Kind of Blue turns 50

Seekerofsplendor — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:22:27 -0800

As jazz fans know, fifty years ago on March 2, 1959, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb met at the Columbia 30th Street Studios in NYC for the first session of Miles new album, Kind of Blue. (Link goes to the 50th anniversary collector's box set edition page at amazon.) It was the touchstone for many other future recordings bearing its mighty influence and it fostered several high profile careers, and a new modal sound for jazz. Kind of Blue went on to be certified platinum, selling 4 million records, the most ever for a jazz album. Bill Evans had left the band in late 1958, but was called back by Miles for the sessions, which included his new pianist Wynton Kelly on one track only, Freddie Freeloader. The tunes they did that day, "So What", "Blue in Green" (written by Evans, though credited to Miles) and "Freeloader" all became standards as did "All Blues" from the April session. Documentaries and entire books have been written on this one album alone. The phenomenon lives on. (previously on AskMeFi, but just on Trane and Miles.)

Jazz bassist who blew them all away

Seekerofsplendor — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:03:15 -0800

In July of 1961, the bass genius Scott LaFaro, perished in a fiery car crash after visiting family and friends in upstate NY, just ten days after doing the last gigs he would ever do with the great Bill Evans's trio (which became the legendary live recordings from the Vanguard) . He was only 24 years old. But he was also developing as a fine writer as well, as this Evans trio track - a mystical ballad in 9/4, shows. LaFaro, one jazz' greatest innovators, blazed a trail in only six short years with Ornette Coleman, Stan Getz, Hampton Hawes, Victor Feldman (once Miles Davis' pianist, and a Steely Dan studio regular), Freddie Hubbard and many others. But he is still best known for his revolutionary contributions to that classic Evans trio. (previously). After this rendering of "Jade Visions", Evans never played it again anywhere. (Though he did do LaFaro's "Gloria's Step" frequently in the 70s.)

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Kind of Blue turns 50

Jazz bassist who blew them all away