Kind of Blue Trivia Quiz

Answer: Miles Davis

"Kind of Blue" was recorded by trumpeter and composer Miles Davis over just two days (2 March and April 22, 1959), and released in August of the same year. Entirely based on a modal approach, the album features an all-star cast of musicians: John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on alto saxophone, Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on double bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Like other works by Davis, the title is a play on words, hinting at the influence of the blues form, but also at the vaguely melancholy feel of the music. An extremely influential album also outside of the jazz genre, "Kind of Blue" often appears in lists of best albums of all time.

The photo is a reference to Davis's instrument. Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck were both pianists, while Charles Mingus played the double bass.

Answer: Russian

With its plush, shimmering fur in a lovely shade of blue-gray, and brilliant, emerald-green eyes, the Russian Blue is a natural cat breed believed to have originated in the port city of Arkhangelsk, in the northern part of Western Russia. Probably introduced to Europe by British sailors, it was first exhibited at London's Crystal Palace in 1875, with the name of "Archangel Cat"; in 1912, the Russian Blue was given its own classification. Though a rare breed, it has become increasingly popular after WWII.

The Russian Blue has a long, slender but muscular body (which may appear larger due to its dense coat), a triangular-shaped head and large ears; as it does not shed much compared to other cat breeds, it is suitable for those with allergies. In terms of temperament, it is gentle and affectionate, with a tendency to be shy around strangers; it also quite vocal, and loves to "talk" to people.

Answer: Gorgonzola

The blue-green spots or veins in blue cheese result from the addition of cultures of the mold Penicillium (generally Penicillium roqueforti, though Penicillium glaucum is used for some cheeses) during the cheese-making process. The cheese's distinctive, pungent smell is often due to Brevibacterium linens, a bacterium (also responsible for foot odour) that is sprinkled on the curds after they have been put into containers for draining. Named after a town near Milan (though it is also produced in other parts of Northern Italy), Gorgonzola is believed to be the oldest variety of blue cheese, dating from the 11th century. Gorgonzola is made with cow's milk; it comes in two distinct varieties, the Dolce (less aged, milder and creamier) and the Piccante (more aged, firmer and sharper-tasting).

Besides Gorgonzola, the most famous varieties of blue cheese are the French Roquefort (made with sheep's milk) and the British Blue Stilton (also made with cow's milk). Used in a wide range of culinary dishes, blue cheese pairs very well with fruit, especially pears, figs and grapes, whose sweetness complements the cheese's salty, tangy taste.

None of the cheeses listed as wrong answers are blue cheeses. Gouda is from the Netherlands, Grana from Italy, and Graviera from Greece.

Answer: Jamaica

The Blue Mountains, Jamaica's longest mountain range, contain the Caribbean island's highest peak, Blue Mountain Peak (2,256 m/7402 ft). Because of their elevation, the mountains enjoy a cooler climate than the island's coastal plains, as well as high rainfall: this, together with excellent soil quality, is favourable to the cultivation of coffee, which was introduced to Jamaica in 1728. A globally protected certification mark, Blue Mountain Coffee is grown exclusively in the parishes of St. Andrew, St. Mary, St. Thomas and Portland, at an altitude between 919 m (3,000 ft) and 1,700 m (5,500 ft). The coffee's high price is due to the challenges posed by the places where it is grown, which makes the process of tending and harvesting the crops difficult and potentially dangerous. Of the relatively small amounts of coffee produced in the Blue Mountains, about 80% is exported to Japan. Highly prized for its smooth, delicate taste, Blue Mountain Coffee is also used to flavour Tia Maria coffee liqueur.

While Indonesia is noted as one of the world's top producers of coffee, Sri Lanka is famous for tea, and Samoa for cocoa beans.

Answer: cyanide

Cyanides contain a group (known as cyano group) consisting of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. They can be organic or inorganic; organic cyanides are called nitriles. The name "cyanide" (from the Greek "kyanos", meaning "dark blue") was given to this chemical compound because it was originally isolated from the pigment known as Prussian blue (shown in the photo). "Prussic acid" is a common name for hydrogen cyanide, present in bitter almonds and the seeds of fruits such as apples, apricots and peaches.

Most cyanides are highly toxic: cyanide poisoning often results from inhaling smoke from house fires, as hydrogen cyanide is produced by the combustion of some polymers. The most infamous use of cyanide for deliberate poisoning of human beings occurred in the Nazi extermination camps during WWII, where the pesticide Zyklon-B (mainly consisting of hydrogen cyanide) was used in gas chambers. Potassium cyanide has also been often used to commit suicide: it was the poison added to the Kool-Aid in the notorious Jonestown mass suicide/murder (1978). Cyanides also have a number of industrial applications, such as extracting gold from low-grade ore.

All three incorrect answers are toxic: chlorine, however, is an element and not a compound.

Answer: Shiva

Shiva, the Destroyer, is one of the three deities that form the Trimurti, the holy trinity of Hinduism. Shiva is worshipped as the Supreme Being by Shaivism, a major Hindu tradition considered the world's oldest living religion. Regarded as the patron of ascetic practices (such as yoga and meditation) and the arts (especially dance), Shiva is depicted with many attributes, some of which - namely the third eye, the garland of skulls, and the Ganges flowing through his matted hair - can be seen in the beautiful early 19th-century painting from Rajasthan reproduced in the photo. Shiva's trident is named "trishula" in Sanskrit.

