Modern Jazz Quartet, The - Complete European Concert (Remastered Edition) '2021

Tracks list

Tracklist:

01. Django (Remastered 2016)
02. Bluesology (Remastered 2016)
03. I Should Care (Remastered 2016)
04. La Ronde (Remastered 2016)
05. I Remember Clifford (Remastered 2016)
06. Festival Sketch (Remastered 2016)
07. Vendome (Remastered 2016)
08. Odds Against Tomorrow (Remastered 2016)
09. Pyramid (Blues for Junior) (Remastered 2016)
10. It Dont Mean a Thing (If It Aint Got That Swing) (Remastered 2016)
11. Skating in Central Park (Remastered 2016)
12. The Cylinder (Remastered 2016)
13. Round Midnight (Remastered 2016)
14. Bags Groove (Remastered 2016)
15. Ill Remember April (Remastered 2016)


 Read MoreFor the entirety of the Modern Jazz Quartets career, they were led
by pianist John Lewis. Hailing from La Grange, Illinois, Lewis played with a
sound that combined his love of classical music, especially Bach, with his
deep-rooted love of the blues, bebop, and swing. Highly intellectual, he
double-majored in Music and Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, and
later earned his masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music. He and
drummer Kenny Clarke first met in the Army in 1944 while they were stationed in
France during World War II.

A Pittsburgh native, Clarke had already distinguished himself as a gifted and
innovative drummer by the time met Lewis, having played with artists like Roy
Eldridge, Benny Carter, and Coleman Hawkins. He had also fully developed his
distinctive style, which found him shifting the time-keeping from the bass drum
to the ride cymbal, an approach that would inform much of the MJQs sound and
eventually become widely adopted within the genre at large. Following their time
together in the Army, Lewis and Clarke reconnected in New York City where Clarke
was playing with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespies Orchestra. Upon Clarkes
recommendation, Lewis joined the ensemble, taking over for outgoing pianist
Thelonious Monk.

Along with Clarke and Lewis, Gillespies rhythm section also included
vibraphonist Milt Jackson. Nicknamed Bags, Jackson had come up in Detroit where
he started out on guitar before switching to the vibes. Discovered by Gillespie,
he quickly built upon the work of his vibraphone predecessors Lionel Hampton and
Red Norvo, displaying deft bebop improvisational skill and warm, harmonic
sensitivity, both hallmarks of the MJQ sound.

Rounding out the Gillespie rhythm section was bassist Ray Brown. Also a
Pittsburgh native like Clarke, Brown played with a bevy of local and touring
groups while growing up, including pianist Hank Jones. It was through his
friendship with Jones that he joined Gillespies group upon his arrival in New
York City in 1945, and was with the trumpeter when Lewis, Jackson, and Clarke
all joined the band.

Milt Jackson [Blue Note]At Gillespies request, the rhythm section began playing
several songs each night as a quartet between the big bands sets. Recognizing
their own chemistry and potential, they began seeking out their own work. They
initially billed themselves as the Milt Jackson Quartet to appease promoters
looking to book a marquee name. They captured the groups sound on several early
Jackson sessions, including a 1951 date for Gillespies Dee Gee Records and 1951s
Milt Jackson on Blue Note, which also featured saxophonist Lou Donaldson.
Another album, Modern Jazz Quartet, arrived on Savoy in 1952 and found Brown
splitting the session with fellow bassist and Gillespie alum Percy Heath. Around
the same time, Brown left the band to focus on his work with his then-wife
singer Ella Fitzgerald. He eventually joined pianist Oscar Petersons Trio, and
finished his career in Los Angeles as one of the most celebrated bassists in
jazz history. He died in his sleep in 2002.

With Browns departure, Jimmy Heath joined the MJQ on the heels of his 1952
session with the band. Raised in Philadelphia alongside his equally talented
siblings, saxophonist Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert Tootie Heath, Percy Heath
had studied at Philadelphias Granoff School of Music and played with artists
like Red Garland, Howard McGhee, Charlie Parker, and Gillespie before joining
the quartet. Moving forward as a unit, the group, under Lewis guidance, adopted
a chamber music style, wearing matching tuxedos and largely eschewing small jazz
clubs in favor of theaters and prestigious concert venues. The formalized
aesthetic translated even more strongly to the groups music, as they began
playing group arrangements influenced by Lewis classical background. Throughout
the 50s, they issued a number of highly regarded albums including a 1953 date
with Sonny Rollins and 1954s MJQ, both of which found them tackling bop and
swing standards, as well as originals like Lewis Django and Jacksons Bags
Groove, the latter of which soon became their anthem.

ConcordeIn 1955, Clarke left the band and moved to Paris where he co-led the
Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band until his death from a heart attack in 1985.
He was replaced by drummer Connie Kay. Born in Tuckahoe, New York, Kay was a
largely self-taught yet still deftly understated and skillful drummer, with a
résumé featuring collaborations with Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and
Miles Davis. He made his recorded debut with the quartet on 1955s Concorde, of
which the title track was one of Lewis first fugue-influenced compositions. More
albums followed including 1956s Fontessa, 1957s The Modern Jazz Quartet, and
1959s Odds Against Tomorrow.

Lonely WomanDuring the 60s, the MJQ further expanded their sound, issuing a bevy
of albums on Atlantic including 1962s Lonely Woman, which featured their take on
the Ornette Coleman title track. They also paired with Brazilian guitarist
Laurindo Almeida on 1964s Collaboration, issued the 1965 big-band album Jazz
Dialogues, and paired with the acclaimed vocal ensemble The Swingle Singers for
1966s Place Vendome. There were also collaborations with Gunther Schuller,
singer Diahann Carroll, saxophonist Sonny Rollins, and the Beaux Arts String
Quartet, among others.

Plastic DreamsThe group continued to tour often throughout the 70s, a period
which also found them expanding their sound in reaction to the growing influence
of funk, soul, and global traditions; sounds which they explored on 1971s
Plastic Dreams and 1972s The Legendary Profile. However, in 1974, Milt Jackson
left the group, citing their constant touring and his desire to seek out other
improvisational platforms. Following a tour and farewell concert at New Yorks
Avery Fisher Hall documented on The Complete Last Concert, the group decided to
call it quits.

Reunion at BudokanOver the next few years, the members of the MJQ have issued
their own albums and recorded as sidemen with others. In 1981, the quartet
reconvened for a one-off concert released that year as Reunion at Budokan. Their
chemistry was clearly intact and led to an extended reunion run. They celebrated
their 30th anniversary the following year with Together Again: Live at the
Montreux Jazz Festival 82, and solidified their creative partnership with 1984s
studio date Echoes. More well-regarded albums followed, including 1987s Three
Windows with the New York Chamber Symphony, 1988s For Ellington, and 1989s
Western-themed Rose of the Rio Gande.

MJQ & Friends: A 40th Anniversary CelebrationThe group continued to perform
through the early 90s, even as Connie Kays health began to fade following a
stroke. In 1993, they issued their final album MJQ & Friends: A 40th Anniversary
Celebration, which found drummer Mickey Roker sitting in for Kay on several
tracks. Also featured were guest appearances by Bobby McFerrin, Phil Woods,
Wynton Marsalis, Harry Sweets Edison, and others. Following Kays death from a
heart attack in 1994, Albert Tootie Heath briefly took over the drum chair
before the group discreetly parted ways for a final time. In the years following
the groups end, the members stayed active touring and issuing their own albums.
Milt Jackson died in 1999 after a battle with liver cancer. Cancer also took
both John Lewis in 2001 and Percy Heath in 2005. ~ Matt Collar

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