Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

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Miles Davis Kind of Blue meets Analogue Productions' UHQR, the pinnacle of high-quality vinyl!

Definitive limited run reissue Ultra High Quality Record!

45 RPM double LP release limited to 25,000 copies

Best-selling album in jazz history; mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original 3-track master tapes

Pressed at Quality Record Pressings using Clarity Vinyl®

Purest possible pressing and most visually stunning presentation and packaging!

Dream team of Davis, Adderley, Coltrane, Evans, Kelly, Chambers, Cobb make history

Video — Should New Vinyl Collectors Buy the 45 RPM UHQR Miles Davis Kind of Blue? Click here.

"Kassem's new edition-also stamped in an edition of 25,000 — is from the same master, pressed on the same type of vinyl (but not "hand pressed" this time, which actually results in greater pressing consistency, plus now there's a good chance everyone who orders will get their copy in a reasonable time period), packed in the same fancy box. The only difference is that the music is on two LPs, cut at 45rpm, meaning the grooves are much wider. All things equal, this should make for finer detail, an airier ambience, more lifelike sound generally. And that's what you get here. Take the passage from my Stereophile review and step it up a few notches: "finer touches...even more stunningly clear...still more layers...the ecstatic beauty..." Everything is more present, more brassy, woody, or metallic, depending on the instrument. There's a more palpable sense of a human being blowing through a mouthpiece, plucking a string, coaxing a keyboard, or tapping a snare drum. There is more of a sense that you are with the musicians in the studio. In short, take any account you've read-or any memory you treasure-of this album's sonic glories, and embellish every admiring adjective with more, more, better, better." — Music = 11/11; Sound = 11/11 Fred Kaplan, TrackingAngle.com. To read Kaplan's full review, click here.

Legends have a way of sticking around. If there was ever an album awaiting a high-fidelity, custom-pressed vinyl treatment of the level you now hold in your hands, it is Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. The top-selling jazz album of all time, it has been lauded, entered into "Best Of" lists and Halls of Fame, and universally acknowledged as a landmark recording — a five-track masterpiece of melancholy mood and melody.

It continues to be one of the most listened-to and studied recordings of all time, a required primer for many young musicians, and one of the most transcendent pieces of music ever recorded. Davis played trumpet sublime with his ensemble sextet featuring pianist Bill Evans, drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley with Wynton Kelly playing piano on "Freddy the Freeloader."

Now Analogue Productions, the audiophile in-house reissue label of Acoustic Sounds, Inc., together with Quality Record Pressings, is putting Kind of Blue where it belongs: the Ultra High Quality Record (UHQR) pressed on Clarity Vinyl with attention paid to every single detail of every single record.

The 200-gram records will feature the same flat profile that helped to make the original UHQR so desirable. From the lead-in groove to the run-out groove, there is no pitch to the profile, allowing the customer's stylus to play truly perpendicular to the grooves from edge to center. Clarity Vinyl allows for the purest possible pressing and the most visually stunning presentation. Every UHQR will be hand inspected upon pressing completion, and only the truly flawless will be allowed to go to market. Each UHQR will be packaged in a deluxe box and will include a booklet detailing the entire process of making a UHQR along with a hand-signed certificate of inspection. This will be a truly deluxe, collectible product.

For this 45 RPM 2LP edition we've set the bar for excellence higher. Lifelike distinct detail that was palpable enough in 33 1/3 RPM is holographic at 45. Four glorious sides of 200-gram vinyl from QRP, the best presser in the business, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately. There's also a 20-page booklet with updated session photos and liner notes by Robert Palmer and Ashley Kahn. Plus, we've included photos of legendary mastering engineer Bernie Grundman's mastering notes from this release.

Kind of Blue is more than Miles Davis's most enduring recording, it's a testament to Miles' experimental approach, drastically simplifying modern jazz by returning to melody unlike the chord complexity more often heard at the time. "The music has gotten thick," Davis complained in a 1958 interview for The Jazz Review. "... There will be fewer chords but infinite possibilities as to what to do with them." Kind of Blue is, in a sense, all melody — and atmosphere.

None of the musicians had played any of the tunes before heading into the first of two recording sessions in early spring of 1959. In fact Miles had written out the settings for most of them only a few hours before the session. Miles also stuck to his old recording procedure of having virtually no rehearsal and only one take for each tune.

Miles remained proud of the album, performing at least two of its tracks — "So What" and "All Blues" — for years after, until his musical path took him in a different direction.

