Miles Davis – Kind of Blue (Corrected Speed)

A familiar album, with a comparison built in

“Kind of Blue” was recorded on March 2 and April 22, 1959, at Columbia’s 30th Street Studio in New York. Miles Davis brought together John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. The personnel vary: Kelly plays piano on “Freddie Freeloader”, Evans on the other selections, and Adderley does not appear on “Blue in Green”.

Five compositions make up the original album. This edition adds a particular opportunity for comparison: its first three tracks appear both at corrected speed and in the speed version originally released. The two versions can therefore be compared within the same double LP. An alternate performance of “Flamenco Sketches” completes the programme on the fourth side, adding a different kind of perspective on the sessions.

What happened to the tape

During the first session, the three-track recorder ran too slowly. When a recording made under those conditions is played back at the intended speed, the music sounds slightly faster and higher in pitch. The affected pieces were “So What”, “Freddie Freeloader” and “Blue in Green”: the original album’s entire first side. “All Blues” and “Flamenco Sketches” came from the second session.

Side one of this edition contains corrected versions of the three affected tracks. Side three presents their originally released speed version. Both record sides are played at 33⅓ RPM on the turntable. The correction is already incorporated into the respective version; the listener does not need to recreate it by adjusting the turntable’s speed control while making the comparison between the two sides.

Familiar performances, closer attention

Try beginning with the introduction to “So What”, then play the same passage on side three. Notice pitch, phrasing and your impression of the music’s pace. Short sections and a consistent listening level can make the comparison easier to follow. The records provide the relevant material together, without requiring you to assemble two separate releases that might differ in other respects as well.

The album also remains available as a musical sequence. “Freddie Freeloader” introduces Kelly’s piano, “Blue in Green” reduces the lineup, and the second session supplies “All Blues” and “Flamenco Sketches”. The alternate take on side four offers another route into the music. Here the comparison concerns a different performance of the same piece, whereas sides one and three concern the speed of the same recorded performances.

This edition: three sides at 33⅓, one at 45

Analogue Productions’ AAPJ 8163 is the black 180-gram double LP. Sides one, two and three play at 33⅓ RPM; switch to 45 RPM for the alternate “Flamenco Sketches” on side four. According to the publisher, QRP uses Classic Records production parts featuring Bernie Grundman’s mastering from the original master tape. This does not establish a new cut for the reissue. A matte Stoughton tip-on gatefold houses a four-panel insert with speed information and notes by Robert Palmer. The limited blue-vinyl version is a separate edition.

Michael 45 holds the goods in Germany and dispatches from Hilden, eliminating the need for a private US import and the wait for customs processing.

In the magazine: Miles Davis: A History in Records

Also on 45 RPM vinyl: Kind of Blue

More by Miles Davis: Seven Steps To Heaven

Artist page: All titles by Miles Davis

Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe

Musicians

Documented selection of participating musicians. Personnel may vary by track; this list does not claim to be complete.

Wynton Kelly replaces Bill Evans on “Freddie Freeloader”. Cannonball Adderley sits out “Blue In Green”. Credits for later live bonus tracks are not included.