Miles Davis - So What

Artist ----  Miles Davis

Song   ----  So What

Album  ----  Kind of Blue (1959)

Background: "So What" is the first track on Miles Davis's album "Kind of Blue". The album has been regarded by many critics as the greatest jazz album of all time and the most influential album ever made. The amount of influence on all kinds of music, let it be Jazz, Rock, or Classical, is tremendous. In 2003, the album was ranked number 12 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Kind of Blue is based entirely on modality in contrast to Davis's earlier work with the hard bop style of jazz and its complex chord progression and improvisation. Most songs of this album have become jazz standards.

Trivia: As was Miles Davis's penchant, he called for almost no rehearsal and the musicians had little idea what they were to record. They only got some sketches of scales and melody lines.

My two cents: Jazz! Well, I'm not familiar with Jazz or jazz artists or scales and improvisation. I heard about this album and that it is a must have, the standard in jazz, the origin of all modern rock and pop music. So I bought it. And I have to say, I love it! You don't need to be a fan of jazz or know anything about this genre or the science behind it. You can simply feel it and that is what makes this album and especially this song so great. Just do what I do: When the song starts, imagine a sunny morning in New York City...

Cite: "It must have been made in heaven." – Jimmy Cobb