitone and then back down again as Miles practically does here (on 'So What'), it would be that album redundantly nestling in millions of style magazine-reading cretins' cd collections rather than this (somehow I picture Robert Elms owning 2 dozen copies). I find modal jazz to be a device that is prone to being abused as a way to stretch out lame ideas for twice as long as they need to be, and Miles was always fond of waiting until the cab ride to the studio to write the material. Just saying.

Just so this is not completely written off as a Davis-hating rant, here are my pointers for a few other jazz albums (from the exact same time frame as this: 1958-9) for the uninitiated to peruse rather than this stultifyingly obvious choice. Beware neophytes; no one musical genre can be defined by (and thus written off by) one album and I really do want to encourage more people to listen to jazz. These just strike me as being as accessible as Kind Of Blue.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Horace Silver - Blowin' The Blues Away
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train
Gil Evans - The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions
Bennie Green - Soul Stirrin'

My noted Blue Note bia