So What

I thought I would feature a song from one of my favorite Jazz albums. Actually, it is pretty much everyone's favorite jazz album.

Kind of Blue isn't merely an artistic highlight for Miles Davis, it's an album that towers above its peers, a record generally considered as the definitive jazz album. To be reductive, it's the Citizen Kane of jazz -- an accepted work of greatness that's innovative and entertaining. That may not mean it's the greatest jazz album ever made, but it certainly is a universally acknowledged standard of excellence. [Ref. Allmusic.]

There is some disagreement as to whether this is the best-selling jazz record ever, or if that title belongs to Miles Davis's 1970 album Bitches Brew. I don't think it matters that much.

Today's song is 9 minutes or so, so you might want to grab a beverage before getting started.

This is "So What" by Miles Davis, featuring John Coltrane, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, and Bill Evans. It originally appeared on the 1959 album Kind of Blue. In addition to those listed above, the album also included Paul Chambers playing bass, and Jimmy Cobb on the drums.