Kind of Blue

by ashley kahn • 2000

"Offering the first take-by-take account of the sessions and analysis of never-released fragmentary takes, drawn from extremely rare access to the complete master tapes, Kahn takes us behind the scenes through countless interviews (including the only three people still living who were in the studio on those days) and newly discovered documents from Columbia Records's archives. Weaving his meticulous research into a thrilling narrative, he traces Miles's progress from bop to modal jazz, and follows the album from its release to its transformation into a cultural touchstone. Throughout, nearly a hundred images do their part in telling the story, including Bill Evans's handwritten liner notes, never-before-seen photographs of the studio, and even one of the session charts. With a foreword from Jimmy Cobb, the last surviving member of the group, this is the definitive story of Davis's album - an album you will never hear the same way again."--BOOK JACKET.