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So dubbed because these three sessions -- two from early 1949, one from March 1950 -- are where the sound known as cool jazz essentially formed, Birth of the Cool remains one of the defining, pivotal moments in jazz. This is where the elasticity of bop was married with skillful, big-band arrangements and a relaxed, subdued mood that made it all seem easy, even at its most intricate. After all, there's a reason why this music was called cool; it has a hip, detached elegance, never getting too hot, even as the rhythms skip and jump. Indeed, the most remarkable thing about these sessions -- arranged by Gil Evans and featuring such heavy-hitters as Kai Winding, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, and Max Roach -- is that they sound intimate, as the nonet never pushes too hard, never sounds like the work of nine musicians. Furthermore, the group keeps things short and concise (probably the result of the running time of singles, but the results are the same), which keeps the focus on the tones and tunes. The virtuosity led to relaxing, stylish mood music as the end result -- the very thing that came to define West Coast or "cool" jazz -- but this music is so inventive, it remains alluring even after its influence has been thoroughly absorbed into the mainstream
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Miles Davis, MainArtist - Pete Rugolo, Producer - Denzil Best, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1957 Capitol Records, LLC
Miles Davis, MainArtist - Pete Rugolo, Producer - Gerry Mulligan, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1954 Blue Note Records
Johnny Mercer, ComposerLyricist - Lee Konitz, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, Trumpet, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Pete Rugolo, Producer - J.J. Johnson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Gunther Schuller, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Max Roach, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Chummy MacGregor, ComposerLyricist - Al McKibbon, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1954 Blue Note Records
Lee Konitz, Alto Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, MainArtist - Kenny Clarke, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nelson Boyd, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Pete Rugolo, Producer - J.J. Johnson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - John Lewis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Sandy Siegelstein, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1949 Blue Note Records
Bud Powell, ComposerLyricist - Lee Konitz, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, Trumpet, Orchestra Leader, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Pete Rugolo, Producer - Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Max Roach, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Shulman, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Junior Collins, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Al Haig, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Kai Winding, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - John Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1949 Blue Note Records
Lee Konitz, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, Trumpet, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Pete Rugolo, Producer - J.J. Johnson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - John Lewis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Gunther Schuller, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Max Roach, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Al McKibbon, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - John Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1954 Blue Note Records
Lee Konitz, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, Trumpet, Orchestra Leader, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Pete Rugolo, Producer - Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - George Wallington, ComposerLyricist - Max Roach, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Shulman, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Junior Collins, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Al Haig, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Kai Winding, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - John Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1949 Blue Note Records
Lee Konitz, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, Trumpet, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kenny Clarke, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nelson Boyd, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Pete Rugolo, Producer - J.J. Johnson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - John Lewis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Odea Murphy, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Gil Evans, ComposerLyricist - Bill Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Sandy Siegelstein, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Sandy Seigelstein, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1953 Blue Note Records
Lee Konitz, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, Trumpet, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Pete Rugolo, Producer - J.J. Johnson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gunther Schuller, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Max Roach, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Al McKibbon, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - John Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1954 Blue Note Records
Lee Konitz, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, Trumpet, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Pete Rugolo, Producer - J.J. Johnson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - John Lewis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Gunther Schuller, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Max Roach, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Carisi, ComposerLyricist - Al McKibbon, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - John Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1954 Blue Note Records
Lee Konitz, Alto Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, MainArtist - Kenny Clarke, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nelson Boyd, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Pete Rugolo, Producer - J.J. Johnson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - John Lewis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - John Barber, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Sandy Siegelstein, French Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1949 Blue Note Records
Album review
So dubbed because these three sessions -- two from early 1949, one from March 1950 -- are where the sound known as cool jazz essentially formed, Birth of the Cool remains one of the defining, pivotal moments in jazz. This is where the elasticity of bop was married with skillful, big-band arrangements and a relaxed, subdued mood that made it all seem easy, even at its most intricate. After all, there's a reason why this music was called cool; it has a hip, detached elegance, never getting too hot, even as the rhythms skip and jump. Indeed, the most remarkable thing about these sessions -- arranged by Gil Evans and featuring such heavy-hitters as Kai Winding, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, and Max Roach -- is that they sound intimate, as the nonet never pushes too hard, never sounds like the work of nine musicians. Furthermore, the group keeps things short and concise (probably the result of the running time of singles, but the results are the same), which keeps the focus on the tones and tunes. The virtuosity led to relaxing, stylish mood music as the end result -- the very thing that came to define West Coast or "cool" jazz -- but this music is so inventive, it remains alluring even after its influence has been thoroughly absorbed into the mainstream
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:32:31
- Main artists: Miles Davis
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Capitol Records
- Genre: Jazz
© 2013 Blue Note Records ℗ 2013 Blue Note Records
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