Where to go from Kind of Blue?

[Caphead78]

I recently got Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, it is really my first foray into Jazz but I am enjoying it. Any suggestions for my next jazz purchase/purchases?? I have no idea where to start..

 

[tru blu]

Live with Miles for a bit. Get acclimated with the instrumental interplay before moving on. Then, either look for more Miles Davis acoustic records or search out the best stuff by the cats who accompany him on Kind Of Blue. That's an easy way to get into jazz without being bombarded by tons of names and suggestions.

 

[pow3rtr1p]

I would try John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" or "Blue Trane". He was the tenor sax player on that album. Kind of Blue is certainly a good start into jazz, though.
 
Are you looking for similar styles, just more jazz in general, a similar mood, more trumpets, more saxes, what? Lots of recommendations are coming to mind, but a lot of them would be useless without more specific guidelines as to what you liked about Kind of Blue.

 

[httran]

Time Out - Dave Brubeck
Idle Moments - Grant Green
Somethin' Else - Cannonball Adderley
Blue Train - John Coltrane
 
Those would be good places to start.

 

[fatcat28037]

Should you decide to try some jazz vocal I'd suggest this. It can be found on Amazon, used for $7.60

 

[Choronzon]

Do you want more "like" Kind of Blue? Want to branch out? Do you want just relatively random suggestions for "great records" or do you want to take a chronological approach (starting when) or do you feel drawn to a particular instrument or do you care if it's electric or acoustic, or vocal or instrumental, or small ensemble or big band (or solo)?
 
That said, get:
Art Blakey - "Free For All" -- it's like being inside a cement mixer, it's so intense; and it features another "all star" line-up to give you more names to pursue
John Coltrane - "A Love Supreme" or "Giant Steps" are usually the suggesitons for the-jazz-record-everyone-has-after-Kind-of-Blue.
Bill Evans - Waltz for Debbie or Sunday at the Village Vanguard. (Piano trio, swinging and beautiful -- and led by the pianist on most of Kind of Blue)
Count Basie - Complete Decca Recordings -- magnificent big band blues from the 1930s, in excellent sound.  Herschel Evans and Lester Young both, defining to streams of saxophone playing that remain relevant.
Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners -- more larger ensemble work, but this is really composed and knotty and FUN, see how far larger ensemble writing has come from the Basie riff-based stuff
Miles Davis - Miles Smiles. Later than Kind of Blue, with his next great band; and you'll get to hear the brilliance that Wayne Shorter brought to the music.
Paul Motian - Trioism.  Modern jazz, with the brilliant Joe Lovano on saxophone and the even more brilliant Bill Frisell on electric guitar; total telepathic interplay, guys who improvise melodically and rhythmically and harmonically as a unit, each one following the others best ideas, stop on a dime. It's also beautiful and subtle (Motian was the drummer in the Bill Evans trio suggested above).
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come.  The title was really correct.  This defined some very important developments in the music; ensemble work is a little imprecise, but this was out-of-nowhere open improvisation with a heart-rending human cry sounding on the horns, and always logical.  It was "weird" at the time, sounds way more familiar and emotional today.
Ronald Shannon Jackson - Man Dance.  This is decades later, a logical outgrowth of Ornette Coleman (who Jackson played with).  It's very dense, polyrhthmic stuff, but also just feels so enveloping and hedonistic.  Might take some adjustment to newbies, but some really vital music.  And if you're a rocker, it's interesting to hear the young Vernon Reid (later of Living Colour) tearing it up on guitar and banjo in a much more challenging setting.
Charles MIngus - Mingus Ah Um, or The Clown.  The former has shorter, more accessible works than most Mingus, including some "hits", and really amazing group-writing. The latter, too, maybe a weak point or two, but also the opening "Haitian Fight Song" which is one of the very few pieces in history that can justify a bass solo.  It's perfect, anger and celebration all at once.
 
I could do this all day; chronologically older and more recent.  Very little of what's above is electric (a bit -- guitars on the Jackson and the Motian).
And could make more reasonable suggestions if I had any idea what sorts or explorations most interest you.
 
One more -- If you want to be more academic about it... read Martin Williams' "The Jazz Tradition".  Get whatever recordings you can afford as he mentions them and they strike you as interesting.  When you start to feel like you have your own opinions and can contradict Williams, then you'll feel like (and in be correct) you know something about recorded jazz and what you like and what you don't.

 

[mckinetic]

I highly recommend some Ramsey Lewis Trio. Mile Davis Kind of Blue was my first introduction to jazz, and then it all started. Diana Krall's the Girl in the other room specifically. Jimmy Smith (crazy awesome jazz organ), Miles Davis + Gil Evans collaborations= Sketches of Spain, Porgy and Bess, Love Songs, Oscar Peterson, Weather Report. Welcome.

