August 17: Miles Davis Released the Masterpiece “Kind of Blue” in 1959

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“It must have been made in heaven.”
– Jimmy Cobb

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Kind of Blue is a studio album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released August 17, 1959, on Columbia Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place at Columbia’s 30th Street Studio in New York City on March 2 and April 22, 1959. The sessions featured Davis’s ensemble sextet, which consisted of pianist Bill Evans (Wynton Kelly on one track), drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley.

Though precise figures have been disputed, Kind of Blue has been described by many music writers not only as Davis’s best-selling album, but as the best-selling jazz record of all time. On October 7, 2008, it was certified quadruple platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It has been regarded by many critics as the greatest jazz album of all time and Davis’s masterpiece.

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The album’s influence on music, including jazz, rock, and classical music, has led music writers to acknowledge it as one of the most influential albums ever made. In 2002, it was one of fifty recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. In 2003, the album was ranked number 12 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

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October 11: Miles Davis released On The Corner in 1972

“Miles is a magician. When almost all of his contemporaries not only dismissed rock but R&B as somehow beneath their notice (for which read rival for geetz and gigs), Miles bought Sly Stone records and went to hear Jimi Hendrix. Anybody who doubts this doesn’t have to ask Miles. He tells you all about it in his music.”
– Rolling Stone Magazine (Album review, Dec. 1972)

On The Corner was recorded in June and July 1972 and released later that year by Columbia Records. The album continued Davis’s exploration of jazz fusion, bringing together funk rhythms with the influence of experimental composer Karlheinz Stockhausen and free jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman. Continue reading “October 11: Miles Davis released On The Corner in 1972”

1971: 30 Songs Released in 1971 You Must Hear





My rules:

  • Only one song per artist/group
  • The song must be released that specific year
  • Songs from live albums not allowed
  • Restricted to only 20 songs

Heaps of wonderful music was released in 1971, here are my 30 chosen songs.

    • Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones

      A song by The Rolling Stones from their 1971 album Sticky Fingers, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Rolling Stone ranked it at No. 334 in its “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list in 2004.

      Childhood living is easy to do
      The things you wanted I bought them for you
      Graceless lady you know who I am
      You know I can’t let you slide through my hands




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May 26: The Late Jazz Legend Miles Davis Birthday

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Miles Davis (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991)

“Don’t play what’s there; play what’s not there.”
― Miles Davis

“Good music is good no matter what kind of music it is.”
― Miles Davis

Miles Davis is my definition of cool. I loved to see him in the small clubs playing his solo, turn
his back on the crowd, put down his horn and walk off the stage, let the band keep playing,
and then come back and play a few notes at the end.
~Bob Dylan (to Scott Cohen – Sept 1985)

Miles Davis Quintet – Footprints – 31 Oct 67 (Stockholm, Sweden):

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