Modern Jazz Quartet with Guest Joe Harriott and Ronnie Ross • Manchester 04-12-59

Muy buen disco en vivo de MJQ, poco difundido.

Very good live disc of MJQ, little diffused.

Modern Jazz Quartet • Fontessa

Review by Scott Yanow

This LP has a particularly strong all-around set by the Modern Jazz Quartet. While John Lewis' "Versailles" and an 11-minute "Fontessa" show the seriousness of the group (and the influence of Western classical music), other pieces (such as "Bluesology," "Woody 'N You" and a pair of ballads) look toward the group's roots in bop and permit the band to swing hard.

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Review by Scott Yanow

This LP has a strong all-around set by the Modern Jazz Quartet. While John Lewis '"Versailles" and an 11-minute "Fontessa" show the seriousness of the group (and the influence of Western classical music), other pieces (such as "Bluesology," "Woody' N You" and a pair of ballads) look towards the group's roots in bop and allow the band to swing hard.

The Modern Jazz Quartet • Third Stream Music

John Lewis • Jazz Abstractions

 

Review
by Scott Yanow
Although John Lewis is listed as the leader (this album's alternate title is "John Lewis Presents Contemporary Music"), the pianist does not actually appear on this record and only contributed one piece ("Django"). On what is very much a Gunther Schuller project, Schuller composed "Abstraction" and was responsible for the adventurous three-part "Variants on a Theme of John Lewis (Django)" and the four-part "Variants on a Theme of Thelonious Monk (Criss-Cross)"; Jim Hall contributed "Piece for Guitar & Strings." One of the most successful third stream efforts, this LP combines avant-garde jazz with aspects of classical music. Among the more notable stars, altoist Ornette Coleman is on "Abstraction" and "Criss Cross" (both of which have been reissued in his Rhino CD box) and multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy is on both of the "Variants." Other musicians in the eclectic cast include guitarist Hall, bassist Scott LaFaro, pianist Bill Evans, and several classical string players. This is very interesting music.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/john-lewis-presents-jazz-abstractions-mw0001881226

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Reseña
por Scott Yanow
Aunque John Lewis figura como líder (el título alternativo de este álbum es "John Lewis Presents Contemporary Music"), el pianista no aparece realmente en este disco y sólo contribuyó con una pieza ("Django"). En lo que es en gran medida un proyecto de Gunther Schuller, Schuller compuso "Abstraction" y fue responsable de las aventureras "Variants on a Theme of John Lewis (Django)" en tres partes y "Variants on a Theme of Thelonious Monk (Criss-Cross)" en cuatro partes; Jim Hall contribuyó con "Piece for Guitar & Strings". Este LP, uno de los más exitosos de la tercera corriente, combina el jazz de vanguardia con aspectos de la música clásica. Entre las estrellas más notables, el contralto Ornette Coleman está en "Abstraction" y "Criss Cross" (ambas reeditadas en su caja Rhino CD) y el multiinstrumentista Eric Dolphy está en las dos "Variants". Otros músicos del ecléctico elenco son el guitarrista Hall, el bajista Scott LaFaro, el pianista Bill Evans y varios instrumentistas clásicos de cuerda. Se trata de música muy interesante.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/john-lewis-presents-jazz-abstractions-mw0001881226

Ben Webster &The Modern Jazz Quartet • 1953 An Exceptional Encounter

  

Review
by Ken Dryden
Recorded over two nights at an unnamed club, this rare meeting of Ben Webster and the Modern Jazz Quartet evidently originated from a radio aircheck. In spite of the fact that the audio balance is somewhat inconsistent, the playing by everyone is exemplary throughout both sessions. Webster, whose performances sometimes suffered from his bouts of heavy drinking, seems particularly stimulated by the driving piano of John Lewis and bluesy vibes of Milt Jackson. In addition to the swing standards for which the tenor saxophonist was well known, he tackles Charlie Parker's "Confirmation" and "Billie's Bounce" with equal enthusiasm. Other selections include ballad features such as "Danny Boy" and "The Nearness of You," the latter showcasing Webster's rich, big tone. Romps through "Oh Lady Be Good" and "Cotton Tail" (one of many recordings of this Duke Ellington masterpiece that is forever associated with Webster) are a delight. Unfortunately, the liner notes concentrate on a biography of Webster and provide no explanation as to how this encounter came about.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/1953-an-exceptional-encounter-mw0000000212

