Reviews (page 10 of 13)
I continue to have absolutely no idea whether any particular jazz album is good or not. They almost universally strike me as fine for background music, and I can also almost universally say that I didn't specifically enjoy much about them. 2.5 I guess?
Move - Enjoyed, nothing special to me Jeru - Remined me of old Christmas movies Moon Dreams - A little more solemn Venus De Milo - Not much to say Budo - Quite lively, nothing special Deception - Fine Godchild - Fine Boplicity - Fine Rocker - Fine Israel - Eh, fine Rouge - Fine, all starting to sound the same now Darn That Dream - SINGING!! HAZZAH!! Refreshing, very classic The live section of the album was fun. Final thoughts: while I appreciate the skill, this wasn't really my cup of tea. Found the compositions a bit repetitive and started to get bored towards the end.
I like boplicity and some of the brighter, lighter tracks, the darker ones like deception are grating. Melodies are really sweet, horn driven stuff is unique and different to what I have listened to. I like that.
Not bad but to me it only has not aged that well. But since I’m not a huge jazz fan maybe that’s why I don’t think it’s the greatest document.
Classic jazz is growing on me but still not really my thing
Honestly, I can't believe I wasn't impressed by Miles Davis. I've listened to quite a few of his albums, so when this popped up I was quite excited. This is fairly pedestrian fare for Davis. Nothing particularly memorable, but also not bad. Just good listenable Jazz.
I enjoy Miles Davis as much as the next generic white person. There’s some really cool parts in this record. As much as it is impressive, it’s just not my over all type of music. But I feel I can identify greatness.
It happily played in the background while I was having breakfast; forgetting it was even on. 3/5
Interesting
I like Miles but this seemed a bit dated. Good, but too structured to not sound dated.
Jazz
Eh another jazz Edit: changing from a 2 to a 3 on Oct 5 2025, I like jazz a bit more now
I'm not quite sure I'd say it plodded along, but this album moved at a pace or with a style that didn't captivate me. Venus de Milo jumped out at me. Budo maybe stayed there with some good energy to start. After that? It mostly just blended into the background again. The album is here because it was the start of cool jazz. And I can't appreciate that because I don't know what jazz was before, during or after. Sorry if I missed the landmark-ness of this album or if I'm not paying enough respect to the legend or genius that is Miles Davis. But next.
Except for when they shift to slower songs, almost everything on this album sounds the same to me and pretty basic jazz. I get that the style may have been unique when it came out, but the uniqueness is subtle and still doesn't change the fact that the style is too same-same throughout. Fine as background music, but didn't draw me in.
I remember this as being one of the few jazz albums I find mildly enjoyable, and it still was! Mildly enjoyable, I mean. And is anyone better than Miles Davis at album titles?
This is #day193 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... that's a cool way to start the week. I've only listened to Kind of Blue a few times and Bitches Brew maybe once or twice, so I'm not too versed in Miles Davis's catalog, and neither I'm a jazz connoisseur. Sure, I've heard terms like bebop, hard bop, free jazz, and so on, but I can't use them properly. So, for me, jazz boils down to whether I like it or not, sparking some personal associations. Like, with Birth of the Cool, it's fun to observe its accessibility. The songs are all pretty short, usually under 3.5 minutes, giving them a pop-song vibe. There's a nice balance of uptempo and slower tracks. When I think of jazz like this, I'm reminded of the Dzyga Art Center and the Jazz Bez festival in my hometown of Lviv, which I used to attend around 2010-2011. It was a very fragile time in my life, but somehow those memories have stuck with me. The album’s release year, 1957, also makes me think of the Beat Generation... On the Road by Jack Kerouac was published that same year, and I think there might be a connection here. With more of Davis's albums down the road, I'm giving this one a 3. Looking forward to #day194.
great listening.
Background music. I forgot I was listening to it. I think his later albums got more experimental and I assume they are on this list, but this feels a little generic. Great musicianship is stellar but I zoned out...
chill jazz…makes me feel like im in a coffeee shop, the trumpet playing was very nice and it was just nice and cool
I liked it, it was good music, not quite my style though
jazz might be ok
This is like my fifth or sixth jazz album I gotten so far, and if I’m being brutally honest, I’m starting to realize that jazz albums do nothing for me. I give every album generated for me a fair chance, but for most of the jazz albums, my attention always wanes and I can never remember any of the tracks I listened to. There might be exceptions further down the line, but I’m starting to doubt it. This album is an example of that. The album makes for some cool background noise and can definitely spice up a number of occasions. And I know Miles Davis is one of the best jazz players to live. His Kind of Blue did leave an impression on me. But unlike that album, this one didn’t leave me with much. Just a collection of recordings from various years. Nothing really to me that sticks out as memorable. I don’t know how many jazz albums are left for me. There might as well be around 100, it seems. That’s probably gonna be a lot of 3’s in the future. Favorite track: Boplicity Other hits (if I had to pick): Moon Dreams, Rocker, Venus De Milo
jazz... niet mijn ding, maar er staan heel wat slechtere dingen in deze lijst
If I’m putting this against other essential Miles albums I’ve got to give it a 3/5. I enjoyed this record but I know there are a better ones out there
Was worried after Bitches Brew but this was nice
move - i like the drums pretty nice yippee not something i would normally listen to though jeru - pretty fun and jazzy but feels very long like far longer than 3mins moon dreams - very pretty and relaxing i like it venus de milo - grooving and yet so gentle...... in love budo - back to groovin yippee do do do do do do deception - grooving a little hard but not too much. acceptable godchild - once again acceptable groove levels. quite nice boplicity - for the title not much of a bop. but nice and pleasant and relaxing anyway rocker - yeah slight banger cant lie. do do do israel - no right to be as much of a banger as it is this is a bit too fun rouge - bit of a banger too omg........ darn that dream - WHY IS THERE A SINGER???????????????/ bit snoozy i cant lie overall - nice album and probably very very good for the time!!!! wouldnt actively choose to listen to it and probably a lot more fun to dance to rather than listen
jahas koksi paiskamassa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoakoajan. oajan pitää olla vaihtamassa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoajan. paiskita ei halua, kaikkea muuta halutaan paitsi paiskia.w living (in ww living (in w ei n pitää olla vaihtamastiin kokoajan. paiskita ei halua, kaikkea muuta halutaan pasa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoakoajan. paiskita ei halua, kaikkea muuta halutaan paitsi paiskamassa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoakoajan. paia ei halua, akea muuta halutaanalutaan pasa biisiä. tässä kiirehdillään kotiin kokoako paitsi paiotiin kokoajan. paiskita ei halua, kaikkea muuta halutaan paskamassa bii godchild
Totally fine. Finding through this project that jazz isn’t really my thing but I don’t find it aurally offensive or anything
Felt like a pretty average jazz album to me. Not more, not less.
