In 1959, Miles Davis assembled his famed sextet - John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans (and Wynton Kelly), Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb - and in only two impromptu sessions created a masterpiece. Ashley Kahn takes us into the studio and gives us the unprecedented opportunity to witness the creation of Kind of Blue, an album beloved by jazz musicians, enthusiasts, and newcomers alike.

Weaving his meticulous research into a thrilling narrative, Kahn traces Miles's progress from bop to modal jazz, and follows the album from its release to its transformation into a cultural touchstone. With transcriptions of the unedited session tapes, freshly discovered Columbia files, new in-depth interviews with musicians, producers and critics, and photographs never seen before, Kind of Blue documents an invaluable piece of musical history and heightens fans' appreciation of the album they know and love.

CONTENTS:
Foreword; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Birth of the Tone: Miles 1949-1955; Interlude: Columbia Records; The Quintet, the Sextet, and the Rise of Modal Jazz; Interlude: 30th Street Studio; First Session; Interlude: Freddy Freeloader; Second Session; Selling Blue; The Legacy of Blue; Epilogue; Bibliography; Discography; Source Notes; Index.

ASHLEY KAHN is a journalist and editor who has contributed articles to the New York Times, Rolling Stone and other publications. He was a primary contributor to Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album. His next book will be a study of John Coltrane's album A Love Supreme.

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