RON SWARNER: SLATE REMINDS US WHY KIND OF BLUE IS COOL >>>

No single artist in the field of American music has been such a pivotal force for change and growth - no other such a willful arbiter of musical evolution - as Miles Davis. And though he is among the most famous of jazz musicians, perhaps the closest thing the idiom has ever had to a “rock star” figure, Miles’ art has not always been understood, his relevance to the development of this century’s music not fully appreciated.

Why?

Miles eventually “went electric,” and his refusal to apologize for doing so alienated him from those who vigilantly sought to protect the legacy of pre-fusion jazz. To them, he is a traitor, a sell-out, a disappointment.

Whatever.

I appreciate Slate reminding me that Miles' great album Kind of Bluewas released 50 years ago today. Miles rebelled against the oppressiveness of be-bop’s aggressive tempos and dense use of chord structures with the Kind of Blues sessions.

Slate explains why it’s the best selling jazz album of all time here.