Miles Davis: So What
Musicians:
Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Cannonball Adderley (alto sax), Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums).
Composed by Miles Davis
.Recorded: New York, March 2, 1959
Rating: 100/100 (learn more)
Miles Davis, artwork by Michael Symonds
Miles Davis's 1959 sextet is widely considered the greatest musical group in the history of the universe. Yet neither the scariest lineup since the 1927 Yankees' Murderers Row nor the novelty of modal jazz can explain the enduring mystery of "So What." Derived from Morton Gould’s American Symphonette No. 2 (1938) via Ahmad Jamal’s “Pavanne” (1955), "So What" wasn't this band's first foray into modality; they'd recorded "Milestones" a year before, making "So What" a sequel, and we all know what turkeys those usually are. "So What," though, has attitude. This is the coolest hipster's shrug of all time. So what.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
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Tags: 1950s jazz · bass · kind of blue · modal jazz
Perhaps the coolest track in the history of music, on one of the best albums in the history of music. This album single-handedly turned my into a jazz fan back when I was a mere 14 years old or so.
This is a great number. Brought the Jazz world to me.