Birth of the Cool

by Miles Davis

Overview

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

Product Details

Release Date:	05/28/2021
Label:	Dol
UPC:	0889397006389
Rank:	25023

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Miles Davis   Primary Artist,Trumpet
Gunther Schuller   Guest Artist,French Horn
Kenny Clarke   Guest Artist,Drums
John Lewis   Guest Artist,Piano
J.J. Johnson   Guest Artist,Trombone
Max Roach   Guest Artist,Drums
Gerry Mulligan   Guest Artist,Bass,Sax (Baritone)
Lee Konitz   Guest Artist,Sax (Alto)
Kai Winding   Guest Artist,Trombone
Junior Collins   French Horn
Joe Shulman   Bass
Sandy Siegelstein   French Horn
Al McKibbon   Bass
Al Haig   Piano
Billy Barber   Tuba
Nelson Boyd   Bass
John Barber   Tuba
Kenny "Pancho" Hagood   Vocals

Technical Credits

Rudy Van Gelder   Remastering
James Van Heusen   Composer
Pete Rugolo   Producer
Pete Welding   Liner Notes
Michael Cuscuna   Reissue Producer
Ray Passman   Composer
Miles Davis   Leader,Arranger,Composer
John Lewis   Arranger,Composer
Gerry Mulligan   Arranger,Composer,Liner Notes
Gil Evans   Arranger
Bud Powell   Composer
George Wallington   Composer
Chummy MacGregor   Composer
Cleo Henry   Composer
Aram Avakian   Cover Photo
Micaela Boland   Design
Holli Ross   Composer
Franko Caligiuri   Reissue Art,Reissue Producer
Walter Rivers   Producer
Denzil Best   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Johnny Carisi   Composer,Arranger
Gordon H. Jee   Creative Director
Eddie DeLange   Composer