Smooth jazz is a genre I think benefits a lot from being played live. I don't mean as a live album but as physically going to a concert. Without that, smooth jazz never really reaches the heights of other jazz for me. I never get that "bite-a-lemon-feeling" that i get from more energetic jazz. Still this is perfectly good, maybe even great if this is your groove.
Definitely ’Cool’! A good listen, more upbeat than some of his other work.
I like the one that sounds like the theme to Bewitched. In fact a lot of these sound like 60s TV show themes or Carry On film themes. I still don’t really like jazz, but this is definitely at the better end of the spectrum.
Perfectly fine, jazz isn't my go to genre but I enjoyed it enough. No real strong feelings, sorry for the brief review!
Really wanted to enjoy this album more, but it's just too unmemorable.
I’ve come to learn jazz is nice driving music, especially at night. Had Moon Dreams on repeat. 3.5/5
Pretty neat. What I think of when I think of jazz. Still not really my thing but still good. Kind of Blue edges it out as the better Miles Davis album to me. 3
1) Moon dreams 2) Darn that dream 3) Boplicity 25/01/2025
Sometimes an album is able to invoke a time and a place, and this one surely does. I felt like I was in a Jazz Lounge with a martini, with smoke filled air. It was cool, It was fun. Also interesting that the compositions were limited by the format they were produced in, so all the songs end up being about the same length.
I feel like this is kinda mid for Miles Davis. It was a nice listen through, but nothing really stood out to me. I guess I can appreciate the "major development in post-bebop jazz" these songs were, but considering this came out in 1957 and I'm no where near that age, it's hard for me to be able to understand that well. I'm debating between a 2 and a 3, but when comparing to other 2 star albums I've given, it's better than those so... 3
Definitely would take drugs and pee my pants to this album. Nice smooth jazz that operates really well as background music. Not sure if I liked it as much as other jazz, but it lands right around the 3.5 mark with no intention of coming back to this particular album.
Some nice walking bass and smooth horns for about 30 minutes was perfect background music while working.
good? idk how to rate jazz
It's Jazz. I feel like this is one of those albums where like, if I were well-studied in jazz, I'd be able to hear the innovations here, but it sounds like normal jazz to me. 7/10.
Probably not something I’ll go back to, but very good to have on for studying and chores.
3 sterne
I have difficulty knowing how to respond to jazz albums. They’ve never been something I’ve responded to, I have a hard time differentiating the classics from the elevator music standards. This was cool, though! Maybe I’ll get more into them.
daddy, daddy cool 🎺
Another Miles Davis album. This one was good like the other- very technically proficient and good mix of styles and themes. Still- jazz is really not the music for me. Overall- solid album
Very nice jazz, easy to listen to but still interesting, like all the best minimalist styles. I think Davis perfected this style on Kind of Blue, but I have slightly overplayed that album nowadays so it's nice to hear something different from the same talent.
I'm not wildly into Jazz, though some of the albums that have come up on this list have surprised me. This got better as it went on - at one point it was like I was listening to the Monsters Inc soundtrack. Should probably listen to more Jazz
Nice
It must be good but I didn't get it and generally do not understand jazz. And I'm really sad about it
It’s jazz. If you like jazz, you’ll like it. If you don’t, then you won’t. For the rest of us, it lands right square in the middle.
It’s okay
I want to like jazz, I can see the creativity and the vibe but it just leaves me cold. Background music for me
Gg
This album left me feeling that listening to it would be a great way to spend an afternoon in an elevator with Miles Davis
Very cool sounding, livelier than kind of blue
Good enjoyed
Just a nice chill jazz album, you can put on in the background. Would listen again!
3/5 - Great listen. Nothing on the album really stands out, however, nothing about the album sounds annoying to me either. This album sounds like it could be part of a classic Disney cartoon, with mickey mouse and plants and boats bopping to the music. However, that being said, due to this it also sounds a bit generic for a jazz album. Darn that Dream is a great conclusion to the album. Love the vocals on it.
Hörbarer Jazz, aber nicht meine Lieblingsmusik. Doch wie die spielen und die Instrumente beherrschen ist bemerkenswert!