History was on the side of Kind of Blue; it was born in 1959, at the peak of the golden age of high-fidelity, featuring innovations in studio equipment (magnetic tape, high-quality condenser microphones), matched by advancements in home audio reproduction (long-player records — LPs; high-end turntables, and other stereo components). Kind of Blue also benefited from Miles' being signed to the leading major record company of the day — Columbia Records, a part of the CBS media conglomerate. Columbia had the means and wisdom to invest in cutting edge recording technology, and their own professional recording studio.

A minor audio complication with Kind of Blue has been addressed with this UHQR edition. The motor on the studio's 3-track master recorder was running slowly the day of the album's first session. This speed issue affected the album's first three tracks, "So What," "Freddie Freeloader" and "Blue in Green," making them a barely perceptible quarter-tone sharp. Before now, it was only addressed in 1995 for the Classic Records edition and by Columbia Records — or their latter-day parent, Sony Music — on a CD reissue in the late '90s.

Sixty years have passed; this LP bridges that time span in the best way possible, struck from the master reel of Kind of Blue, free of speed issues and replete with all the instrumental detail, sonic environment and minimal noise. As we set out to make our UHQR series the world's best-sounding vinyl records, we have also used Clarity Vinyl, which is free of any carbon black pigment which might introduce surface noise. All-in-all this edition of Kind of Blue meets the highest audiophile standards and offers the truest sound for the most enjoyment.

Music

Sound

Ratings from TrackingAngle.com

Side A

1. So What

Side B

1. Freddie Freeloader

2. Blue In Green

Side C

1. All Blues

Side D

1. Flamenco Sketches

Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 19 person(s) rated this product.

Miles Davis in my living room posted on 12/04/2023 5 Stars WOW! Sounds like Miles, Coltrane, Adderley, Evans, Kelly, Chambers and Cobb are playing in my living room. One of the best albums in my collection. Dead Quiet and the sound is simply Pure Bliss!!! Definitely worth the investment!

Absolutely Outstanding! posted on 03/07/2023 5 Stars Reviewer: Todd Lewis This is the most amazing version of this album I have ever heard! I have just started collecting vinyl records in the last couple of years and I knew that once I saw this record for sale I couldn’t pass it up! I have a mid level turntable setup and when I put this album on, it was like I had a private seat in the studio when this was recorded! I would like to tell Chad and the rest of the Acoustic Sounds Team that this one is a Grand Slam!

Simply the Best posted on 10/29/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Brian VanPelt Excellent remastering, as everyone has noted, but noisy vinyl. Analague Productions will replace, but you have to destroy the records with photo evidence. I'm going to see if they will allow me to donate them to some needy music teacher somewhere. I was not able to donate, so I destroyed the records and Acoustic Sounds promptly replaced both records, as both of mine were noisy. The replacements are near perfect. The vinyl is very quiet, and the music explodes out of the speakers. I've never heard KOB this overwhelming. The soundstage has something of a 3D feel to it, with Miles in the center, but in the back a little. The two sax's straddle the left/right speakers and they can be refined, with a burnished tone, or they can be breathy; either way, they are better than I've ever heard them. That can be said for Miles and the drums. Even the piano has a little more sparkle than normal. I've got to admit, this is the best I've heard this album.

45RPM hall of fame KOB UHQR posted on 09/30/2022 5 Stars I also own the 33 UHQR of KOB and have now done a shoot out between them. This might very well be the best sounding record I own out of the thousands on my shelf. It just sounds more open and real compared to the already great sounding 33 KOB UHQR. I really had a hard time believing the 33 could have been improved. I also have heard original copies of this and they aren’t anywhere close to either the 33 or 45 UHQR releases of KOB. It completely destroys the bloated sounding (and now we know DSD sourced) MoFi 45 KOB. Chad you knocked the ball out of the park on this one! Well done!!

what midrange realism ! posted on 09/26/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Tom S I was very hopeful when I heard about on these 45 releases months ago but quite blown away upon getting them playing: the accuracy and resolution particularly in the mid-range elements of this great music is unbelievable. Saying it is" the best" would be an understatement if that if possible. Congrats to the whole AS/ AP team and the BG collaboration here. Wow... Keep them coming!

THE DREAM COMES TRUE posted on 09/20/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Ben S. It is the dream of every audiophile to find the ultimate, best sounding copy of the albums he or she loves. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is one of a handful of truly great jazz albums of all time. It deserves the very best reissue treatment possible. In this case, AP/QRP has delivered a grand slam home run. Everything from the quality of the contents and its presentation to the pressing quality and sound is just excellent! This is the best sounding vinyl record in my large collection. I cannot imagine it getting any better than this. I need to search no further. The dream has come true. I now have the very best version of Kind of Blue and will never need anything else. Thank you so much for this wonderful reissue of this landmark album, Chad and the AP/QRP team!!!

