All Blues
instrumental composed and performed by Miles Davis
"All Blues" is a jazz composition by Miles Davis that first appeared on the influential 1959 album Kind of Blue. In the original liner notes, pianist Bill Evans describes the piece as "a 6/8 12-measure blues form that produces its mood through only a few modal changes and Miles Davis' free melodic conception."
Background
Davis told jazz critic Ralph Gleason that "All Blues" originated as a live number, evolving over six months and benefitting from "a workover by Gil Evans." Bill Evans recalled that at the Kind of Blue session, nothing was written out for "All Blues", as was also the case for "Freddie Freeloader" and "So What". In addition, the piece didn't yet have an official title and was referred to in the session notes as "African". Although it opens side B of the LP, it was the last piece recorded for the album.
On the original 50,000 copies of the first pressing of the album, though, the names of the pieces on the B side were reversed, given in the order they were recorded rather than in the order on the actual record, so "All Blues" was identified as "Flamenco Sketches" and vice versa, creating long-persisting confusion among fans as to which was which.
Original recording
Take 1 broke down quickly because of a late entrance by bassist Paul Chambers. Take 2 is the only complete take. Evans noted that the tremolo effect he creates at the beginning was "just something I threw in." After the 10-second intro, the saxophones play the recurrent vamp and then Davis enters, playing the main melodic line, accompanied by drummer Jimmy Cobb on brushes. Davis takes the first solo as Cobb switches to drumsticks. Then the established order from earlier tracks changes, as alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley comes second, followed by tenor saxophonist John Coltrane.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “All Blues” as instrumental composed and performed by Miles Davis. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as instrumental composed and performed by Miles Davis. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2600918. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1959.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “All Blues”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow All Blues primary sources, All Blues archive and Blues research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “All Blues”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “All Blues” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.