Just a lovely soulful relaxing album. Great to have on in the background
More Miles Davis - as far as jazz goes, I love it!
Har haft svårt att uppbringa starka känslor kring det här albumet - nu skriver jag något för att äntligen kunna gå vidare. Det är väl bra och trevlig jazz bara. Sen är den såklart EXTREMT historiskt relevant och formande vilket jag FATTAR, så är väl bra att känna till iallafall. Oklart hur mycket jag kommer fortsätta lyssna på det; det flesta spåren är lite snabba för att "sätta på till middagen", vilket verkar vara kriteriet jag faller tillbaka på när det kommer till jazz. Bästa låt: Moon Dreams. DEN är middagskompatibel!!
I struggle with Jazz and do not really understand it. This feels like old school MOR Jazz that i can happily listen to in a cocktail bar grooving along. No idea whats going on but in no rush to leave.
This was certainly jazz. 3.5
Not his best album but yes it is cool
I don't know why a compilation album is on the list but I found it to be pretty nice background music although it is a bit samey
For whatever reason, when I "picture" jazz in my head, I picture this sound, and in many instances this album. It's roughly as different from the bebop that preceded it as 60s Miles is from it. But with all the big-band instruments and the slightly slower tempo, it just sounds classic. I've heard this many times and like it quite a bit. Having just listened to a few others from 60s Miles, I do prefer those though. In particular, this CD has very short solos, and the longer-form solos on e.g. Silent Way give a lot more room to experiment and develop ideas. It's nice though, I'd put it on anytime.
First Jazz album so far. Move gets you moving. I like Miles Davis but after a strong start, this album felt too loose in a bad way, and overall besides a few stretches, wasn't very impactful and drifted to the background. The overall mood is quite dour and not very exiting to listen to. I could see this one getting better on repeat listens. 3.5/5
Again not really my vibe but I can appreciate it.
Not for me. But hearing jazz every once in a while is all good in my book. And this seems like a great jazz record.
Ya like jazz ? Decent
Oh, que bueno saber de donde viene la palabra "cool". Miles Davis nunca decepciona, y si me dicen que se trata de una compilación de singles de Jazz, siempre quedaré contento. Una recolección de suaves pistas dirigidas e interpretadas por una de las leyendas más grandes del género. Sin embargo, no está ni cerca de ser su mejor álbum. Un interesate punto de partida para quien después tendría LPs tan intricados como "Bitches Brew". No encuentro que sea para nada un esencial, así que si puede sálteselo. Si le gusta el Jazz no puede perdérselo.
Definitely found myself enjoying this but it was too much Jazz for me. 2.5/5
You cannot deny how revolutionary Miles Davies actually was but this album was only okay for me. I’ve definitely heard better Jazz albums
The format was not friendly to this album in my eyes. Individually the songs were fun, low key, and easy to listen to. However, as beginning to end experience it was miserable. Like looking at tv static for 30 minutes, very little change to my ear. I'm sure if I was a fan of the genre I could point out a myriad of subtle and major changes between songs but as a casual nonlistener these just don't stand out. Songs on their own: 3.5 Album experience:2
Didn't chime with me, this, wasn't really memorable in the slightest and I'm not going to go back to it after the couple of listens that it's had this morning. It's technically very good, and it's led on to stuff that I've enjoyed more, but this one is not really for me. 3/5.
The Good: Witnessing a birth is magical! The Bad: Sometimes birthing comes with complications… The Ugly: There were no scissors to cut umbilical chord… Jazz. It’s its own thing. It has its own rhythms. It has its own chords. It has its own crowd. I am still scratching my head as to what, exactly, cool jazz is all about. To me, it sounds like the jazz that is used when people like to point out how different jazz is. It is quick, it is syncopated, it is jazz… 3* because Miles deserves respect
Pretty cool.
Enjoyable, but not really my speed. I’ll take “On the Corner” era Miles any day.
3 out of 5. This would be a fun album to cook to.
Look, you simply can’t ignore how vital this album is in the grand scheme of jazz history…but that doesn’t mean it’s great jazz. At the time I’m sure this was cutting edge, and there’s even several fantastic compositions on here (most notably “Godchild,” which is one of my favorite jazz tracks ever), but for the most part, jazz got a lot better
Didn’t like this quite as much as Kind of Blue. 3.5 rounded down to 3.
This wasn’t nearly as good as the other Miles album we listened to, Kind of Blue.
Borde gilla det här mer än jag gör. Lite stressigt.
It was good as background music but it didn't really stand out much
I really feel under-qualified to rate this genre of music. It’s nice, but I don’t appreciate the artistry of it enough. For that reason, I gave to give it 3 stars.
A beautiful album, not necessarily what I look for in music but as something to put on when entertaining a relaxing evening, this is great. I liked Silent Way a little more. 3.
3.5 Not as cool as Kinds of Blue
Not my thing
Glemte å følga med som vanlig, men va sikkert greit
It's a good album. It did feel a little repetitive though. I can understand what they were going for, but not as much a fan of the "cool" jazz.
