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The Blue Moment: Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and the Remaking of Modern Music

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Blue Moment: Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and the Remaking of Modern Music
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Richard Williams
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:320
Dimensions(mm): Height 196,Width 130
Category/GenreJazz
ISBN/Barcode 9780571245079
ClassificationsDewey:781.65
Audience
General
Edition Main

Publishing Details

Publisher Faber & Faber
Imprint Faber & Faber
Publication Date 1 July 2010
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

'It is the most singular of sounds, yet among the most ubiquitous. It is the sound of isolation that has sold itself to millions.' Miles Davis's Kind of Blue is the bestselling piece of music in the history of jazz, and for many listeners among the most haunting in all of twentieth century music. It is also, notoriously, the only jazz album many people own. Recorded in 1959 (in nine miraculous hours), there has been nothing like it since. Its atmosphere - slow, dark, meditative, luminous - became all pervasive for a generation, and has remained the epitome of melancholy coolness ever since. Richard Williams has written a history of the album which for once does not rip it out of its wider cultural context. He evokes the essence of the music - identifying the qualities that make it so uniquely appealing - while making effortless connections to painting, literature, philosophy and poetry. This makes for an elegant, graceful and beautifully written narrative.

Author Biography

Richard Williams is the Guardian's chief sports writer. His previous jobs include chief sports writer of the Independent, assistant editor of The Times, editor of Time Out and Melody maker and head of arts and repertoire at Island Records.