Sort of. Though he died a while ago, this year is the 50th anniversary of Kind of Blue, his legendary masterpiece, and one of my favorite albums. A couple of weeks ago, one of the kids and I went to see some local jazz performers give an all-Miles Davis concert at the amphitheater at Rainbow Library. We laid out a blanket on the grass, had some snacks, and enjoyed the music. Of course, it was past bedtime, so he was asleep by the end of the second song.
We only stayed for the first hour, but that half was heavy on Kind of Blue. They opened with “So What?” and also did “All Blues” and “Blue in Green.” It was that last one that was my favorite moment of the night, as it differed from the album version with an even softer, shimmering aspect to it, mostly achieved by the drummer using brushes and chimes. They turned a classic ballad into a mirage having a daydream. Good jazz music leaves blisters on your imagination. Here’s a good performance of “Blue in Green;” I liked this one more than most of the full-throttle versions on YouTube which seem to ignore the spirit of the original:
Gently Hew Stone 