1. "Move" (Denzil Best, arranged by John Lewis) 3,2 2. "Jeru" (Gerry Mulligan) 3 3. "Moon Dreams" (Chummy MacGregor, Johnny Mercer, arranged by Gil Evans) 3 4. "Venus de Milo" (Mulligan) 3 5. "Budo" (Miles Davis, Bud Powell, arranged by Lewis) 3 6. "Deception" (Davis, arranged by Mulligan) 3 7. "Godchild" (George Wallington, arranged by Mulligan) 3 8. "Boplicity" (Cleo Henry (i.e. Davis and Gil Evans), arranged by Evans) 3 9. "Rocker" (Mulligan) 3,5 10. "Israel" (Johnny Carisi) 3 11. "Rouge" (John Lewis) 3 12. "Darn That Dream" (Eddie DeLange, Jimmy Van Heusen, arranged by Mulligan) 1,1 Average 2,9
Amazing. I listened to it while walking around Berlin. It didn't captivate me throughout the record like Kind of Blue the whole time, but it was still fantastic.
objectively good jazz, i mean it’s miles davis, nothing stood out to me though it was just one long jam
Fine album. 3/5
Not into jazz so idk about this one
When I review jazz albums like this I feel like it’s the equivalent of me writing a review of a foreign language film that I’ve watched without subtitles. I’ve got some idea of the main plot but will miss out on most of the nuances and then someone who speaks the language will tell me that I’ve misunderstood the main plot anyway. So did I enjoy this album? Yes. Can I explain why it’s in the top 1001 and what sets it apart from other jazz albums? No.
I enjoyed this album. I wouldn’t normally listen to jazz by such a big ensemble but I do like a bit of cool jazz this was really nice.
Pretty good. I’ve probably heard these songs before as background music in a coffee shop or Borders (RIP).
This is solid early jazz from a master, but much like The Beatles, the later period music is way more interesting to me. Still, this is good, can’t deny.
This was a nice enough listen, but different than the other stuff of his I’ve enjoyed more. I know he had different phases of his career and his musicianship evolved. I didn’t hear anything special in this that would give it above a three, but I didn’t not like it.
More upbeat jazz than I’d prefer. Lots of instruments all at once. Would be cool to hear live in a cocktail bar, but not as much at home
Vibe is wel goed na eerste nummer. Beetje monsters inc. swing. Wel mindere vibe dan Louis Armstrong, mis die stem wel. Muziek zonder stem is even leuk, maar na een paar nummers wel repetitive.
Wel chille jazz maar niks echt opvallends
My memories of Miles in 1957 are non-existent. I can’t (or don’t want to) imagine a world where big band, jazz, and country are the main music genres. This album with all that trumpet seemed too much like big band to be Birth of the Cool, I did hear some cool tuba though. Actually, good musicianship throughout (2.9*s)
Jazz
Dig the old school vibes
Cool background jazz, 3.5.
I enjoyed it while it was playing in the background, relaxing coffee shop vibes.
I know this is a "classic", but it was a bit uneven for me to give it a 5. Some stuff I really liked and others: "meh"...
Jazz is a minimum effective dose. Like other jazz albums, this has lots of groove, lots of chaotic jazz, thankful it was a short album because if it were any longer, the rating would just keep going down.
Listened the first 3 or 4 songs until Salem had enough and got upset. I was cooking dinner at the time and nothing really stood out for me, maybe if I listened to the entire album there might have been stand out tracks. Probably not my kind of jazz but I can appreciate it. 3 stars.
I actually wanted to give it 3½, but it doesn’t let you do half stars so I'm rounding down in honour of Betty Davis (who sadly remains one of the most underrated musicians of all time). I always think Miles Davis’ earlier work would have been wonderful live and I quite enjoy it as background music for cooking dinner. Compared to his later work though, where Betty Davis’ influence really shines through, it’s just a bit dull. Heck, even he eventually refused to play his earlier work because he felt it was ‘over’ and he’d moved on.
Very smooth and cool, but don't ask me to pick any of the tracks out of a line up. None really stood out or stayed with me. Probably a testament to how unsophisticated I am or how much he was imitated by others who came after.
It was OK. Nostalgic and evocative of an era. Good to have playing quietly in the background or a late night jazz bar.
Inoffensive big band jazz
Not his best but still good 50s jazz.
Todavia no innova. Buen jazz pero clásico.
I mean it’s ok as background music and somewhat soothing but not my idea of good music…can appreciate the horns
Miles Davis has always been a strange one. This album in particular is a much more traditional style jazz then some of his more trippy acid jazz from the later 60s and 70s. Therefore, respect. Adulation and all at the skills of miles in the band, absolutely would I take Kind Of Blue or Bitches Brew Over this one? Any day, anytime. I am rounding up a half a star just because it’s Miles and that motherfucker helped music explode in so many ways that alone deserves some props
Good. Very nice
Certainly not bad but..!
Truly great. I’m just not a jazz lover.
It is fine. If you like jazz you probably jizz your pants over it. It is just fine
Fuck yea JAZZZ
I don’t love jazz, but this was quite enjoyable and calming. You really can’t get better than Miles Davis.
As a non-jazz listener, I’m not gonna even try to talk at length about this album. But it was good - engaging at times, not at others. Favorite song: all of them? Least favorite: all of them? Knew before: No
Music playing in a fancy restaurant where two important people meet for a business deal but in the end someone is getting shot. Stand-out: Rouge
Good jazz. Another one for me that is best for a specific time and place though.
Birth Of The Cool really shows that its a really early album on this list. The recording quality isn't really the greatest and the album really does give off the vibes of the 50s. I still somewhat enjoyed this album (it mostly helped that i was doing college homework while listening to this). The album was just generally very relaxing even when it had a faster tempo. The songs are a bit samey but this is probably expected of an album like this. I will admit that the vocals in track 12 were a pretty nice touch and definitely added something. There are better jazz albums that i have listened to but this is still an alright listen. Best Song: Godchild Worst Song: Rouge
This jazz sounds like nice jazz to me.
