Miles Davis began in the late 1950s to create music based on the modes, or scales, used by ancient Greek musicians, instead of traditional keys and harmonic patterns. His 1959 landmark Kind of Blue album was his first major modal jazz recording.
Kind Of Blue was recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York, the five tracks were laid in nine hours with Miles Davis giving only brief instructions to a new band. (It was a ploy that Davis frequently used, feeling that individual musicians would consequently focus more on their performances.) All but one of the tracks were recorded in one take; this piece, which is made up of a set of improvised chord changes using various modes, was the only one that required a second run-through.
