Miles Davis Kind Of Blue Analysis

In the year 1959, Jazz innovator Miles Davis created a sound that would inspire generations of artists in Jazz, R&B, Rap, and Rock. Early that year, Davis had laid down the album Kind of Blue, a record that would be the foundation of modal jazz. As Davis’ best selling album, the record was a major hit with critics and listeners everywhere. Showcasing each songs complexity through soloing, Davis was able to entice educated listeners with the simplicity of the modes.
The musicality behind Kind of Blue, first showed up in his earlier work; especially his album Milestone. Milestone was an album recorded with Davis’ “first great quintet” augmented as a sextet. The musicians on the album include: Julian Adderley on alto sax, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on double bass, and Philly Jones on drums. Milestone was Davis’ first attempt at developing modal jazz. Throughout the album there is a strong blues presence on it. To begin with Dr. Jackle show cases Davis’ mastery of his instrument. A style of playing more akin to Louis Armstrong and Roy Eldridge, the tempo is fast paced and lively. Following is Sid’s Ahead, a slower song that has a post-bop blues feel. In the song the Saxophones mirror each other exchanging choruses. Next is Two Bass Hit, an
An iconic example of modal jazz. Improvisation makes up most of the piece, but the riffs from the rhythm section truly set up the soloist for great solos. The exchange between the bass and the rest of the band. The antecedent phrase is played by the bass, which plays a rising line of notes. Following, the piano and or the rest of the band respond with two chords moving downwards in response to the bass. These chords are a whole step apart and consist of the 1, 4th , m 7th , m 3rd , and 5th . The final chord of the phrase ends with a borrowed chord , establishing the harmonic middle of the