Cocktail Notes || EP. 8 “All Blues", by Miles Davis || Bobby Burns

The final track I will be playing from “Kind of Blue” is “All Blues”. Standout elements of this song include a repeating bass line, a continuous harmonic figure in the horns, and a waltzy 6/8 time signature. I did my best to replicate the bass and horn parts all while keeping the melody audible. Incorporating these different parts made the arrangement slightly more complex than comfortable. Fortunately, I got a little relief from the laid back groove of the song. Playing a tribute to Miles Davis’ album, “Kind of Blue”, has been really rewarding. I have wanted to do this compilation project for some time now, and I’m glad that I was able to do it as part of the “Cocktail Notes” series. 

The cocktail pairing I chose with this song is the “Bobby Burns”. The base recipe has the proportions of a “Manhattan”, substituting in Scotch for the traditional Rye. Like “All Blues”, this is another example of taking a classic, and altering a few ingredients to give it an entirely different flavor. “All Blues” has a classic 12-bar blue structure, but with a different feel and bass groove; the “Bobby Burns” is a classic “Manhattan”, but with a different base spirit. The cocktail was spirit-forward (as with any good “Manhattan”), accented with a subtle smokey note from the Scotch. I used a single malt instead of a blended Scotch, opting for a dry, woodier flavor over a grain, cereal-like one. The hint of honeyed and lightly-herbal Benedictine brought out some sweetness in the cocktail. The “Bobby Burns'' is an earthy, complexly-flavored riff on the “Manhattan”. This cocktail is a classy addition to any holiday gathering. Cheers!

[December 17, 2020]