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Jazz Cellar

The records that rewrote the rules.

So What by Miles Davis Sextet — cover art

Nestled down a dimly lit flight of stairs, the jazz cellar beckons with the glow of blue light and swirling cigarette smoke. Here, the air vibrates with the audacity of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, artists who shattered conventions and transformed jazz into an electrifying journey. This is where modal dreams met hard bop's urgency and fusion pushed boundaries like never before. In this sacred space, records became blueprints for innovation, each note a challenge tossed into the ether, daring the next generation to follow suit. The giants who graced these hushed venues may not have topped any pop charts, but their contributions reshaped the very fabric of music, leaving a legacy that still hums through the airwaves today.

On the playlist

So What by Miles Davis Sextet — cover art
Freddie Freeloader by Miles Davis — cover art
Freddie Freeloader
Miles Davis
1959
Bitches Brew (feat. Wayne Shorter, Bennie Maupin, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, Dave Holland & Harvey Brooks) by Miles Davis — cover art
Bitches Brew (feat. Wayne Shorter, Bennie Maupin, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, Dave Holland & Harvey Brooks)
Miles Davis
1970
Giant Steps (Take 1, Incomplete) by John Coltrane — cover art
Giant Steps (Take 1, Incomplete)
John Coltrane
1960
My Favorite Things by John Coltrane — cover art
My Favorite Things
John Coltrane
1961
Naima by John Coltrane — cover art
Naima
John Coltrane
1960
Take Five by Dave Brubeck — cover art
Take Five
Dave Brubeck
1959
Blue Rondo a la Turk by Dave Brubeck — cover art
Blue Rondo a la Turk
Dave Brubeck
1959
Cantaloupe Island by Herbie Hancock — cover art
Cantaloupe Island
Herbie Hancock
1964
Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock — cover art
Watermelon Man
Herbie Hancock
1962
Chameleon by Herbie Hancock — cover art
Chameleon
Herbie Hancock
1973
Birdland by Weather Report — cover art
Birdland
Weather Report
1977

Did you know

  • Miles Davis's 'Kind of Blue' (1959) is the best-selling jazz album of all time — recorded in two sessions, mostly first takes.
  • Dave Brubeck's 'Take Five' made the pop charts in 5/4 time, a meter that was supposed to be unhummable.

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