Never really took the time to listen to a full Jazz album before but I do have the odd soft spot for jazz. I listened to this in Cornwall making dinner and I've got to admit, I was so focused on dinner and also relaxed, I enjoyed listening despite not being my go to genre.
Second instrumental Jazz album in a row. Nothing insightful to say, doesn't do anything for me I'm afraid.
In de alternative rock scene heb je The Velvet Underground dat pionierde in allerlei genres, in de punkwereld had je Ian MacKaye die een hele rits aan nieuwe punkstijlen op zijn conto schreef, en in de jazz heb je Miles Davis. In de ontwikkeling van welke post-bebop stijl heeft hij geen dominante hand gehad? We hebben al een album gehad waarin hij early modal jazz vormgeeft, en een plaat waarin hij de grenzen van de jazz/rock fusie opzoekt. Nu is het tijd voor - zoals de titel van dit compilatiealbum al weggeeft - cool jazz. Dit is toch wel de jazzstijl die ik erg associeer met film noir, die met zijn relaxte stijl echt een goede mood-setter is in films waarin het hoofdpersonage vooral heel cool moet ogen. Die rol vertolkt dit genre uitstekend, maar ik mis toch wel een beetje instrumentele variatie en extatische uitspattingen als ik een cool jazz album als deze in z'n geheel luister. Waar het Bill Evans Trio van laatst sterk overeind bleef zonder blazers, mist dit album eigenlijk wel wat andere smaken. 'Jeru' en 'Venus De Milo' zijn m'n favoriete stukken, maar de rest kan zich moeilijk onderscheiden van elkaar. Laten we zo zeggen, ik ben blij dat Miles' rijke discografie een plethora aan smaken bevat, zodat de uiteenlopende jazzliefhebbers allemaal wel aan hun trekken komen. Het was uiteraard aangenaam en 'effortlessly cool', maar ook een beetje saai. 6,5/10 Highlights: Jeru Venus De Milo
Echt bizar hoe lang Miles Davis relevant is geweest en grensverleggende muziek heeft gemaakt. De opnames van deze plaat komen uit 1949/1950. En klinken tot de dag van vandaag fijn en toegankelijk. De trompet en de jazz blijven zo'n fijne match en cool-jazz is heerlijk cool en rustig. Daarmee wel fijner voor de achter- dan de voorgrond. Dus ook gewoon een beetje saai. 6,5/10
Much more accessible than I anticipated
3/5
Cool.
I know this is an important document in the history of Jazz, but today it's just another jazz record that I appreciate every once and again. It's not my favorite Miles album, I don't reach for it like I do Kind of Blue or Bitches Brew. It's not even in my top 5, if I'm being honest.
Like with a lot of jazz, I respect the musical talent, but it just don't click with it.
Was it coincidence or the 1001 Gods working their magic that I dreamt last night playing a duet with a trumpet player (not Miles) last night? As an occasional Sax player for my own pleasure I have recently been trying to educate myself with Jazz. A genre I would have previous dismissed. An album titled Birth of Cool by Miles Davies in itself gives the impression that it should be on this list without any argument at all. As part of my jazz eduction I have bought Miles Davies albums. Kind of Blue (already reviewed) and Bitches Brew are two of these and albums I really like. I do not like this one as much. It’s OK but every track seems to follow the same jazz recipe - opening melody, each instrument solo, resolving melody. Which is fine but difficult to distinguish one track from another other than a random title. Whilst listening could not get the image of American GI’s dancing with northern town English girls in 1944 to this type of music. That gives anyone of a certain generation an idea of what this album offers. The other interesting thing was whilst reading the Wiki entry for the album I learnt what a nonet was. So an extra star for that enlightenment. 3/5 2/9/24
Relaxing 3/5
seemed very cool to me.. I liked it.
Good background music
Very smooth, very cool, albeit a little bit background-y as a consequence.
Un pezzo di storia, purtroppo non riesco ad apprezzarlo appieno (e purtroppo ho dei problemi con i "the best of"), ma rimane un piacevole ascolto serale.
Not his best, but still so great. Could (and did) listen to this for hours.
aynı şarkıymış gibi geldi hepsi yani arkaya açarsan resim falan yaparken sarabilir ama bunun dışında yok yine de güzeldi
Pretty good Album to Listen to while surviving your daily life. Nothing for me to just Listen to. Was good for showering and getting ready
I think I am not smart enough for Jazz. The first song was enjoyable, the second and third or fourth disconcerting, the songs after that I enjoyed when I imagined people in underground Bars in the 50s having fun. The last song was strikingly contemporary and very beautiful. Overall not my type but sticking around for the last song made it worthwhile. It took too much of my brainpower to listen to it, I couldn’t just vibe or abschalt. Would probably kind of slap in a live performance though. I suspect Jazz is like wine and you have to build a taste for it.
jazz instrumental, no lyrics, gotta be in the mood for it 3/5
I liked this okay. It's good background music and he is incredibly talented but it's not something that I seek to listen to.
Pretty cool. Pretty chill. Good for a dinner party
Nice easy cooking supper music
Fav: Jeru Least Fav: Moon Dreams
An album everyone says you should listen to, but I never have. Good but not great. Kinda just fell into the background while I was listening.
I like it. But it's not very sticky to me.
