LogFAQs > #955941375

130. Miles Davis So What (1959)
from the album Kind of Blue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylXk1LBvIqU

So What begins with a perfect build-up. The song starts quiet, with just a piano and bass. The central riff ambles about, punctuated by two louder notes. This instrumental call and response is essential to the track. The other instruments slowly join in during the response, the song growing louder with each addition. After a minute and a half, the song enters a smoother section. Throughout, the band suggests something to be growing, yet the expansive sound is also soothing. After a flurry of solos, the song ends by circling back to the beginning. Two notes have rarely held such power.

For me, the strength of jazz is its ability to generate specific moods purely through instrumentation. So What places me in a mode of active thinking. Those two notes are an interruption, making it impossible to settle into the groove even once they fade away. This should be easy listening, but the opening trains its audience to anticipate sudden change. Though played at a moderate tempo, the combined effect is something busy. The return of those two notes immediately ends the tension, helping kick off a strong outro. Miles Davis has tons of technical greats, but So What is his rare piece with pop appeal.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/