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I don't understand Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue"

I'm new to Jazz. While I enjoy Amstrong and Fitzgerald duo and some of Amstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven pieces, I fail to appreciate "Kind of Blue" which is praised by many as cornerstone CD in jazz. What I hear from the CD is background music that is repetitous throughout the song and seemingly random saxo, or similar instrument - pardon my ignorance of instruments, in the front. The background music bothers me because it's simple and repetitive. Perhaps this is not my type of music. Or should I listen to other CDs before appreciate this one?

Can someone educate me what is great about this CD?
jlc993nc9cf
unsound
6,115 posts
 
I love the music of Miles Davis and I love this recording. That doesn't mean you have to. Some things hit me all at once. Some things take time to appreciate. For what ever reason some things never take hold. To each his own.
sayas
181 posts
 
try the book, cd included, "what to listen to in jazz" by barry kernfeld. the cd includes 21 "historic" jazz recordings! Listen to Manteca while you are at it...

ENJOY!
sayas
181 posts
 
'What to listen FOR in Jazz' by Barry Kernfeld.
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
Like all milestones; since the style, techniques, formula, etc, etc are copied over and over again, future generation may not understand why it was so special. It seems typical to them.

Take the movie "Citizen Kane". It set too many new movie standards to ever list them all, on how movies are constructed, shot and edited. The techniques first used by Orson Wells have been copied so many times (thousands), that young people who watch it go.... "what's the big deal with this movie?"

Same goes for British director Michael Powell's films.
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,111 posts
 
I have not read through all the responses, but there is also the issue of the sound Miles had on this LP. He was praised at the time for having a unique sound which upon further inspection turned out to be due to a tape speed issue. Before this discovery many jazz musicians were trying unsuccessfully to duplicate the sound he had.
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