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Rick said:
"Considering that it is universally acclaimed as a masterpiece, is
the top selling jazz record of all time and probably the most
influential one as well, I'd be curious to hear your reasons for
claiming it is one of the most overrated works in music. [...]
I don't agree with you because I truly love this record and consider
it to be my one desert island jazz record."
Uhh, there's so much to say about this topic, and for lots of it I
wouldn't qualify, simply because I didn't listen that much to that
album to be that kind of expert as people who wrote whole books about
it.
However, I'd like to start where I think you, Rick, are wrong, because
you didn't understand what I wrote.
I said: ""Kind of Blue" is one of the most overrated works in music"
which, basically, means, that (in my opinion), the album does not live
up to some of the attributes usually associated with it (hugely
influental on the development of jazz, rock and classical music,
innovative, greatest jazz album of all times etc.).
To which you answer: "I don't agree with you because I truly love this
record and consider it to be my one desert island jazz record",
which is very well ok, and mostly has to do with your personal taste,
but this fact does not in any way relate to my opinion that the album
is overrated.
("Overrated", again I'd like to be sure to phrase that very precisely,
meaning that a lot of people, some of them influental writers, give it
attributes it does not deserve).
However, if your opinion is that the album is regarded as hugegly
innovative, the most influential jazz album of all time, and the best
jazz album of all time, then this would be a case of disagreement.
So basically, I won't go on talking about how "beautiful" I believe
the music is, and will concentrate on that innovative/creative etc.
stuff associated with it.
Of course when talking about the influence and the innovation of a
work of art, it's necessary to put it into historic context. So in or
around 1559, what was happening in the jazz world?
A few examples:
"Freedom Suite" by Sonny Rollins (1958), a sax/bass/drums trio
"This is our music" by Ornette Coleman (1960), sax/trumpet/bass/drums
"Giant Steps" by John Coltrane (1960), sax/piano/bass/drums
So why is "Kind of Blue" so much greater than any of the others?
Obviously, for some reason (and I claim that that wasn't for artistic
value alone), the album somehow reached critical mass, thus propelling
it from a record for modern jazz insiders into a househould item.
Which will mean, that some rock or classical artist when asked about
jazz albums that influenced him (and he wants to avoid answering
"none" so he won't seem like an uneducated, arrogant idiot) would most
probably answer "Kind of Blue", simply because its the only jazz album
he knows by name.
Summarizing:
(1) what sets "Kind of Blue" apart from other jazz albums (from that
time and in general) is the fact that it's so well-known.
(2) automatically leads to the fact that anyone (from another style)
influenced by jazz would most probably know "Kind of Blue" better than
any other jazz record (if he knew any at all).
(2a) corollary: if they had listened to "This is our music" (replace
that by any innovative jazz album of your choice) instead, they would
claim that as an influence.
(3) there's nothing in "Kind of Blue" that isn't in other works from
the same time or even way before.
So does that make your choice of "Kind of Blue" as your favourite jazz
record invalid? Most certainly not. However there is a chance (see (2)
above) that by just checking out lots of great jazz albums, that
you'll revise your statement.
Best,
Rainer
post scriptum: some direct references to post answering my original
message.
1. Warren: yes, I had assumed that you liked 70ies Miles better - same as
I.
2. Anders: "we all have felt from time to time that there are things
we would like to "say" or express that can't be said in a fixed
context of melody, harmony and rhythm." - so what? (lol) then you
break out of it. It's nice to see what Walter Norris does on Something
Else (Coleman, 1958), who obviously was in those sessions by request
of the producer, but quickly felt that he simply couldn't play
anything that worked with Coleman's concept - so he stayed out of the
way pretty much.
3. Andy: "Considering that it is universally acclaimed as a
masterpiece, it could hardly be "the most overrated" otherwise" -
thanks! *g*
4. db: "pay close attention to Bill Evans" - why should I, if the goal
is to get away from forcing the soloist into a harmonic framework?