Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (Columbia 6-Eye Mono First Pressing)

On March 2 and April 22, 1959, Miles Davis walked into Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City with a sextet that included John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. He gave them sketches of melodies and chord scales. No rehearsal. No second takes on most tracks. They recorded what is now the best-selling jazz album of all time in roughly nine hours of studio time across those two sessions.

Kind of Blue has sold over 5 million copies in the United States alone. It is the album people buy when they decide they want to own one jazz record. It is also, in its original first pressing, one of the most collectible vinyl records in the jazz world. A Columbia 6-eye mono pressing in near-mint condition can bring $2,000 to $3,500 or more. Even well-played copies in the original pressing have value.

Quick Value Summary

• Item: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue (Columbia CL 1355, mono; CS 8163, stereo)

• Year: 1959

• Category: Vinyl Records

• Condition Range (Mono 6-Eye, CL 1355):

  • G (Good, playable with noise): $50 - $100
  • VG (Very Good, surface noise): $150 - $300
  • VG+ (Very Good Plus, light wear): $300 - $700
  • EX/NM (Excellent to Near Mint): $1,000 - $2,500
  • Sealed: $3,000 - $3,500+

• Condition Range (Stereo 6-Eye, CS 8163):

  • VG: $100 - $200
  • VG+: $200 - $500
  • NM/Sealed: $2,000 - $3,500

• Record Sale: A sealed stereo 6-eye first pressing sold for $3,500 on eBay in April 2024

• Rarity: Common (later pressings); Uncommon (6-eye first pressing in clean condition)

The Story

By 1959, Miles Davis had already changed jazz at least twice. His "Birth of the Cool" sessions in 1949-50 helped launch cool jazz. His first great quintet in the mid-1950s, with Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones, produced some of the finest hard bop recordings ever made. But Miles was restless. He was listening to the modal experiments of pianist George Russell and the compositions of Bill Evans, who had joined his group in 1958. He wanted to move away from the chord-change-heavy bebop vocabulary and toward something simpler, more spacious, more atmospheric.

The concept behind Kind of Blue was radical in its simplicity. Instead of complex chord progressions, each piece was built on one or two scales (modes). The musicians would improvise over these static harmonies, creating music that floated rather than sprinted. Miles gave the players modal sketches just before recording. Bill Evans, who had left the group months earlier but returned for this session, later described the approach as being like a Japanese visual artist painting with broad brushstrokes rather than fine detail.

The results are five tracks that have become standards of the jazz canon: "So What," "Freddie Freeloader" (the only track featuring Wynton Kelly on piano instead of Evans), "Blue in Green," "All Blues," and "Flamenco Sketches." The music sounds inevitable now, as if it had always existed. In 1959, it was genuinely new.

Columbia Records released Kind of Blue in August 1959 on its standard label of the period, the "6-eye" label, so called because the Columbia logo (a walking eye design) appears six times around the perimeter. The album was issued simultaneously in mono (catalog number CL 1355) and stereo (CS 8163). The mono version is generally preferred by jazz collectors and audiophiles for its directness and impact, though both versions are collectible.

There is a famous error in the first pressing. Several of the initial mono and stereo pressings were mastered with "So What" and other tracks running at a slightly wrong speed, making them sound about a quarter-tone sharp. Columbia corrected this in later pressings. The "wrong speed" pressings are identifiable by their matrix numbers (ending in 1A or 1B on early runs) and are actually sought after by some collectors as the true first pressings.

How to Identify a First Pressing

• Label: The Columbia "6-eye" label has the walking eye logo repeated six times around the edge of the label. The text "COLUMBIA" appears at the top with a long-playing microgroove designation. This label was used from roughly 1955 to 1962.

• Deep groove: First pressings have a deep groove pressed into the label area, a ring visible about halfway between the label edge and the spindle hole. This "deep groove" (DG) was a manufacturing artifact of early Columbia pressings.

• Catalog number: CL 1355 (mono) or CS 8163 (stereo).

• Matrix numbers: Found in the dead wax (the smooth area between the last groove and the label). First pressings have matrix numbers ending in 1A, 1B, 1C, or similar low letters. Later pressings have higher letters or different matrix codes.

• Address: Early pressings list Columbia's address as "799 Seventh Avenue, New York" or no address. Later pressings may show different addresses.

• Cover: The gatefold cover features a photo of Miles Davis playing trumpet on the front. Early pressings have specific printing characteristics on the back cover text.