The attribute "Neelakantha" relates to the episode of the churning of the milk ocean (Samudra Manthana), in which Shiva swallowed the deadly poison Halahala released from the churning to prevent it from killing the gods and demons that were involved in the task. Alarmed, Shiva's spouse Parvati squeezed the god's neck and trapped the poison in his throat, which turned blue like a bruise. In the painting, Shiva is depicted with his whole body of a blue-grey colour: however, in Hindu iconography, blue skin is generally associated with Vishnu and his avatar Krishna.

Answer: Tuareg

The Tuareg (a name whose origin is still debated) are a large ethnic confederation that is part of the Berber ethnic group of North Africa and the Sahel region. At present, the largest Tuareg population is found in Niger (with over 2 million people), followed by Mali (almost 1 million). The nickname of "blue people" stems from the powdered indigo they use to dye their clothes, especially the turban-veils worn by men, or "tagelmust"; this dye, which is applied in powdered form to save water, often gives the wearer's skin a bluish tinge. The Tuareg are semi-nomadic, with strong clan affiliations and high social stratification; their culture is mostly matrilineal, and women enjoy a privileged status. Though in recent times they have adopted a more sedentary lifestyle, the Tuareg are known for their elaborate tents, considered an extension of the marriage union. The Tuareg embraced Islam in the 7th century AD, and were instrumental in the spread of this religion in the northern part of Africa; however, their religious ceremonies retain elements of pre-Islamic beliefs.

The three wrong answers are all African ethnic groups, though found in different parts of the continent.

Answer: The Blue Angel

Directed by Josef von Sternberg, and starring Marlene Dietrich and Emil Jannings, "The Blue Angel" ("Der blaue Engel" in the German original) was the first full-length German full-talkie. It was based on the novel "Professor Unrat" ("Professor Filth", 1905) by Heinrich Mann, the elder brother of Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann. The title refers to a cabaret in Weimar (Germany's capital at that time), where the film's female protagonist, the beautiful Lola Lola, performs as a headliner. Immanuel Rath, a teacher at a local high school, becomes obsessed with the woman, and eventually marries her. Needless to say, the union ends in tragedy.

The role of the "femme fatale" Lola Lola made a star of the 29-year-old Marlene Dietrich, who until then had mainly performed on stage and in silent films. Her classic "cabaret pose" - reclining with one leg elevated, and wearing stockings, high heels and a top hat - that graced the film's poster has become an icon of seduction. Soon afterwards, Dietrich signed a contract with Paramount, and moved to the US, where she enjoyed a successful career. "The Blue Angel" features what would become Dietrich's signature song, "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt" ("I am, from head to toe, ready for love") translated into English as "Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It").

The films listed as incorrect answers are all much more recent than "The Blue Angel".

Answer: ultramarine

The name "ultramarine" comes from the Latin "ultramarinus", meaning "beyond the sea": indeed, this extremely expensive pigment was imported to Europe from Asia, which lay beyond the Mediterranean Sea. Lapis lazuli was mined in the rugged mountains of present-day Afghanistan, and ground to a powder, which then had to be refined through a long and difficult process in order to obtain a gorgeous, deep blue colour. In Europe, ultramarine was first used for illuminated manuscripts as early as the 12th century; however, this beautiful pigment truly came into its own in the 14th and 15th centuries. Renowned artists such as Giotto and Fra Angelico used ultramarine sparingly, reserving it for the robes of the Virgin Mary, as a symbol of holiness and humility. In the early 16th century, good ultramarine had become more expensive than gold, and for this reason many painters used cheaper pigments, such as azurite - which, however, where not as durable as ultramarine, and often turned green or black after exposure to light. In 1826, synthetic ultramarine was invented: though much more affordable, it is not as beautiful a shade of blue as the natural variety.

The painting in the photo, which shows extensive use of ultramarine, is the right half of the Wilton Diptych (now in the National Gallery in London), one of the very few surviving examples of Late Medieval religious panel painting from England, dating from the very end of the 14th century.

Indigo, unlike ultramarine, cobalt and azurite, comes from a plant and not from a mineral.

Answer: Sunday shopping

According to popular belief, the definition "blue laws" referring to norms restricting commerce on Sundays comes from the blue paper on which these laws were printed by Puritan leaders in the 17th century. However, there is no evidence for this, and the most plausible explanation of that "blue" word is as a disparaging reference to strict moral attitudes - a usage dating from 17th-century England. In any case, blue laws were originally meant to keep Sundays holy by forbidding trade, which might have prevented people from attending church services (hence the photo).

At the time of writing, blue laws still exist in some form or another (such as the ban on car or alcohol sales) in a number of US states and counties, while they have been abolished or relaxed in most European countries. However, in 2018 Poland passed a law banning Sunday shopping, with the sole exception of the weeks leading to Christmas and Easter. In Hungary, a similar ban was repealed in 2016.