Traditional jazz - nothing experimental. Good but not great.
Enjoyed this quite a lot.
It's probably blasphemy rating this a 3, but I've never really been into jazz.
#55 - Amazing Miles as usual marking a before and after in the evolution of jazz. Very good but it doesn't tickle me as much as Kind of Blue.
6.5
Ok as far as jazz goes i try, sometimes I like it most of the time I dont. As far as Miles Davis goes I love Kind Of Blue so looking forward to this but with Miles you don't know what your going to get. This fell more towards the Kind Of Blue side of things and was rather enjoyable.
I love Miles Davis, but this album sounds mediocre until you read about it and find out all the planning that must have gone into who would play what when. It was very much a background album for me while driving. Nothing wrong with it except for how standard it sounds. Miles usually wows me, but Birth of The Cool doesn't wow me all that much. It's fine. It's great for background music, but otherwise it sounds pretty standard for jazz.
I have a soft spot for 50s music due to my love of the fallout video games
It kinda feels like I'm on the longest elevator ride of my life, but I can't say that I'm particularly upset about that...
Although this lacked the funkiness of Herbie Hancock’s “Headhunters” or the vocals of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”, the musical talent is on full display. It was a short and sweet experience, but not enough to get me fully immersed in the genre.
Not as good as the other Miles Davis albums.
3 decent jazz
Not the best Davis album but still interesting enough ;)
Didn’t enjoy as much as the more Freeform long play stuff we’ve already had - still good though.
not my cup o tea
Cool jazz.Correcto.
I’m not typically into jazz, but this was enjoyable. Good reading music
bão pra tomar uma em nova orleans. Só músico bom, porém cansa a mesmice instrumental.
I dig jazz and all but these are just so samey samey sounding. I couldn’t tell you which one I liked more or less than any other. Good background music though.
Cool jazz.
Shory, fun jazz album. Easy to listen to.
I like a lot of stuff from Davis. For some reason this album misses me. Hoping that some of my favorites landed in this list but time will tell!
I know it’s cool to like this so I’m giving it three stars and not listening to it again
2.5. first Jazz of this list and enjoyed listening. Needs revisiting to pick up on details of songs
I thought I'd enjoy this (So What is a fave) but it didn't quite grab me. Maybe I needed to be listening to it in a different context, something more moody than the reality supplied by the 2020s
The king.
- Ich habe langsam das Gefühl, dass ich diesen vielen Jazz-Alben nicht wirklich gerecht werde. Alle lösen bei mir ein ähnliches Gefühl aus und werden dann dementsprechend ähnlich bewertet. So auch hier: - Wieder ein Platte, wo ich zu keiner Zeit des Durchhörens wusste, wo ein Song aufhört oder ein neuer anfängt. War wieder mal eine Gesamt-Experience. Die war aber geil. 3,5/5
Entspannte Jazz Session
Im not a big fan of Jazz, but this I enjoyed. My favourite track was Moon Dreams because it was a nice calming track, not just a loud trumpet. I probably wouldn't listen again because these albums are not really in the genres of music I listen too.
It's Miles Davis. Of course it's great - this album changed the course of modern jazz after all! And yet - I remain a bit untouched by this, as if this is talking to me from a distance. Where later stage Davis takes me by the guts, this does not grab me. There is a politeness to it today, maybe unfair because I am obviously receiving it 70 years after it was shared with the world and subsequently influenced thousands of musicians. To the non-musician I am, it sounds a bit formulaic and... Boring?
For a jazz album this is not too bad, but I still don't give a toss about it.
I don't understand jazz enough to have any idea, really. You know what though? Sounded cool.
It doesn’t engage in the obvious boundary-pushing that some of Davis’s later albums do but I must say I enjoyed this more than some of his ‘classic’, Kind Of Blue style stuff. The spiritely-yet-chilled tunes on this album actually serve to lighten my mood rather than depress me, and I do prefer my jazz in snack-sized chunks.
This album created a liminal space inside my head. It was very pleasant but also hard to review for that reason. Favourite track: Moon Dreams.
This is jazz! Personally I don't know what's good or bad jazz. I can say that I wasn't bored, but I wanted to finish it sooner than later... 3/5
Fine but much prefer his later work.
ja leuk hoor, niet me favo Miles maar alsnog mooi voor op de achtergron when you are vibing
Good Jazz, not really my thing.
one of the few jazz artists i actually tolerate and can enjoy
decent jazz, short enough to not get boring
This is very enjoyable but not quite as gripping as the more dramatic Jazz stuff that I've heard from Davis (Sketches in Spain) or more trippy/psychedelic stuff that I've enjoyed in general (Journey in Satchidanada), though I'm no Jazz aficionado by any means. Growing on me though... it's very infectious and fun. Move in particular is fantastic.
Great jazz record, not much to say.
This was recorded over three sessions in 1949/50. Swing Jazz was on it's way out and Cool Jazz starts right here? This is the cool toe tapping kind of Jazz. They do it perfectly I assume. This is super easy to listen to, almost to the point of being background music. It's totally enjoyable. I think most any other music you listen from 1950 is immediately going to sound dated and of a completely different era. This stands the test off time and there's enough here that's been carried on over the years where it doesn't completely sound alien in 2024. This doesn't blow me away but it's 100 percent easy and pleasant to listen to. 3.5/5
An absolutely fine 50s jazz album, but pales in comparison to the mind melting things Miles would wind up moving on to
Solid jazz album, good background music.
