Zack: Damn this album is cool. It’s so cool that it is often cited as the defining album for the then-emerging subgenre of cool jazz. The typical characteristics of cool jazz are a more robust collection of instruments and shorter songs: both traits that I am a fan of. The larger group of musicians leads to a more dynamic sound based around the inclusion of a massive horn section coupled with strong supplementary performances by the bass, piano, and drum sections. It is all led by Davis’s famous trumpet. While there are multiple trombone or sax players, the power of that trumpet was so great that only one is needed to fill that need. As for the shorter songs, I find it very helpful. Technological innovation has reduced the average person’s attention span, making it difficult to sit through an eight minute tuba solo in the middle of a sixteen minute track. The smaller length makes the album seem more modern and makes it easily translatable to our futuristic world.
Favorite Tracks: Darn That Dream; Boplicity; Israel
Emily: One thing I have learned from this album: cool jazz is NOT the same thing as smooth jazz. You see, my dad used to love playing the smooth jazz station on the radio every time we were in the car until they took it off the air a few years ago. I thought it was boring and elevator-y, with a lot of Kenny G going on. For a bit I thought this album would be like that. Thankfully, I was wrong. Cool jazz, and this album, is exactly what it purports to be - modern-sounding jazz that is simply cool. Jazz's signature improvisation is present, but the hallmark of this album is all of the musicians (9 of them, including Davis) working together to create a seamless, effortless jazz sound.
Favorite Tracks: Deception; Israel; Boplicity
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