Kind of Blue
Miles Davis 1959 pioneering
modal jazz
The sound of space between notes becoming more important than the notes themselves.
Acoustic Profile
Production
Method: live-dominant
Fidelity: raw
first-take recordingmodal scales as improvisation basisminimal rehearsal spontaneity
Vocal
Approach: instrumental
Lyrical Abstraction: 10/10
Mood & Theme
serenity melancholy introspection
Territory: stillness-in-motion, harmonic-space-as-freedom
Emotional Arc: sustained-floating-contemplation
Era & Context
Late 1950s jazz at a crossroads. Replaced chord-change tyranny with modal freedom, creating the template for the next decade of jazz.
Spiritual Links (48)
Portrait in Jazz Bill Evans (1960)
9/10 improvisational-freedomminimalist-reduction
Maiden Voyage Herbie Hancock (1965)
8/10 improvisational-freedomsonic-experimentation
Éthiopiques Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale Mulatu Astatke (1974)
8/10 minimalist-reductionspiritual-seeking
Crescent John Coltrane (1964)
7/10 minimalist-reductionspiritual-seeking
My Favorite Things John Coltrane (1961)
7/10 minimalist-reductionspiritual-seeking
The Low End Theory A Tribe Called Quest (1991)
7/10 minimalist-reductionimprovisational-freedom
Mingus Ah Um Charles Mingus (1959)
7/10 improvisational-freedomcommercial-accessibility-meets-depth
Little Girl Blue Nina Simone (1958)
7/10 minimalist-reductionlate-night-atmospherespiritual-seeking
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane Thelonious Monk (1961)
7/10 improvisational-freedomcollaborative-tension
Mulatu of Ethiopia Mulatu Astatke (1972)
7/10 spiritual-seekingimprovisational-freedom
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune Claude Debussy (1894)
7/10 improvisational-freedomspiritual-seeking
Sunday at the Village Vanguard Bill Evans (1961)
7/10 improvisational-freedom
The Genius of Ray Charles Ray Charles (1959)
7/10 late-night-atmosphereimprovisational-freedom
Night Beat Sam Cooke (1963)
7/10 late-night-atmosphereminimalist-reduction
Astral Weeks Van Morrison (1968)
7/10 textural-explorationspiritual-seeking
Blue Lines Massive Attack (1991)
6/10 late-night-atmosphereminimalist-reduction
Protection Massive Attack (1994)
6/10 late-night-atmosphereminimalist-reduction
Empyrean Isles Herbie Hancock (1964)
6/10 improvisational-freedomsonic-experimentation
River: The Joni Letters Herbie Hancock (2007)
6/10 improvisational-freedomtextural-exploration
Harmony of Difference Kamasi Washington (2017)
6/10 improvisational-freedomspiritual-seeking
Canvas Robert Glasper (2005)
6/10 improvisational-freedomlate-night-atmosphere
A Love Supreme John Coltrane (1965)
6/10 spiritual-seekingminimalist-reduction
Blue Train John Coltrane (1958)
6/10 improvisational-freedomstudio-as-instrument
Ptah, the El Daoud Alice Coltrane (1970)
6/10 spiritual-seekingminimalist-reduction
What's Going On Marvin Gaye (1971)
6/10 spiritual-seekingminimalist-reduction
Fulfillingness' First Finale Stevie Wonder (1974)
6/10 minimalist-reductionspiritual-seeking
Monk's Dream Thelonious Monk (1963)
6/10 commercial-accessibility-meets-depthimprovisational-freedom
Ali Farka Touré (Red Album) Ali Farka Touré (1988)
6/10 minimalist-reductionspiritual-seeking
Savane Ali Farka Touré (2006)
6/10 minimalist-reductionspiritual-seeking
Talking Timbuktu Ali Farka Touré (1994)
6/10 spiritual-seekingcollaborative-tension
The River Ali Farka Touré (1990)
6/10 minimalist-reductionlate-night-atmosphere
New York - Addis - London Mulatu Astatke (2009)
6/10 spiritual-seekingcollaborative-tension
Modal Soul Nujabes (2005)
6/10 improvisational-freedomlate-night-atmosphere
Metaphorical Music Nujabes (2003)
6/10 improvisational-freedomlate-night-atmosphere
Genius + Soul = Jazz Ray Charles (1961)
6/10 improvisational-freedom
Takin' Off Herbie Hancock (1962)
5/10 improvisational-freedom
In My Element Robert Glasper (2007)
5/10 improvisational-freedom
The Birthday Concert Jaco Pastorius (1981)
5/10 improvisational-freedomspiritual-seeking
Baduizm Erykah Badu (1997)
5/10 spiritual-seekingminimalist-reduction
Hejira Joni Mitchell (1976)
5/10 minimalist-reductionimprovisational-freedom
Let's Get It On Marvin Gaye (1973)
5/10 minimalist-reductionlate-night-atmosphere
Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall Nina Simone (1963)
5/10 improvisational-freedomlate-night-atmosphere
Shahbaaz Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1991)
5/10 spiritual-seekingimprovisational-freedom
Shades of Blue Madlib (2003)
5/10 spiritual-seekingminimalist-reduction
Hot Buttered Soul Isaac Hayes (1969)
5/10 late-night-atmosphereimprovisational-freedom
Now's the Time Charlie Parker (1957)
5/10 improvisational-freedomminimalist-reduction
Small Change Tom Waits (1976)
5/10 Sensory Overloadtextural-exploration
Dummy Portishead (1994)
4/10 minimalist-reductionlate-night-atmosphere
Influences
Absorbed from
Influenced
Similar Albums (Cross-Artist)
1
Waltz for Debby Bill Evans (1961)
86% 2 Éthiopiques Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale Mulatu Astatke (1974)
84% 3 Mulatu of Ethiopia Mulatu Astatke (1972)
84% 4 Maiden Voyage Herbie Hancock (1965)
78% 5 Canvas Robert Glasper (2005)
78% 6 Glassworks Philip Glass (1982)
78% 7 Portrait in Jazz Bill Evans (1960)
77% 8 BTTB Ryuichi Sakamoto (1999)
77% 9 Monk's Dream Thelonious Monk (1963)
76% 10 Far East Suite Duke Ellington (1967)
75%