A little too smooth to be my thing, but Cool, nonetheless.
I think jazz is cool but I’ve never really felt anything significant from it. I don’t hate this, I kind of like it. Moon dreams is really good. the dissonance and eeriness is what makes it shine. as a musician you have to be marveled by the songwriting abilities on this.
Pretty chill, Miles Davis is just so good. Favorite track is either “Moon Dreams”, “Jeru”, or “Rocker”. Very stereotypical jazz, easy to listen to.
eh, nothing really special besides the very famous single
Accomplished and enjoyable.
There was some Deception with this album, but it made me Move! The Moon Dreams were bright!
I might not be cool enough for this. I'm trying to trick my brain into liking jazz but something isn't clicking. I do appreciate how music from this era doesn't have that timeless quality that stuff from the 60s can have, rather it transports you to the 40s or 50s. And that's interesting. But it all runs together for me.
Good. I liked the style though I found it too slow and not weird enough.
Faster and more active than my fave of his albums, shorter tracks, still super cool
Hoeveel zelfvertrouwen moet je hebben om een album Birth of the Cool te noemen? En hoe vet als je dan ook nog eens gelijk hebt? Los daarvan, ben ik eerlijk gezegd niet de allergrootste fan van Cool jazz als een genre. Het is wat rustiger en wat 'saaier' naar mijn mening dan andere vormen van jazz. Dat is bij dit album dus ook een beetje. Sowieso is het een compilatie, wat bijvoorbeeld Kind of Blue niet is en waardoor dat album ook veel beter in elkaar overvloeit in tegenstelling tot dit. Daarentegen zijn er echt nog heel veel nummers die top klinken, maar ik ben wel minder weggeblazen( ha ha snap je? ) dan bij vorige jazz albums. FAVO: Jeru, Boplicity, Israel, Rouge
Not stunned by anything. Great though.
Good background music but found it less engaging than other records like "Bitches Brew, In a Slient Way, or Kind of Blue."
3.5/5
enjoyable , not something i’d frequent but i downloaded 3 and 9
It's brilliantly executed, has a warm production and is generally pretty fun, but kinda washed over me tbh. All very thematically similar.
It's jazz alright!
El sonido "cool jazz" tiene su origen en las tres sesiones recogidas en este álbum. Los arreglos de big band acompañan la trompeta inigualable de Miles Davis en una cadencia aparentemente sencilla, incluso en sus momentos más complicados. Piezas íntimas, relajantes y elegantes que definen este jazz de la costa oeste. Una escucha placentera y muy aconsejable.
It's a good album. But when you consider what Miles Davis would ultimately achieve in jazz music, you could say with "Birth of the Cool" he hasn't come into his own yet. In short, it sounds like ordinary jazz, nothing special. Compare it to Kind of Blue (1959) and you'll see what I mean.
Very cool
Great trumpet, cool old school jazz.
Jazz
Good music but you have to be in the right mood
Beautiful music but no lyrics and I'm.that guy who likes lyrics
I prefer my jazz with more skronk and weirdness, but I recognize that this is "good".
Really easy relaxing background music
Jazz sure is jazz
Cool jazz.Correcto.
Really cool, smooth jazz with excellent dynamics. To be listened to as a whole.
I could myself listening to this.. sitting at Disneyland waiting for my beignet order to be fulfilled. 2.5
Fun fact: nothing was cool until this album released in 1957. Thanks, Miles Davis.
Respect voor het talent en een vette albumtitel, maar ik kan hier slecht inkomen. Wel lekkere achtergrondmuziek
Faszinierend, einflussreich. Sehr empfehlenswert!
Prefer the late 60-70's Miles Era
Not for me 3/5
Nice for a piano bar of some sort
It's Miles Davis. Not really any surprises here. It's good.
Solid for sure, as you'd expect from him. It definitely feels like an earlier album than his true greats though. Still very enjoyable, but if I'm going to listen to Miles Davis it probably isn't the one I would immediately reach for.
Surely very good quality playing but after a bit off t gets boring. To be listened to in small doses
Jazz takes many forms, some of which I like some that I can appreciate and some that pass me by. This is somewhere between the last two.
6/10 for me. Never been really into Jazz but I enjoyed listening to this whole compilation! Definitely going to throw on more of this when cooking and cleaning the house. Cool stuff
If you rank musical artists by the number of albums you know/own of theirs and the amount of time you spend listening to them then Miles Davis would be my #1 by a mile. Not to sound like a jazz prick but Miles easily has 20 or 30 albums I would put ahead of this and I regret that the album title and cover art are so interesting it ends up being an intro to jazz record for a lot of people and unfortunately it doesn't work well for that. This is still very early in his career - I think possibly these are his first sessions after quitting Charlie Parker's band when he was 22? - and he didn't really become a great band leader until he got his act together and kicked heroin 5-6 years later. He is still finding his style as a soloist and the arrangements feel cumbersome to me. I also prefer my jazz combos - and most ensembles in any genre, actually - on the smaller side for more intimate interplay among the musicians. But this is a nine piece band, and once you get beyond about five musicians in a band, the improv tends to take a back seat to composition and orchestration. Afficianados call this record "important," which it took me decades to have the self-confidence to realize is usually code for "I know I am supposed to like this but I don't." Unfortunately, this perpetuates the problem, as another generation gets lured into jazz from this record and leaves bored and disappointed or possibly even feeling inadequate themselves. It's not your fault - the critics are cowards! Speaking of great Miles Davis album titles, have you seen this hilarious memo to record company execs from Miles's longtime producer, Teo Macero - first ballot Hall of Fame usage of "Please advise": https://news.lettersofnote.com/p/this-is-my-favorite-memo-ever
A lot going on--I like Kind of Blue more.
