Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Feelings
Review: On the one hand, I do believe that everyone who is interested in jazz as a musical performer should read this book. I've been doing recording sessions for over twenty years now and even I learned a lot from this book, in the descriptions of the sessions.
However, I can't post a review of this book without adding a little rant about the writing style. I REALLY can't stand modern day music journalism with it's over the top hero worship. It's precisely this kind of writing which turned me away from Down Beat and other jazz publications.
So, get the book, read the sections about the actual recording sessions, but you may want to skip all that other stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: Project 43079
Review: The title of this review is the number assigned to the then untitled "Kind of Blue" sessions." Looking at this book from a historical pesrspective it is both informative and entertaining. The freelance music journalist Ashley Kahn , manages to tell an engrossing tale structured around but not limited to the recording session of the Miles Davis recording. The author takes you back in time to the memorable sessions that produced "Kind of Blue." The tid bits of information are interesting insights into what went on in the six hours in the studio on March 2, 1959. The album was recorded in two sessions, the second being on April 22 of the same year. The fact that the music was recorded, essentially in one take, is amazing considering the end product. I particularly enjoyed learning about the background to the song titles, specifically "Freddie the Freeloader," the relationship between Gil Evans and Miles Davis(this would be their last recording together), the perceptions of one of my music idols, John Coltrane and in general, the historical jazz ambience. The author takes excursions into what was going in jazz at the time, who was doing what and how this recording set the stage for future developments. While doing this the author examines the jazz musician of the 50's, what came before and the impact of "Kind of Blue" with it's modal introduction for the masses. The book is a great companion to the music, it is almost like being there. If you'd like to know the story behind the famed Miles Davis sextet that recorded one for the ages this is the book for you.
An additional bonus are the superb black and white photographs of the sessions that feature the men in their element. Many of the photographs(the first session was not photographed) are classic spontaneous glimpses into jazz history. If you like Miles, jazz or music history this book is for you, it reveals a part of Americana from a bygone era and luckily the music lives on, along with this written testament.
Rating:
Summary: This is a must for any beginning or advanced jazz fan!!
Review: This book is a great look into a great album. I'm just getting into jazz, so I can't say I know too much about it yet. And, I know only a little about music theory, but this book is a great way for the beginning jazz fan to understand what makes jazz, and this album in particular so great. The author had unparalleled access to the actual master tapes from the two sessions that made up Kind Of Blue. He was able to hear what was going on between takes. Unfortunately there wasn't a lot being said. There's even a comment in the book about how they would stop the tape in between takes, as if to save tape. So, unlike other recordings of the day, when the tapes would continuously roll, this master tape gives only a little glimpse into what it must have been like during the two days of recording. The author is able to do the rest through interviews with people who were there. There are only two chapters on the actual recording sessions. But, what the author does is take us through the recording take by take, song by song. It was great to be able to sit back and listen to the music while the author and others went into detail about the song you are listening to. As a beginning jazz fan, I was able to understand the music much better. I always knew I liked the album, but now, I can see a little deeper into why it is so great. I have a long way to go, but this book helped my understanding significantly. The book doesn't just focus on the recording of the album (obviously with only two chapters dedicated to the two sessions). You get to learn a little about Miles and what he was doing musically prior to this album. The book shows you how he was always looking to improve on his previous work and expand what jazz was at that time. It is by no means close to a biography of Miles, rather, just a look at what he was doing in this time. The book then continues on with the selling of Kind Of Blues and the influence it would have years after it was made. My only problem with the book, and it's my problem, not the books, is that I didn't understand a lot of the musical theory that was being written about. But, as I said, that is my problem. It is far beyond the scope of this book to delve into music theory. I will have to return to the book once my understanding is better. If you are just getting into jazz or want to know more about Kind Of Blue, you need to get this book. I can't recommend it enough.
Rating:
Summary: Like Being There
Review: This book opens the time capsule on the making of Kind of Blue and jazz in the late fifties. In contrast to Niesenson's recent work on this album, this book provides a great deal of new information. The description of the studio itself, an old church, and the engineers who recorded the album and their methods and equipment was fascinating. The book captures not only the almost supernatural alignment of the jazz moons of three of the most dominant figures in jazz, Miles/Trane/Evans, but it also explains the practical business of producing and promoting jazz albums in this time period. I simply could not put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Kind of Grew
Review: This is an evocative portrait of how Jazz was made at Columbia Records in New York in the 1950's. Unfortunately, by the time, someone got the idea to write a book about Kind of Blue, almost evryone present at the creation was already dead. Of Miles Davis' classic quintet only drummer Jimmy Cobb remains alive to tell the tale. Author Ashley Kahn collects the handful of photographs made at the Kind of Blue session and has combed all available secondary sources to detail what he can about how the album was made. The trouble is-- even though Kahn was able to listen to the original master tapes-- the session was completed so quickly, there is not much to say about it. To the musicians involved, it was a couple afternoons' work. There were just enough takes completed to make an album. Its like the story of Lincoln at Gettysburg. Lincoln stood up and read his address so quickly the photographer didn't have time to load his camera before the president sat down again. So Kind of Blue remains an unexplainable jewel. Everyone knew it was good, but no one is quite sure how it got that way. Apparently, Miles Davis, perhaps in consultation with Bill Evans, or perhaps on his own, sketched out a few notes, and five or six hours later, they had an album. Kahn is not able to pinpoint where one musician's responsibility stopped and another's began, but it is Davis who has gotten most of the credit. It seems obvious that credit is due to Davis' role as a bandleader rather than a gift for actually composing. You could say Kind of Blue (like Topsy) jes' Grew, but Miles was the artistic ego that shaped it. And he knew enough to call it done.
Rating:
Summary: Miles rising
Review: This is more than just a history of the conception and recording of "Kind of Blue." It's also a primer on the rise of Miles Davis as one of the premiere talents in American music. Much of the book is comprised of Miles' journey leading up to "Kind of Blue," including his work with Charlie Parker, his battle with heroin addiction, and his later collaborations with Gil Evans. A must-read for any Miles fan, as well as listeners who are just discovering jazz. Informative and exceedingly well-written. I couldn't put it down, and ended up reading the whole thing in two nights.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest jazz album
Review: This was the second book I have read by Ashley Kahn. The first being "A Love Supreme." Kahn does a great job in providing new information that you don't read in the many other biographies about Miles. Truly one of the best music ventures of all time, I didn't know what to expect from Kahn when reading this book. How does an author tackle such a daunting task as writing a book about a masterpiece. I was quite impressed with Kahn's words and detail about the music and musicians behind this album. I will read this book over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest jazz album
Review: This was the second book I have read by Ashley Kahn. The first being "A Love Supreme." Kahn does a great job in providing new information that you don't read in the many other biographies about Miles. Truly one of the best music ventures of all time, I didn't know what to expect from Kahn when reading this book. How does an author tackle such a daunting task as writing a book about a masterpiece. I was quite impressed with Kahn's words and detail about the music and musicians behind this album. I will read this book over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: A wealth of information
Review: Until 1 week before starting this book, I knew next to nothing about Jazz, other than recognizing it when I heard it, and had never heard of Kind of Blue. I find that, on the whole, this book is wonderfully written, in fact, a pleasure to read, and very informative and educational. It seems to me that a reviewer writing something negative about a book, should be careful to read the ENTIRE thing. Ashley Kahn is a HE, not a SHE. This is clear from the photo on the hardcover jacket, and the writeup about the author on the back of the paperback.
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