Blue no more posted on 09/17/2022 5 Stars Only two copies of Kind of Blue on vinyl are in my record collection, both 45’s. This one blows the other one out of the water. I don’t think I have ever heard Jimmy Cobb’s brush work before. It really stood out to me in a very pleasurable way. I got a lot of pleasure hearing so many things from this. So many distinct features jump out at you. There were a few pops on Blue in Green on my copy. Still, glad I was able to get and listen to this edition. Kind of blue that all my records don’t sound this great.

the best vinyl i own posted on 09/17/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: giovanni i have bought this 45 rpm uhqr version of miles davis kind of blue.. i can say that this is probably the best records i own... channel separation.. the incredibile deep soundstage.. the freshness of the sound.. in a wonderful package... the price is really high but it's a top class... maybe this is my best vinyl at home (and i have 1000 !)

Stunning posted on 09/13/2022 5 Stars I have the 33 1/3 UHQR, The MOFI SACD, Ryan Smith's Mono version, and now the 45. This 45 version and Ryan's mono are the two to have. Most of the instrumentation is noticeably better on the 45 but Coltrane sounds unbelievably good on Ryan's version.

Stunning posted on 09/08/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Gordon Johnson This @45rpm pressing of KoB does justice to the artist, the recording and the mastering. Breath taking playback, simply wonderful. Stunning across four sides.

Sublime Beauty posted on 09/08/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Joel Cue up “Blue In Green,” if you don’t enter a different time and space I don’t think your musical soul is working. There is a sublime beauty to everything about this pressing that transcends the normal listening experience. Thanks Chad, amazing!

Throw your MoFi in the garbage where it belongs! posted on 09/06/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: vilet Seriously, toss that digital trash! This 45 UHQR is it. The best I've heard. Listened to the whole thing tonight and I am just stunned. Don't sweat the price tag, it's worth every penny. I feel like I am set for a lifetime on this classic album! Highly recommended. Fantastic!

Really unbelievable! posted on 09/05/2022 5 Stars So, I have several versions of Kind of Blue, including digital (high res, DSD) and a good mono LP. I've now listened to all of them, side by side. I can't believe I'm saying this but there simply is no contest. This new 45 rpm UHQR version is simply head and shoulders about the others. I'm not good a describing these things, but each instrument sounds exactly like the instrument. There doesn't seem to be the occasional blooming of sounds that muddy the sounds of other instruments. I am very happy I got this version.

Pure bliss. posted on 09/03/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Joe Listening to the new 45 release of this is like an out of body experience. If you close your eyes, you can picture the musicians as if you were sitting right in the middle of the studio floor. The whole thing wraps you up in a cocoon of music and sweeps you away. I cannot gush enough about this release. Well done Chad and team! What a treasure!

Fantastic reproduction. posted on 09/02/2022 5 Stars I have both the 33 rpm and now received the 45 rpm. Between this record and the Nat King Cole "Love is the Thing", I am a true 45 rpm believer. This recording has a better soundstage than the great 33 rpm record. It is more "airy", and the bass on it has slightly better texture. The quality of the box, pictures, etc... are as good as you can get. As usual this arrived in great packaging, so your record will be intact. They added pictures in the booklet that are different than the 33 rpm booklet, so that there is more than just slightly better sound quality. This is not a carbon copy and worth the money. I highly recommend this record.

Tearing Up… posted on 09/01/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Johnnymics It’s just incredible, what else can you say? All the words used to describe your perfect release in vinyl can be applied here. 100% amazing. The separation is next level. Coltrane and Cannonball absolutely shine. The price is definitely high, but I don’t know if you can find a better version of this legendary masterpiece. A collectors dream!

A perfect reissue ??. posted on 08/31/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: David C. Received my new Analogue Productions KOB 45RPM via FedEx while on lunch break today. Needless to say the secure AP/AS packaging was great and FedEx fulfilled their part too. Inside, this anticipated new AP reissue looked great w/ the ancillary inserts. The ~20pg LP size booklet was fantastic. The 2-LP 45RPM came inserted in quality AP/AS inners & both were inserted in a 3rd loose bag. Due to time limits, I held up ea to the light for a quick visual inspection and both vinyl LPs looked perfect.?? Will clean both this evening and listen to sides A-D probably a FEW times. I'm not really into the effort of A/Bing many of my albums but WILL do so w/ the 33RPM for fun this weekend. Kudos to all the Analogue Productions / Acoustic Sounds team! From announced pre-order to doorstep delivery was only a few months?

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