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Reseña
por Ken Dryden
Grabado durante dos noches en un club sin nombre, esta rara reunión de Ben Webster y el Modern Jazz Quartet se originó evidentemente a partir de una emisión de radio. A pesar de que el balance de audio es algo inconsistente, la interpretación de todos es ejemplar a lo largo de ambas sesiones. Webster, cuyas interpretaciones a veces se resentían de sus episodios de consumo excesivo de alcohol, parece especialmente estimulado por el piano de John Lewis y las vibraciones de Milt Jackson. Además de los estándares de swing por los que el saxofonista tenor era bien conocido, aborda "Confirmation" de Charlie Parker y "Billie's Bounce" con igual entusiasmo. Otras selecciones incluyen baladas como "Danny Boy" y "The Nearness of You", esta última mostrando el rico y gran tono de Webster. Los paseos por "Oh Lady Be Good" y "Cotton Tail" (una de las muchas grabaciones de esta obra maestra de Duke Ellington que se asocia para siempre con Webster) son una delicia. Lamentablemente, las notas del disco se centran en una biografía de Webster y no explican cómo se produjo este encuentro.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/1953-an-exceptional-encounter-mw0000000212

VA • Jazz On Film...Film Noir

 

 

Music from the following films.

 

  

The Modern Jazz Quartet • Three Windows

 

Sonny Stitt • Stitt Plays Bird

 

VA • Intimate Jazz

 

 

 

The Modern Jazz Quartet & The Oscar Peterson Trio • At The Opera House

 

Clifford Brown • The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings

VA • Jazz Piano Hits

 

Les McCann, Billy Taylor, Larry Goldings, Ahmad Jamal, Junior Mance, Eddie Harris, Bengt Hallberg, John Lewis …

Modern Jazz Quartet ft. Jimmy Giuffre • At Music Inn

 

Live performance recorded at The Music Inn, Lenox, Massachusetts, August 28, 1956. The Modern Jazz Quartet’s classic lineup is joined by clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre on a few tracks, blending cool jazz, hard bop, and chamber jazz styles. This edition reflects the 1956 live set often issued in modern reissues around 2022.

John Lewis & Hank Jones • Piano Play House

 

Un disco rarísimo —es una edición limitada en Japón— de dos grandes pianistas que se encuentran cara a cara por última vez en sus respectivas carreras. El momento fue el 3 de mayo de 1979 y el disco se grabó en los estudios de Toshiba-EMI en Tokyo, y no es, como puede aparentar la portada, un disco en directo. Este álbum es un ejemplo de lo que en los años ochenta, los técnicos de sonido calificaban como «direct disc», una simulación muy real, y de enorme calidad sonora, de transmitir en estudio, la magia del sonido en directo. Si a la música que contiene el álbum, se le suma esta característica técnica, con un sonido perfecto, el resultado es asombrosamente bueno. En España este álbum se reeditó por el catalogo «Stop-Jazz» que producía y dirigía el popular Juan Claudio Cifuentes «Cifu».

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Review by Ken Dryden
John Lewis and Hank Jones recorded a handful of duo piano albums during their careers and this 1979 studio session marks their final meeting, although the cover photo gives the impression that it is a concert. Issued as a direct-to-disc LP by Toshiba-EMI in Japan, the program is dominated by Lewis' originals, with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Shelly Manne added on four of the six tracks. Lewis and Jones are heard as a duo in the elegant "P.O.V." and a relaxed interpretation of "All the Things You Are." Each pianist also has a solo feature with the rhythm section; Jones offers an easygoing take of "Oh, Look at Me Now," while Lewis includes his playful "Sacha's March." Perhaps the most unusual track is Lewis' "Marchin'," which he composed as a part of his score for a Broadway musical about Mahalia Jackson and also served as the theme song to the duo's series of concerts in Japan during their 1979 tour. Since this limited-edition LP was only issued in Japan, it will not be particularly easy to acquire. 
https://www.allmusic.com/album/piano-play-house-mw0000757541


 

The Modern Jazz Quartet • Germany 1956-1958 - Lost Tapes

 

The Modern Jazz Quartet • Lonely Woman

Formado inicialmente en 1952 por el vibrafonista Milt Jackson, el pianista y director musical John Lewis, el baterista Kenny Clarke y el bajista Ray Brown, el Modern Jazz Quartet es uno de los combos de jazz más populares e influyentes de la historia del jazz moderno.