Common confusions: Columbia reissued Kind of Blue dozens of times over the decades. The most commonly confused pressings are:

• 2-eye label (1962-1970s): The Columbia logo appears only twice. Still vintage, but worth less than 6-eye.

• Orange label (1970s): Columbia's 1970s label. Worth $10-$30.

• Audiophile reissues: Mobile Fidelity, Classic Records, and Analogue Productions have all issued high-quality reissues. These are $30-$100 depending on the pressing.

Value by Condition

Mono 6-Eye (CL 1355)

G (Good): $50 - $100 Playable but noisy. Visible scratches, wear, and possible groove distortion. The cover is beat up. This is a reading copy, not a collector piece.

VG (Very Good): $150 - $300 Surface noise is present but the music comes through clearly. Light scratches visible. Cover shows ring wear, edge wear, or seam splits. Most surviving 6-eye copies fall in this range.

VG+ (Very Good Plus): $300 - $700 Minimal surface noise. Very light marks that may not be audible. Cover is intact with only minor wear. A VG+ 6-eye mono is a very nice copy and represents strong value.

EX/NM (Excellent to Near Mint): $1,000 - $2,500 Near-perfect vinyl with no audible surface noise. Cover is clean and flat with minimal wear. Deep groove present. This is the tier where serious collectors operate.

Sealed (factory sealed): $3,000 - $3,500+ Original shrink wrap intact. Extremely rare for a 1959 pressing. A sealed stereo 6-eye sold for $3,500 on eBay in April 2024. Sealed mono copies, if they exist, would likely bring similar or higher prices.

Stereo 6-Eye (CS 8163)

Stereo pressings generally track 10-30% below mono values, except for sealed copies which are comparably priced. The stereo mix has its own devoted following.

Trending: Values for first pressing Kind of Blue have been stable. The album's cultural status and name recognition provide a deep buyer pool. It is one of the few jazz records that appeals to both serious collectors and casual vinyl enthusiasts.

Known Variations

• "Wrong speed" pressings: Early first pressings with tracks mastered at slightly incorrect speed. Identifiable by specific matrix numbers. Some collectors pay a premium for these as the "truest" first pressings.

• Mono vs. Stereo: Mono (CL 1355) is generally more valuable and preferred by jazz purists. Stereo (CS 8163) has a wider soundstage that some listeners prefer.

• Promo copies: Columbia promotional copies with "PROMOTIONAL COPY - NOT FOR SALE" stickers or stamps. These can carry a slight premium if in top condition.

• Deep groove vs. flat label: Within the 6-eye label period, early pressings have the deep groove. Later 6-eye pressings may lack it. Deep groove copies are more valuable.

Authentication

Vinyl record counterfeiting is less common than in other collectibles markets, but misrepresentation is widespread.

• Label identification: The 6-eye label is distinctive and difficult to reproduce convincingly. Check the quality of the printing, the color consistency, and the font details.

• Matrix numbers: These are the most reliable identifier. First pressing matrix numbers are well-documented in the Discogs database and on specialist forums.

• Vinyl weight and quality: Original pressings use a specific vinyl formulation that produces a certain weight and flexibility. Later or counterfeit pressings may feel different.

• Cover printing: First pressing covers have specific printing characteristics, paper stock, and color registration. Experienced dealers can often identify a pressing by the cover alone.

• Professional grading: Vinyl records do not have a universally accepted grading service like PSA for cards or CGC for comics. Goldmine grading standards are the most widely used. Some dealers offer authentication opinions.

Where to Sell

• Discogs Marketplace: The largest online marketplace for vinyl records. Seller fees: 8% + payment processing. Discogs' database and price history make it easy for buyers to verify what they're purchasing.

• eBay: Strong for high-value records. Fees: 12-13%. Auction format can work well for rare pressings.

• Specialist dealers: Jazz vinyl dealers like Acoustic Sounds, Jazz Record Center (NYC), and Dusty Groove will purchase quality pressings. Expect 50-70% of retail value on direct sales.

• Record shows: Vinyl record shows and conventions connect sellers with collectors who know what they're looking for.

• Costs to budget: Professional cleaning ($5-$15 or invest in an ultrasonic cleaner), shipping supplies ($5-$15 for proper record mailers), insured shipping ($15-$30), and platform fees (8-15%).

Not sure which pressing you have? Upload a photo to Curio Comp and our AI will help identify it.

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