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Kind of Blue (50th Anniversary)

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (50th Anniversary) Audio CD

A fair review of the Miles Davis "Kind of Blue (50th Anniversary)" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Miles Davis reviews here, or go back to the Miles Davis tabs.

Band: Miles Davis
Title: Kind of Blue (50th Anniversary)
Rating:

Release Date: 2008-09-30
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: So What 2: Freddie Freeloader 3: Blue In Green 4: All Blues 5: Flamenco Sketches 6: Flamenco Sketches (alternate take) 7: Freddie Freeloader (Studio Sequence 1) 8: Freddie Freeloader (False Start) 9: Freddie Freeloader (Studio Sequence 2) 10: So What (Studio Sequence 1) 11: So What (Studio Sequence 2) 12: Blue In Green (Studio Sequence) 13: Flamenco Sketches (Studio Sequence 1) 14: Flamenco Sketches (Studio Sequence 2) 15: All Blues (Studio Sequence) 16: On Green Dolphin Street 17: Fran-Dance 18: Stella By Starlight 19: Love For Sale 20: Fran-Dance (alternate take) 21: So What 22: So What (vinyl side A) 23: Freddie Freeloader (vinyl side A) 24: Blue In Green (vinyl side A) 25: All Blues (vinyl side B) 26: Flamenco Sketches ((vinyl side B)

Kind of Blue
The packaging is not good. I read the criticism (primarily of the packaging) of the 50th Anniversary edition by Miles Davis. The cd/dvd inserts is a good idea but it was not thought through. I love the blue vinyl and I think the hardcover book is very nice. The other items are unmemorable. The extra tracks are hit or miss, mostly miss. I haven't watched the dvd. The pictures are printed poorly and not worth a 2nd look. Still I think the record is very nice and sounds great.

50th Anniversary Kind of Blue Boxed Set
I waited till the price came down and have really enjoyed all of the box set.
Miles did sometimes say he "didn't want a white opinion" but I gotta tell you that I waited like a kid excited for a Christmas toy for this set to arrive. It's very well done. So NICE to see, feel, admire, a REAL long playing album again. What "20 something" knows what an "LP" is?? Ha!!

Thanks, Miles! Rest in eternal jazz!!!

Dave Freeeman
San Francisco, CA.

Packaging is very poorly designed

The books, etc are very nice, but not worth the inability to have good, clean vinyl. Many people have said it, but the following was damaged:

The LP
The CDs
The DVD

All scratched.

Still waiting for the ultimate Kind of Blue release!

But what could this box set have been, when it was done with the ambition to make all errors from the past up?
So why did Sony/Columbia NOT give us the entire, uncut and complete studiosequences, with all tracks in the order they were recorded, and all false starts and studio chatter?
It really does NOT make sense to release the tracks, and after that only a selection of the studio chatter and false starts. Let me first point out that this project was ambitious enough, that the music is still great after 50 years.
There is no connection between what was happening in the studio and the music, and that's why you give this studio chatter, etc. , for in the first place.
This Special Edition is compiled for true collectors of Miles' music and lovers of this great record "Kind of Blue".
These collectors and lovers have, you might expect, already one, maybe more releases of the album at home.
So they are looking for something they don't have, and hope that all the errors and mysteries are solved with this release.
From the several Japanese releases we know that it is possible to release the complete two sessions as they were recorded in 1959, so why did Sony NOT release those?
The most interesting music of the other recordings during that time was most certainly the television broadcast "The Sound of Miles Davis" recorded between the two sessions of Kind of Blue.
Certainly "So What" of these sessions is the most interesting track, since here we can hear how this fine track sounds with pianist Wynton Kelly, instead of Bill Evans, and Cannonball Adderley (who was ill) replaced by three trombones.
This track is much more interesting than the version of "So What" recorded much later in Amsterdam. (and I am from the Netherlands).
Why give us a blue vinyl record in this box set?
It's only a gimmick that was already done before, but NOT for real collector's.
The poster is most certainly intented for those who are still having a room full of popstars hanging around, and the material on the DVD was also already released completely.
That leaves only the book, and to be honest the book is nice, has great pictures, but has several errors and leaves so many questions open.
Questions about:
- The speed error of side A.
- The mix up about the switch of the tracks on Side B.
- The correct recordingdata, and why that was corrected by Sony in the first place on The Master Sound Edition of 1992 by Amy Herot.
I think Columbia Legacy has something to explain. Because in 1992 the recording date for the second session was changed to April 6, 1959.
Mind you the first time we got "corrected speed".
- Who wrote what of "Kind of Blue"?
We all know that the liner notes from Bill Evans are not correct, but did nobody see there are two handwritings on the original handwritten liners of Bill?
He left the titles out, and when Macero took over from Towsend and asked Miles for it, he gave the wrong titles!
Why? Because Bill Evans wrote all the sketches, and maybe he also wrote all music, and inveted the titles, including that of the record, also.
Problem with all those questions and books around Miles and Kind of Blue: they are all written by Miles Davis fans.
Miles "used" music from others before, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson can tell, Gil Evans, Jimmy Heath, Charlie Mingus, etc. , etc. , and most certainly Bill Evans too.
I really like Ashley Kahn's book, certainly far better than the other, but he stops with his research when it is at its most interesting point.
On several cards and memo's you can see Bill's handwriting too.
Even on Townsend memo's.
We know he came to Miles home several times to arrange for these sessions, even on the morning of the first session, we know he wrote certainly at least two tunes, we know he did all sketches, we know. . . . . . . . .
But here all research stops.
I am not impressed by Miles excuses that he wrote "Donna Lee" and Charlie Parker stole that away from him.
That's no excuse to give Bill Evans laughing $ 25! An insult.
After all Miles could hardly play "Donna Lee", he did it just once and it was too difficult for him.
So how on earth can you compose a tune that is too difficult to play yourself?

This box was THE oportunity to deal with all the questions that still surround that wonderful music.
But it did NOT, and with all respect it should.
The truth should come out, and Bill Evans should finally have the credits he deserved 50 years ago.

This story alone is like a thriller, and I hope that the makers of a film about Miles will deal with all these unsolved mysteries.
When such a film is released I sure hope Sony or Columbia will come up with a complete box set.
This time with all errors explained, all studio chatter, false start, and all music released the way it was recorded on those two sessions, and of course with the correct data.

This record, this music and the musical legacy of all musicians involved, deserve just that.
And all jazzlovers, like you and me, too.

Arnold van Kampen, writer about jazz, Netherlands.
.

Great product, lousy stock from Amazon.
Unfortunately, both the original and the replacement set I received from Amazon contained scratched DVDs & CDs, both contained warped vinyl lps, and on one side of one of the LPs, the stamper had operated off center. The disks in this box set contain fantastic material.
Amazon sold this set about $30. 00 cheaper than anywhere else.
My impression is that these were B-stock offers.

You can see a complete list of all Miles Davis discography, or go back to the Miles Davis tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.