'Kind of Blue'

Miles Davis's album ranks as one of the best jazz recordings of all time.


"Kind of Blue" ranks as Davis's most esteemed recording. Despite its complete lack of vocals, the disc became his best-selling album, totaling four million copies and still moving about 5,000 copies a week.

Davis once famously said, "Don't play what you know, play what you don't know." His players' improvisations here sound clean, fresh and original, as they nimbly respond to the challenge of unfamiliar pieces and the novel organizing principle of modes.

Not all critics think this is Davis's best recording, but it is unquestionably his most iconic and, for many, the quintessential jazz album.