Todos ellos habían pertenecido a la big-band de Dizzy Gillespie a mediados de los años 40, y se establecieron como grupo por primera vez en el verano de 1951 bajo el nombre de Milt Jackson Quartet, sólo para la ocasión de una sesión de grabación. En 1952, la formación adoptó finalmente el nombre con el que pasó a la posteridad en el jazz y al poco tiempo, Percy Heath reemplazó a Ray Brown en el contrabajo. En 1954, el grupo ya estaba suficientemente consolidado y empezó a obtener el favor del público, y comenzaron las grabaciones y conciertos con cierta asiduidad. A finales de ese año, Kenny Clarke fue reemplazado en la batería por Connie Kay, quedando así configurado definitivamente el MJQ.
El "MJQ", como ha llegado a ser conocido universalmente, consiguió alcanzar un equilibrio perfecto entre arreglos e improvisaciones debido al magnífico trabajo en la dirección musical de John Lewis, quien aportó construcciones magníficamente concebidas para que el grupo brillara con ellas. La influencia de la música y la cultura europea en Lewis dieron al MJQ una sucesión de formatos musicales que iban desde una suite clásica propia del Siglo XVIII (como queda plasmado en su extraordinario álbum Fontessa) hasta bandas sonoras para filmes como No Sun In Venice. El MJQ también disfrutaba haciendo música con sus invitados, produciendo en los años 50 álbumes notables con Sonny Rollins o Jimmie Giuffre, o en los 60 con Paul Desmond.

Sus grabaciones con orquestas, interpretando la música que John Lewis componía, constituían otra de sus habilidades. The Modern Jazz Quartet tuvo la capacidad y la calidad de ser escuchado en ámbitos no estrictamente jazzísticos, y eran muchos los aficionados a otros estilos que se mostraban interesados en su música. La prueba de ello fue cuando el sello discográfico que producía a The Beatles (Apple) se interesó en grabar con ellos, hecho no conocido nunca antes en la historia del jazz.

Hacia 1974, y dado el enorme esfuerzo que hacían por mantener fresco musicalmente al grupo, todos los miembros de la banda sintieron la necesidad de separarse, pero desde 1982, el productor del sello discográfico Pablo Records los persuadió para que, al menos una vez por año, se unieran de nuevo para realizar una gira, cosa que hicieron ininterrumpidamente hasta finales del pasado siglo.

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Automatic translation:
Initially formed in 1952 by vibraphonist Milt Jackson, pianist and musical director John Lewis, drummer Kenny Clarke and bassist Ray Brown, the Modern Jazz Quartet is one of the most popular and influential jazz combos in the history of modern jazz.

All of them had belonged to Dizzy Gillespie's big band in the mid-1940s, and they established themselves as a group for the first time in the summer of 1951 under the name of Milt Jackson Quartet, just for the occasion of a recording session. In 1952, the formation finally adopted the name with which it passed to posterity in jazz and soon after, Percy Heath replaced Ray Brown on the double bass. In 1954, the group was already sufficiently consolidated and began to obtain public favor, and recordings and concerts began with some assiduity. At the end of that year, Kenny Clarke was replaced in the battery by Connie Kay, thus being definitively configured the MJQ.
The "MJQ", as it has become universally known, managed to achieve a perfect balance between arrangements and improvisations due to the magnificent work in the musical direction of John Lewis, who provided magnificently conceived constructions for the group to shine with them. The influence of music and European culture in Lewis gave the MJQ a succession of musical formats ranging from a classic suite of the eighteenth century (as it is reflected in his extraordinary album Fontessa) to soundtracks for films like No Sun In Venice. The MJQ also enjoyed making music with their guests, producing in the 50s notable albums with Sonny Rollins or Jimmie Giuffre, or in the 60s with Paul Desmond.
His recordings with orchestras, playing the music that John Lewis composed, were another of his skills. The Modern Jazz Quartet had the ability and quality to be heard in areas not strictly jazz, and there were many fans of other styles that were interested in their music. The proof of this was when the record label that produced The Beatles (Apple) was interested in recording with them, a fact never before known in the history of jazz.
Around 1974, and given the enormous effort they made to keep the group cool, all the band members felt the need to separate, but since 1982, the record label producer Pablo Records persuaded them to, at least once for year, they would come together again for a tour, which they did uninterrupted until the end of the last century.

John Lewis & Sacha Distel • Afternoon in Paris

 

Review by Alex Henderson
It was in Paris that John Lewis co-led this 1956 date with Sacha Distel, a French guitarist who never became well-known in the U.S. but commanded a lot of respect in French jazz circles. The same can be said about the other French players employed on Afternoon in Paris -- neither tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen nor bassist Pierre Michelot were huge names in the U.S., although both were well-known in European jazz circles. With Lewis on piano, Distel on guitar, Wilen on tenor, Michelot or Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke or Connie Kay on drums, the part-American, part-French group of improvisers provides an above-average bop album that ranges from "Willow Weep for Me," "All The Things You Are," and "I Cover the Waterfront" to Milt Jackson's "Bags' Groove" and Lewis' title song. The big-toned Wilen was only 19 when Afternoon in Paris was recorded, but as his lyrical yet hard-swinging solos demonstrate, he matured quickly as a saxman. It should be noted that all of the Americans on this album had been members of the Modern Jazz Quartet; the only MJQ member who isn't on board is vibist Jackson.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/afternoon-in-paris-mw0000246233

