66 years ago today, Miles Davis released “Kind of Blue” Kind of Blue is regarded by many as a true masterpiece, the greatest jazz album ever recorded, and one of the best albums of all time… But what made the album so extraordinary? A thread 🧵

Miles Davis, ever the musical chameleon, decided to ditch the hard bop sound for something fresh. Inspired by French composers like Ravel and Debussy, and the rhythmic vibes of Les Ballets Africains, he turned to modal jazz, a style where traditional harmonies took a backseat to modal improvisation. Think of it as jazz without the jazz chords, just pure, modal magic.

From '55 to '58, Miles had his "first great quintet" featuring jazz legends like John Coltrane and Paul Chambers. Cannonball Adderley joined later, and the piano seat was a revolving door with Red Garland, Bill Evans, and Wynton Kelly. Philly Joe Jones was the drummer with a drug problem, leading to his eventual replacement by Jimmy Cobb. This lineup was the backbone of what would become "Kind of Blue."

@SVG__Collection During that same period, he recorded Porgy and Bess, then Sketches of Spain, with Gil Evans. So Kind of Blue was hardly his only move away from bop at that time. And of course his soundtrack for Elevator to the Gallows at that same time.