Recorded in March 1959 and released in August the same year, Kind of Blue consists of five tracks, totaling 45 minutes and 45 seconds of what is often considered the most important jazz ever recorded. It fuelled the progression not just of jazz, but also of soul, funk, hip-hop, and even mainstream popular music—impacting the likes of James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and beyond. And yet, Miles Davis himself dismissed the label “jazz,” remarking that “it’s just what white folks call our music.”
How did he create, orchestrate, and supervise the album Kind of Blue? While no one would accuse Miles of false modesty, his explanation was disarmingly simple: they assembled the best—or most appropriate—musicians for the task. The album marked a leap from the Bebop structures of the time into “modal jazz,” where, at least in theory, each player had greater freedom to improvise. Play fewer notes. Leave more space. Freedom.
This production is a challenging, ambitious show, written by Oliver Kaderbhai and carried supremely by Benjamin Akintuyosi as Miles Davis. He’s relentlessly questioned by Jay Phelps —himself a renowned trumpet player who has performed with Wynton Marsalis and the late Amy Winehouse, among others. The piece serves as a vehicle to explore facets of Miles’s life, including his heroin addiction and his careless, at times cruel, treatment of women. Ultimately, however, it makes clear that Miles’s greatest and most enduring addiction was to the music.
The venue is intimate, the atmosphere carefully balanced between smoky jazz bar and recording studio. A vintage reel-to-reel tape machine takes centre stage, positioned atop a slab where we find Miles lying as the audience enters. So vehement—and to his credit—is Akintuyosi’s portrayal that one is almost tempted to believe he has been possessed by something otherworldly.
We witness Miles’s journey leading up to 1959: his collaborations with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie (among other characters played by Jay Phelps), with Gillespie introducing him to unusual scales and musical modes from Africa and the Arab world. We also see his relationship with Juliette Gréco in Paris, a city where Miles felt he could finally breathe and create, free from the everyday racial stigma he faced in America.
It’s an immersive hour—rich, layered, and dense with content—that feels far too short, especially once you begin to explore the history behind it. But that’s exactly what writer and director Oliver Kaderbhai notes in the programme: that this is the “first version,” with “huge potential to grow and expand.” It’s a fascinating privilege to witness the production at this stage of its development.
*Set & costume design – Ellie Wintour
*Lighting design – Alex Lewer
*Video design – Colin J Smith
*Sound design – Will Tonna
:Delirium & Lauren Reed Productions
Running at Summerhall TechCube 0, Aug 5th – 11th, 13th – 25th at 18.00 (6pm in old money)
Reviewer: Roger Jacobs
Reviewed: 5th August 2025
North West End UK Rating: