Compilation Album Reissued On Vinyl LP!
Culled from three separate nonet sessions that took place from early 1949 through March of 1950, The Birth Of Cool was the literal blue print for the sound known as cool jazz thus its title. Featuring the fluidity of bop, innovative big band arrangements and a relaxed overall elegance, the Gil Evans arranged sessions find Davis supported by pivotal performances from such jazz luminaries as Kai Winding, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz and Max Roach among others. Despite such a large band, the proceedings sound remarkably intimate with concise and sophisticated songs built largely on tone and mood.
"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, allmusic.com
Features:
Vinyl LP
Musicians:
Miles Davis, trumpet
Lee Konitz, alto saxophone
Gerry Mulligan, baritone saxophone
Al Haig, piano
John Lewis, piano
Al McKibbon, bass
Joe Schulman, bass
Nelson Boyd, bass
Junior Collins, French horn
Gunther Schuller, French horn
Sandy Siegelstein, French horn
J.J. Johnson, trombone
Kai winding, trombone
John Barber, tuba
Kenny Clarke, drums
Max Roach, drums
Selections:
Side A:
1. Move
2. Jeru
3. Moon Dreams
4. Venus De Milo
5. Budo
6. Deception
Side B:
1. Godchild
2. Boplicity
3. Rocker
4. Israel
5. Rouge
6. Darn That Dream
Culled from three separate nonet sessions that took place from early 1949 through March of 1950, The Birth Of Cool was the literal blue print for the sound known as cool jazz thus its title. Featuring the fluidity of bop, innovative big band arrangements and a relaxed overall elegance, the Gil Evans arranged sessions find Davis supported by pivotal performances from such jazz luminaries as Kai Winding, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz and Max Roach among others. Despite such a large band, the proceedings sound remarkably intimate with concise and sophisticated songs built largely on tone and mood.
"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, allmusic.com
Features:
Vinyl LP
Musicians:
Miles Davis, trumpet
Lee Konitz, alto saxophone
Gerry Mulligan, baritone saxophone
Al Haig, piano
John Lewis, piano
Al McKibbon, bass
Joe Schulman, bass
Nelson Boyd, bass
Junior Collins, French horn
Gunther Schuller, French horn
Sandy Siegelstein, French horn
J.J. Johnson, trombone
Kai winding, trombone
John Barber, tuba
Kenny Clarke, drums
Max Roach, drums
Selections:
Side A:
1. Move
2. Jeru
3. Moon Dreams
4. Venus De Milo
5. Budo
6. Deception
Side B:
1. Godchild
2. Boplicity
3. Rocker
4. Israel
5. Rouge
6. Darn That Dream
