Is Kind of Blue the Best Jazz Album Ever


Let me begin by qualifying "best", in this case I use the word best to mean the most representative or widely accepted.

Kind of Blue is not my favorite album, but whenever I listen to it I feel that if someone were to ask me what is Jazz I would be compelled to play it, more specifically "So What".

Maybe it is the star studded cast, Miles Davis, Coltrane, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderly. On their own these guys are legends. Together?

So the question can be twisted, are they any other jazz albums that could represent what Jazz so perfectly?
nick_sr
Lloydc: Jazz took a wrong turn with BeBop??? This suggests that everything that followed is errant in some way, I.e., not jazz...? or what? "Bad" jazz? I mean, really now, what sort of absurdity is that? Please explain!

Coltrane? Wrong turn! Clifford Brown? toss 'im overboard! Andrew Hill? Bah!

Puhleeeeease!!
Short answer: yes. No contest whatsoever.
I own Brubeck, Chet, Coletrane etc. Etc.
But a lot of that stuff sounds like Mr. Rogers music in comparison.
Of course, this is simply my opinion, and only an opinion.
BTW, I went to the 50th anniversay show here, magnificent!
They played 3 bebop numbers to close the set. Stunning!
I agree that bebop ruined jazz, suddenly there was a style that damn few were qualified to play competently!
To be a jazz musician used to actually mean something.
Now we have Sting, Diana Krall, Norah Jones.....
I'll take the pioneers and originators any day.
Fripp1, while off-post, I too am interested in hearing more from Lloydc regarding bebop as a wrong turning in jazz.
There is not a best of anything. But the most underated jazz CD that no one has heard of and everyone should buy is a CD by Ray Conig Jr titled TRIO. It has no vocals and consists of a stand up bass, piano and drums. Sometimes simple is best. Give it a listen.