Good album!
Jazzy
I LOVE the In A Peaceful Way EP, one of my favorite albums of all time. This album however, while being obviously a masterpiece, just totally faded into the background for me. It didn't capture my attention.
I'm not a fan of jazz, but this wasn't bad.
I actually listened to this twice as it's not a bad soundtrack for an hour on the Pelotón. I have had friends who are big jazz fans, but I'm not.
sorry Miles but they can't all be winners for me.
Not as big of a fan of the big band cool jazz stuff from Davis. Definitely more lyrical melodies, with more unison playing from a pair of horns, with counterpoint and harmony from some of the other. I don't like french horns. Overall feels more like a soundtrack to an old Disney movie than 'jazz'. It's not a challenging listen and makes for better background music or relaxing. The drum break on Move is cool though.
Jazz växer mer och mer på mig.
Album 1/1001 This sounded like sitting in my grandparents living room after a long day in the sun, nectarine juice dripping down my forearm.
An exuberant catapult through moments of dissonance and unpredictability, true musicianship. That being said, it is not necessarily an easy listen, rather an appreciative listen
whiskey nighta staring out the window while it rains vibe
Nice for a Saturday morning
Cool album to spin on vinyl and do some chores to. I enjoyed the arrangement of sounds.
Crazy to think this was the hottest shit in America at some point.
Decent album, but I wish there was more songs than instrumentals.
Uno de los mejores en su género.
Good instrumental - but it’s still basically elevator music. Not very enticing.
Good instrumental jazz album
It was okay
Pretty groovy
Iconisch wel, mooie smooth jazz
Didn’t realize this was compiled from multiple sessions. I know this is a big album but something about the recording just sounds harsh to me.
ya like jazz?
He's back! Well I have to say I enjoyed this more than anticipated and I guess this was more traditional jazz. I don't know think jazz will ever fully click with me, or a good portion of it, but this was fine
Nice jazz album, short form may be more accessible for general audience but would have been nice to have longer songs
Huch. Schon die 2te Platte, die auch in meiner Sammlung steht. Die ist älter als ich, heilige Scheisse. Ein knackiger Track nach dem anderen. Musik die meine Eltern gehört haben. Damals beim Budenzauber. Schön.
Jazz? Brabo o começo. Parece que tô em New Orleans!
nice lil instrumentals to play while working or something.
Enjoyed band and brass instruments with no lyrics.
All right. A little too jazzy
3.6 great. I like jazz now
I know Miles Davis is universally loved, jazz just isn't my thing.
BL: The Third (and I'm sure not the last) Miles album on this generator. As far as I'm aware this is one of his better releases but I love every release of Davis I've heard so far. AL: A very solid album. I prefer the longer 2 side suite records like "In a Silent Way" but this offered an excellent selection of more accessible jazz music for radio play. Still quintessential Davis. FT: "Jeru", "Budo", "Godchild", "Rouge" 3/5
As cool as yoghurt and about as inoffensive.
Not my favourite jazz album in this challenge, a bit ?basic?
I am sure it is a great album, but it's just not my cup of tea.
Impressive. Not what I normally like to have
Instrumental en grande partie. Bon comme musique de fond/d'ambiance.
Yeah, it's pretty cool alright. It's jazz though, so I kept forgetting it was on.
solid album
Not a huge fan of this kind of jazz
svalt
Smoooooth. Þetta rann vel í gegn. Vondur maðurmaður, sturlaður tónlistarmaður. Amk top 5 trompetleikarinn minn! 3.5
Ljúfur djass með ekki eins ljúfum manni. Nonet = 9 manna hljómsveit. :-)
Yes, It is cool. Confirmed
It’s just not my jam. Over the years I’ve tried to like jazz. I truly have. I understand the teamwork and musicianship to play jazz. It’s tremendously hard and takes great talent and skill. I simply cannot find a place where it works for me. I need something less intrusive for background music. I need something straightforward and upbeat when I’m moving my body. After the first few bars of the first song, my mind started to wander into creativity-much like Miles Davis. Was it the jazz? No. I do that all the time. The jazz got in the way more than it expanded my thoughts. I guess I can’t sit with the cool kids today.
This was really different, very experimental and i quite liked it. Between a 3 and a 4 for sure!
I like Birth Of The Cool but not my favorite Miles stuff, some nice tracks that sound more full with the nine piece performances yet for me I prefer the smaller ensembles to the nonet recordings
It wasn't easy listenning for me. But it was interesting and I liked some songs. In the end I prefered the Jazz mix Spotify produced at the end of the album.
Original writing didn't save. 1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die - Day 5 1. Move - 6.5 2. Jeru - 6.3 3. Moon Dreams - 6.5 4. Venus de Milo - 5.8 5. Budo - 6.0 6. Deception - 6.6 7. Godchild - 5.9 8. Boplicity - 6.2 9. Rocker - 5.4 10. Israel - 6.0 11. Rouge - 7.0 12. Darn That Dream - 7.6
Hyvää jazzia jos jazzia haluaa kuunnella. Vähän siitä teknisemmästä päästä. Vikan kappaleen laulu säikäytti, ei ollutkaan instrumentaalilevy
It's true, nothing was cool pre 1957
If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis.