So What – the interplay between the piano and the walking bass , the strategic use of the 7ths and 9ths, and Jimmy Cobb’s perfect percussion just grabbed me. My favourite drummer of all time – Jimmy Chamberlin of the Smashing Pumpkins – was a jazz drummer before switching to grunge/alt-rock, and it shows in how he plays. I’ve watched a few jazz sets he’s done and the influence of Cobb is apparent. Davis brings a really atmospheric trumpet line here. As others have said, it gives the feeling of being in the opening shots of a black and white movie. The star for me is John Coltrane, whose silky smooth tenor sax solo just steals the show. As someone who has played alto sax, you can hear just how good his technique is throughout. This song flits between 2 lots of Dorian Mode (D, and Eb) which Coltrane would do from time to time throughout his career.
Freddie Freeloader – Davis and Coltrane play together on what is a pretty standard 12 bar blues, but the piano is given time to shine here. Miles Davis trumpet line cuts through it like acid through fat though. It’s just so bright. Like Coltrane on the opener, his technique is amazing – the control he has to intentionally flatten certain notes at the end of phrases is phenomenal. The rhythm section are insanely tight again, and the cymbal work is lovely.
Blue in Green – a more sombre sounding piece, with muted trumpet and gently brushed snares, while the piano reminds me of the sort of stuff my granny’s upstairs neighbour would play. This needs to be in a film noir with a voice over telling us how he ‘was looking for a dame. Not just any dame, but the kind of dame that had thighs so strong she could turn a lump of coal into a diamond’. The real surprise for me is towards the end when the bass is bowed rather than plucked. It changes the meaning entirely.
All Blues – the piano and the drums give a sense of urgency and paranoia here, almost in the same way that Kraftwerk used electronic versions of these instruments to give the feeling of transport. Then as Miles begins to play, the percussion opens up, the whole thing becomes less claustrophobic. The tone he gets here is beautiful. Coltrane’s tenor part changes the mood again, and the key as it shifts upwards again.
Flamenco Sketches – the bass and piano interplay again is beautiful. Not as beautiful as the muted trumpet played by Davis in this piece. I want to drink in bars soundtracked by this. Then again, I’d be quite happy if suits were mandatory, and the martini (gin, very dry, stirred 17 times – no more, no less) was the only drink available. This riffs off of 5 different modes I think, with each lead exploring the modes in turn. It’d be easy to not notice the key changes, because they’re done so well. It’s mainly in the piano I hear them. It does seem to end abruptly though, and that’s the end of the album
Highlight: Blue in Green (this could change at any given moment)
Lowlight: It only lasts 45 mins.
Thoughts: It’s the second best jazz album of all time (Coltrane’s Giant Steps takes that honour in my opinion – I might waffle about it at some point, and explain how the Coltrane Changes and the circle of fifths influence the whole album). It’s very much a 1/1A sort of situation though. This is effortlessly cool.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Pop-Crazed Youngster 