Reviews and Commentaries for Kind of Blue

Hot Stampers of Miles’s Albums Available Now

We award this copy’s side two our very special Four Plus (A++++) grade, which is strictly limited to pressings (really, individual sides of pressings) that take a recording to a level never experienced by us before, a level we had no idea even existed.

We estimate that less than one per cent of the Hot Stamper pressings we come across in our shootouts earn this grade. As I write this there is not a single other record on the site that earned that grade on either side. You can’t get much more rare than that.

Kind of Blue

Want to know how good our Hot Stamper Kind of Blue pressings sound? Listen to this very record. If you play the tracks that were recorded in 1958, the year before Kind of Blue, you will hear practically the same lineup of musicians.

That means Stella By Starlight and Little Melonae on side one, and Green Dolphin Street and Fran-Dance (Put Your Little Foot Right Out) on side two. We’re talking Bill Evans, John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley in their prime, 1958, with top 1958 sound to match.

The nine minute plus Green Dolphin Street that opens side two is nothing short of amazing, some of the coolest jazz you will ever hear it, on any record, at any price. With Fran Dance on the same side, that gives you about 17 minutes of great sounding jazz by Miles’ classic Kind of Blue lineup.

Side one has the same cats playing for more than 12 minutes. By my calculation that’s close to another album’s worth of material from the group. The rest of the material on this compilation is best seen as gravy; maybe not essential, but never less than interesting.

TRACK LISTING

Side One

A1 Budo
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – “Philly” Joe Jones
Piano – Red Garland
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane

A2 Stella By Starlight
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – Jimmy Cobb
Piano – Bill Evans
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane

A3 Sweet Sue, Just You
Arranged By – Teo Macero
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – “Philly” Joe Jones
Piano – Red Garland
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane

A4 Little Melonae
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – “Philly” Joe Jones
Piano – Red Garland
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane

A5 Miles Ahead
Orchestra – Gil Evans

Side Two

B1 On Green Dolphin Street 
Alto Saxophone – Cannonball Adderley 
Bass – Paul Chambers 
Drums – Jimmy Cobb 
Piano – Bill Evans 
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane 

B2 ´Round Midnight 
Bass – Paul Chambers 
Drums – “Philly” Joe Jones 
Piano – Red Garland 
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane 

B3 Fran-Dance (Put Your Little Foot Right Out) 
Alto Saxophone – Cannonball Adderley 
Bass – Paul Chambers 
Drums – Jimmy Cobb 
Piano – Wynton Kelly 
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane 

B4 Devil May Care 
Bass – Paul Chambers 
Drums – Jimmy Cobb 
Percussion – William Correa 
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter 
Trombone – Frank Rehak