 

[mckinetic]

When you want to really challenge yourself listen to John Coltrane's Ascension and ask yourself whether it's music or not.
I have heard it once, for me it is the highest form of, "modern" art as it makes you engage it to a greater degree than much.
Unfortunately like most modern art I can appreciate it as I move swiftly towards something more consonant.
 

 

[Caphead78]

Thanks everybody, it is great to have options. I am a little worried about branching out too far right away; but I wouldn't imagine a Coltrane record being a gigantic departure since he played on Kind of Blue. Is that reasonable to say? I just want enough similarity that some of my enthusiasm for Kind of Blue crosses over. In any case thanks again everyone; I'm excited about the broadening of my musical tastes and your suggestions are really helpful for the transition.

 

[Jubei]

John Coltrane up until A Love Supreme is a good bet; after A Love Supreme, Coltrane's style becomes increasingly different from what you hear on Kind Of Blue. Alot of people prefer Coltrane's later works, but personally I like the earlier albums on Prestige label more than the stuff he released on Impulse. I am particularly fond of Lush Life.
 
Cannonball Adderley's Something Else is also worth seeking out - one could almost say it was a Miles Davis session.
 
If Kind of Blue is your first Miles Davis encounter, trying getting the Cookin, Workin, Relaxin, Steamin, with the Miles Davis Quintet sets on Prestige. They are good CDs. I also like 'Round Midnight and Someday My Prince Will Come on Columbia. I like Miles Davis first great quintet more than his 60s band. But that's largely a matter of preference.
 
I too started out with Miles Davis decades ago, and then gradually branched out to other things. It is good way to start. Hope you enjoy the journey

 

[tru blu]

Quote:

Thanks everybody, it is great to have options. I am a little worried about branching out too far right away; but I wouldn't imagine a Coltrane record being a gigantic departure since he played on Kind of Blue. Is that reasonable to say? I just want enough similarity that some of my enthusiasm for Kind of Blue crosses over.

Good plan…and in that case, my next Coltrane suggestion would be Ballads. The Prestige Coltrane's are beautiful, indeed, but because they clearly precede Kind Of Blue, the thrust of the rhythm sections is different…I'd say swingy-er. Coltrane's quartet was going for that cohesive, arranged but still spontaneous, ensemble feel.

 

[Choronzon]

Quote:

Thanks everybody, it is great to have options. I am a little worried about branching out too far right away; but I wouldn't imagine a Coltrane record being a gigantic departure since he played on Kind of Blue. Is that reasonable to say?

Actually, all by itself, that's not reasonable to say.  If I were to suggest another Miiles Davis record -- Agharta for example, or Live-Evil -- then THAT would be a gigantic departure.  So even getting the same artist's record might depart way farther than a lot of records I could suggest that contain none of the same musicians. The previously-suggested Coltrane Ascension would be a huge departure. These are artists whose scope is so huge, you can find things closer to Kind of Blue or much farther away, even looking at only the same names.
 
Coltrane's Ballads was a good suggestion to keep things on the mellow side. I'd suggest pushing things a little bit beyond that (though Ballads is a great record!).  Crescent is a somewhere between Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme.  (You'll need both Crescent and A Love Supreme relatively soon, though, either way IMO!).
 
Also, Cannonball Adderly's Something Else! -- really this is a Miles record in disguise. Literally (Miles did a big favor to Cannonball with this one).  Somewhat different line-up than Kind of Blue, with the amazing Hank Jones on piano being particularly important, and willingness to do standards. But that's definitely in the same sound-world.
 
And if you want to stay with Miles, you can't go wrong with Workin', or Steamin', or Relaxin', or Cookin' (so easy to remember four more titles!).  Only thing that's confusing is Walkin' does not belong in the same league (and isn't from the same time).

 

[Frank I]

Gene Ammons plays one of the best tenor sax, Art Pepper,Dave Brubeck,Ben Webster,Gerry Mulligan these are all great classic jazz if you want pian Bill Evans who played with Miles on kind of blue is outstanding. Waltz for Debby is scarry live recording that is outstanding. The albums you should hear are Time out by Brubeck,Waltz for Debbie,Gene Ammons from Acoustic Sounds. Once youy start with that let us know if you want more jazz titles.

 

[pow3rtr1p]

Roy Hargrove's Album "Earfood" is very different, but I love Miles, and I love Roy, so maybe you're in the same boat?

 

[Choronzon]

A'right, I'll not get on this thread every time I think of a record (sorry)... but one more I'm feeling a compulsion to suggest: Sonny Rolllins' Saxophone Colossus. Basic library stuff, and you'll like it.