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Reseña de Alex Henderson
Fue en París donde John Lewis codirigió esta cita de 1956 con Sacha Distel, un guitarrista francés que nunca llegó a ser muy conocido en Estados Unidos pero que inspiraba mucho respeto en los círculos jazzísticos franceses. Lo mismo puede decirse de los otros músicos franceses empleados en Afternoon in Paris: ni el saxofonista tenor Barney Wilen ni el bajista Pierre Michelot eran grandes nombres en Estados Unidos, aunque ambos eran muy conocidos en los círculos de jazz europeos. Con Lewis al piano, Distel a la guitarra, Wilen al tenor, Michelot o Percy Heath al bajo, y Kenny Clarke o Connie Kay a la batería, el grupo de improvisadores, en parte estadounidense y en parte francés, ofrece un álbum de bop por encima de la media que abarca desde «Willow Weep for Me», «All The Things You Are» y «I Cover the Waterfront» hasta «Bags' Groove» de Milt Jackson y la canción que da título al disco de Lewis. El corpulento Wilen sólo tenía 19 años cuando se grabó Afternoon in Paris, pero como demuestran sus solos líricos y contundentes, maduró rápidamente como saxofonista. Hay que señalar que todos los americanos de este álbum habían sido miembros del Modern Jazz Quartet; el único miembro del MJQ que no está es el vibrista Jackson.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/afternoon-in-paris-mw0000246233


 

Milt Jackson • Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet

 

Review by Jim Todd
This CD presents two complete sessions led by vibraphonist Milt Jackson: one where the eventual members of the Modern Jazz Quartet are joined by saxophonist Lou Donaldson, and eight quartet tracks with Thelonious Monk. (The session with Monk is also on the four-CD set The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Monk's output between 1947 and 1952.) The July 2, 1948, date with Monk was recorded eight months after the pianist's first recordings as a leader. Jackson, responding to the demands of Monk's music with his customary fluid grace, is key to these definitive early recordings of "Evidence," "Misterioso," "Epistrophy," and "I Mean You." Kenny Hagood -- perhaps best known as the vocalist who sang "Darn That Dream" on Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool -- joins the group on two standards. Hagood impresses as he croons unperturbed over Monk and Jackson, whose busy, intertwining lines make for a pleasantly bizarre accompaniment. The April 7, 1952, date with Donaldson does not have the impact of the tracks with Monk. Donaldson's uncomplicated bop is mildly diverting, but it's the consistently brilliant Jackson who commands the listener's attention. Donaldson lays out on four tracks, including the two takes of the set's highlight, Jackson's "Lillie." Here the vibraphonist effortlessly weaves 16th notes across the ballad's accompaniment by his future MJQ partners. As always, it's not Jackson's speed that impresses, it's his taste, musicianship, and artistry. 

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Reseña de Jim Todd
Este CD presenta dos sesiones completas dirigidas por el vibrafonista Milt Jackson: una en la que los eventuales miembros del Modern Jazz Quartet se unen al saxofonista Lou Donaldson, y ocho temas de cuarteto con Thelonious Monk. (La sesión con Monk está también en el conjunto de cuatro CDs The Complete Blue Note Recordings de la producción de Monk entre 1947 y 1952). La fecha del 2 de julio de 1948 con Monk se grabó ocho meses después de que el ocho meses después de las primeras grabaciones del pianista como líder. Jackson, respondiendo a las exigencias de la música de Monk de Monk con su acostumbrada gracia fluida, es clave en estas primeras grabaciones definitivas de "Evidence", "Misterioso", "Epistrophy" y "I Mean You". Kenny Hagood - quizás más conocido conocido como el vocalista que cantó "Darn That Dream" en Birth of the Cool de Miles Davis -- se une al grupo en dos estándares. Hagood impresiona al canturrear imperturbable sobre Monk y Jackson, cuyas líneas ocupadas y entrelazadas hacen un acompañamiento agradablemente acompañamiento. La fecha del 7 de abril de 1952 con Donaldson no tiene el impacto de las temas con Monk. El bop sin complicaciones de Donaldson es ligeramente divertido, pero es el pero es el siempre brillante Jackson el que acapara la atención del oyente. Donaldson se extiende en cuatro temas, incluyendo las dos tomas del punto culminante del set, "Lillie" de Jackson. Aquí el vibrafonista teje sin esfuerzo las notas 16 a través del acompañamiento de la balada por sus futuros compañeros de MJQ. Como siempre, no es la velocidad de Jackson lo que impresiona, sino su gusto la musicalidad y el arte.

Putte Wickman, John Lewis, Red Mitchell • Stockholm '81

 

The Modern Jazz Quartet • Blues On Bach