Miles Davis

Kind of Blue

First released1959

Kind of Blue was recorded at Columbia Records' 30th Street Studio in New York City across two sessions in March and April of 1959, produced by Teo Macero who became Davis's longtime collaborator. The album featured Miles Davis's first great quintet along with pianist Bill Evans and saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, and was notable for employing modal jazz improvisation rather than the bebop changes that dominated contemporary jazz. The recording sessions were relatively informal, with Davis providing minimal written arrangements and allowing musicians considerable freedom to explore the modal frameworks, particularly on pieces like "So What" and "Flamenco Sketches." Engineer Fred Plaut captured the sessions with Columbia's state-of-the-art equipment, and Macero's production choices, including his use of selective editing and sequencing, helped shape the album's cohesive sound. Released in August 1959, Kind of Blue became a landmark recording that fundamentally shifted jazz aesthetics and remains one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time.