Miles Davis‘ greatest album (in my mind) is Kind of Blue. It was recorded in 1959, and this is the 50th anniversary. So I call on my friend at Crooks and Liars, Mike Finnigan, a famous keyboard musician (has played with Dave Mason, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, and tons of others), to talk about Miles and everything that was happening around 1959. This is a great conversation featuring some outstanding music from Duke Ellington, Clifford Brown, Art Blakey, and the Jazz Messengers. Because this was only a 20-minute conversation, we could not get to all the influences I wanted to discuss.
There was so much going on in the late 50s. There is the rise of rock ‘n’ roll with Elvis Presley. The crooners like Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, and Bing Crosby are at the height of their popularity. Television is becoming more widely available. This is the backdrop in which Miles Davis is trying to get attention. Miles Davis wants to be not just the most popular jazz musician but the most popular musician of all time. Jazz, specifically swing music, had been the most popular form of American music since the late 30s. But by the mid-50s, its popularity was falling off, and some of the greats of jazz were dying. The great songstress, Billie Holiday, and Lester Young, the great saxophone player, get together on CBS’s The Sound of Jazz in 1957. In less than two years, both are dead. The great trumpet player Clifford Brown died in a car crash in June of 1956. The great Charlie Parker died in 1955. Even Miles Davis fought his own drug habit, but by the mid-1950s, Miles Davis was free of heroin and ready to change jazz again.
This is a great discussion with Mike Finnigan. We talk about the thunderous sounds of Art Blakey, the pure, clear sound of Clifford Brown, the revitalization of Duke Ellington, and the cool sound of Miles Davis. Mike does mention modal jazz. I am familiar with the term, but the definition is here. All I know is that modal jazz was a breakthrough. Enjoy!
I originally recorded this interview in 2009!! Mike Finnigan was a wonderful man and GREAT keyboard player. He died in 2021. He introduced me to Larry Fulcher.
More about Kind of Blue –
“Kind of Blue,” released on August 17, 1959, is widely considered not just a highlight of Miles Davis’s illustrious career but also one of the greatest and most influential jazz albums ever made. Recorded in two sessions in March and April of 1959 at Columbia’s 30th Street Studio in New York City, it marked a pivotal moment in jazz history, popularizing the concept of modal jazz.
Here’s what makes “Kind of Blue” so significant:
- Modal Jazz Pioneer: Departing from the complex chord progressions of hard bop that dominated the era, “Kind of Blue” embraced modality. Davis provided his sextet with simple scales and melodic outlines, giving them greater freedom to improvise based on these modes rather than fixed harmonic structures. This approach emphasized melody and the individual improviser’s creativity.
- All-Star Sextet: The album features a legendary lineup of musicians who were themselves or would become jazz giants:
- Miles Davis: Trumpet
- John Coltrane: Tenor Saxophone
- Julian “Cannonball” Adderley: Alto Saxophone
- Bill Evans: Piano (except on “Freddie Freeloader”)
- Wynton Kelly: Piano (“Freddie Freeloader”)
- Paul Chambers: Bass
- Jimmy Cobb: Drums
- Timeless Tracks: The album contains some of the most iconic and recognizable jazz compositions (All of these songs are so listenable):
- “So What”
- “Freddie Freeloader”
- “Blue in Green” (co-credited to Bill Evans)
- “All Blues”
- “Flamenco Sketches”
- Spontaneous Creation: Adding to its mystique, much of “Kind of Blue” was recorded with minimal rehearsal. Davis presented sketches of the melodies and scales to the musicians just before recording, capturing a sense of freshness and spontaneity. Bill Evans’s liner notes famously likened this approach to the unerasable ink of a Japanese calligrapher, emphasizing the “first mind, best mind” philosophy.
- Enduring Influence: Kind of Blue’s impact extends far beyond jazz. It has influenced musicians across various genres, including rock and classical music. Its emphasis on space, melody, and mood created a “cool” and introspective atmosphere that continues to resonate with listeners. It’s often cited as an entry point for those new to jazz and remains a staple in the collections of seasoned aficionados.
