Birth of the Cool

Birth of the Cool

Although it is highly revered today, the music of the Miles Davis Nonet left the audiences of the late 1940s indifferent. The group was highly popular among other musicians, however, and served as an inspirational force to a multitude of other bands, as well as the different subsequent groups of the many musicians involved. Traces of the nonet’s music can be found in the early 1950s Miles Davis groups, the Gil Evans recordings (including the arranger’s wonderful collaborations with Miles), Mulligan’s pianoless quartet with Chet Baker, certain arrangements of the Stan Kenton orchestra and John Lewis’ (another member of the nonet) posterior Modern Jazz Quartet.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Must have for music lovers
Birth of the Cool is one of the greatest albums of all times. It is timeless and as relivent today as ever. This is a great first album for anyone getting into Miles or Jazz.

2 Stars I am not a jazz aficionado…
… but I do like and own almost all of Miles Davis’s albums. I really don’t care for “Birth of the Cool”. The sound quality is great, the musicianship is excellent but it feels clinical and cold. Again, I am not an avid fan of jazz; I do not have the background or education of a jazz fan, but the reason I have such a deep Miles collection is that his music, by and far, is very moving. Not this album. Though technically proficient “Birth of the Cool” does not have a mood or “feel” to it that I associate with Miles Davis. If you are not a big-time jazz fan per se I would not recommend this as a starting point for Miles Davis; save it for the experts!

5 Stars ONE OF THE ALL-TIME TOP TEN CLASSIC JAZZ ALBUMS!!!
For ANYONE who is considering collecting any of the All-Time Classics THIS is a Must-Have to complete it!!! This has even been used in an epidsode of The Simpsons, so that should tell you something. This ‘Flows’ from the start to the finish. Although this has been released on an Expanded Edition with an poorly recorded Unreleased ‘Live’ Session, but THIS is The One to have in your collection.

5 Stars Essential Miles
Birth of the Cool is essential listening for ANY Miles Davis, or jazz trumpet aficionado! You’ll never tire of Davis’ intuitive explorations.

5 Stars The album title says it all
When you realize that these sides were cut in 1949, you can only but marvel at the both the sophistication of both the music and the sound. For those of you that might think that anything recorded almost 60 years ago must sound primitive, think again. This is modern music, timeless music, and will pay dividends on a good sound system. How many 58 year old recording can say that?

This is great stuff, period.

Buy/More Info