Miles Davis Archives - Best of Jazz

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Best of Miles Davis Albums

Miles Davis was a transformative figure in the world of jazz, pushing boundaries and frequently reinventing the genre throughout his career. From his early bebop recordings in the 1940s to his groundbreaking explorations of modal jazz, fusion, and electronic music in the following decades, Davis constantly challenged conventions and created innovative and influential music.

His talent as a trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, combined with his restless spirit of experimentation, solidified his status as one of the most important and iconic figures in the history of jazz.

Here we tackle the most unenviable of tasks: the 10 best Miles Davis albums.

Miles Davis – Birth of the Cool

When Miles Davis began recording Birth of the Cool he was only twenty-one years old. Recorded in the sacred period between the post-hard bebop era and the ‘cool jazz’ movement, the album is a listening necessity. Yet, the record was actually recorded eight years before its timely release. Seen as a key piece of recorded music at the end of the 1940s, the seminal record actually had a massive influence on the period of jazz music that followed its release in 1957.

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue

It is an instantly recognizable album cover; Davis in a blue suit, lips puffed, about to blow his trumpet; the black backdrop, the Columbia logo, and the album’s title typed in blue. Not only is Kind of Blue considered Miles Davis’s magnum opus and masterpiece, but it is also regularly billed as one of the best albums of all time, not to mention the greatest-ever jazz album.

What Is the Best-Selling Jazz Album of All Time?

Jazz music has produced many amazing albums that have stood the test of time, but which jazz album has sold the most copies? And which one was the first to sell a half-million or a million copies?

To answer these questions, we will explore the following points:

The Best Jazz-Funk Albums

Jazz-funk is a jazz genre that emerged and developed in the 1970s. It is characterized by a strong backbeat, electric instruments, and often funky, soulful vocals.

Here you will find an unordered selection of the 10 best jazz-funk albums ever made, followed by a playlist with 20 tracks to wrap it up.

The 10 Best Cool-Jazz Albums

Cool jazz is a genre of modern jazz that emerged in the late 1940s. It can be seen as a Californian adaptation of the frantic New York bebop. It has slower rhythms and less complex arrangements. It conveys a relaxed, sophisticated, or “cool” sound, hence the name “cool jazz.”

1959 – The Best Year In Jazz History

1959 was without a doubt the best year in jazz history. Even if we were to add “so far” to the end of that statement, it still wouldn’t make sense, as the revolution to come will be grounded in the roots of 1959 anyway—or it will get a new name, other than “jazz.”

John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Blue Mitchell, and Lee Morgan were just amazing. These names alone should give you an idea of how important the records of 1959 were when you think that they are not even the leading musicians of the following releases. These albums were made for eternity, and their creators even more so.

The 3 Greatest Jazz Albums Of All Time

Making a list called “The Three Greatest Jazz Albums of All Time” can raise the question, “Why three? Why not five, 10, or 50?”

It is because these three records are so good, so evidently beautiful, and are forever the foundation of jazz as we know it. If we were to add two, seven, or 47 albums for a more in-depth list (which we will soon do in another post), we would underemphasize how important the three following records were, are, and will be for many decades and maybe centuries to come.

The Best Jazz Fusion Albums

First, let’s clarify one thing: Jazz fusion and jazz-rock are the same (to start with at least). The confusion may come from the preferences on each side of the Atlantic. While Europeans will most probably say “jazz-rock”, Americans will prefer referring to it as “jazz fusion”.