The Modern Jazz Quartet

[Jazz Kat]

I won that lp on ebay then it got lost in the mail. Further down the road, I managed to pick it up. I didnt dig it at first, but then I actually got the point of it. I like the classical, followed by a blues piece, which is the pattern for the album. The album spotlights Kay's delicate percussion talents.

[JSngry]

  Dan Gould said:

What do folks think of Blues on Bach?

Yeah, that's a nice one. By this time (early 70s), the "prissiness" had mostly evolved into an almost soft-glo psychedelic quality, thanks in large part to, as JK mentioned above, Connie Kay's evolution from "just" a drummer into a color machine.

Good stuff, and it makes for a fine (and interesting) companion to the earlier Blues At Carnegie Hall.

[jazzbo]

I guess one man's color machine is another man's boring to tears vehicle!

[JSngry]

Depends on how psychedelically gone one is at thet time.

[Ted O'Reilly]

I think the MJQ turned into Lewis' band from the time Klook left. It was originally the Milt Jackson Quartet. The interesting thing is that while Connie Kay is thought of as a pointillist, he was a first call heavy R&B drummer before joining the Corporation.

[marcoliv]

The Sheriff remains my favorite MJQ album. my father is an enthousiastic so i listened to them my entire life

Marcus

[RDK]

  Dan Gould said:

What do folks think of Blues on Bach?

Was my very first MJQ album...

[jazzbo]

Yes, Kay was a heavy-footed and flailing-armed bebop monster too in the final years of the fifties on recordings I've heard . . . .

I guess you make a good point about the Modern Jazz vs. Milt Jackson aspects.

[MartyJazz]

  Stereojack said:

  MartyJazz said:

Hey, I'm a couple of months older than you.

Then you'l be hitting that next big wall (July for me) before I do!

I already hit it. January 3rd.

[garthsj]

As one of the "older" members on this board, I would like to add my 2 cents here ..... I have been a fan of the this group since their first iteration as the Milt Jackson Quartet in the early 1950s.. and then through the Prestige period, and latterly the Atlantic, and finally Pablo periods. I must have just about every CD they issued, Japanese and otherwise ... so obviously, I am a very big fan. I respect the range of views expressed here, and while I don't agree with many of them (wouldn't life be boring if we all agreed on everything), there is something magical in the way these four men can affect my emotions. For me the MJQ are always of interest as thinking music, not as subtle background. If I lie back and listen, really listen to what they are doing, the interplay, the quality of the improvisations, Lewis's incredible comping (melodies in themselves) behind Jackson, Kay's range of sounds, Heath's hard swing and melodic solos, and, of course, Lewis's incredible way of swinging the hell out of just a single note, then I am transported into a different realm.

For what it is worth, I think that the MJQ are underappreciated for their improvisational qualitites. There is so much emphaisis on their tonal presentation that what they are actually improvisationally doing gets lost in the shuffle. The best way to really understand this is to put on those earphones, close your eyes and listen ... It will rock your world. For starters, I suggest you take this challenge with either "Blues on Bach" or "The Final Concert" ....

Edited March 17, 2005 by garthsj

[BruceW]

Amen,

I'm an old fart also, been there from the beginning, remember D&E???

I absolutely support the statement about "listen and really listen" to what they were doing.

Amazing

Loved The Last Concert the most, unfortunately I lost my whole and complete collection of MJQ (as well as others) in the fires of San Bernardino, Oct 2003. But I will never forget....

B-)

Edited March 17, 2005 by BruceW

[alankin]

  marcoliv said:

The Sheriff remains my favorite MJQ album. my father is an enthousiastic so i listened to them my entire life

Marcus

First CD issue coming on May 10th:

Modern Jazz Quartet - Sheriff (Wounded Bird) May 10

— 1964 Atlantic Records release

[marcoliv]

i have this on CD Alan as part of the "Atantic Masters" european digipack releases.

it's good to know that it's been released again of course

thanks for sharing this

Marcus

[littleleekonitz]

SONNY ROLLINS AND THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET IS FUCKING AWESOME

[Free For All]

  littleleekonitz said:

SONNY ROLLINS AND THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET IS FUCKING AWESOME

Good CD, yes....but....not the best time for caps lock, dude!

[littleleekonitz]

  Free For All said:

  littleleekonitz said:

SONNY ROLLINS AND THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET IS FUCKING AWESOME

Good CD, yes....but....not the best time for caps lock, dude!

  Quote

I was just writing something in the style of my banned buddy aric effron!

[Jazz Kat]

Yep he was on a few R&B recordings. Wasnt it a song like "Splish Splash"?

[catesta]

  littleleekonitz said:

  Free For All said:

  littleleekonitz said:

SONNY ROLLINS AND THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET IS FUCKING AWESOME

Good CD, yes....but....not the best time for caps lock, dude!

  Quote

I was just writing something in the style of my banned buddy aric effron!

Oh great.

[Free For All]

[JSngry]

  Jazz Kat said:

Yep he was on a few R&B recordings. Wasnt it a song like "Splish Splash"?

More than a few, if I understand correctly. He was one of the house drummers at Atlantic during their early 50s R&B heyday.

[John Tapscott]

The first MJQ album I bought was "The Last Concert'. There was something special going on that night and I've never found the other MJQ albums I've heard to be quite as stimulating, though often very enjoyable (especially the live sets).

I agree with the earlier poster who called "For Ellington" a brilliant album. It is often overlooked and underrated. One of their very best, IMHO.

I have the MJQ 40th Anniversary box and was quite surprised how much I enjoyed it the last time a gave it a spin. Also agree that I couldn't listen to the MJQ on a regular basis, though there are certain times when I need to hear that sound.

[Jazz Kat]

I love when the crowd chants, "Bags Groove! Bags Groove!" I think they do it for Django too.

[Enterprise Server]

I have to break ranks with this MJQ love fest. I know the group was very talented but I never could get excited with the "third Stream" genre. I recognize the musicians who developed and performed but I could never connect to this hybrid experiment.

[Jazz Kat]

I didn't at first either. Who knows.

[JSngry]

  Enterprise Server said:

I have to break ranks with this MJQ love fest. I know the group was very talented but I never could get excited with the "third Stream" genre.

Same here (especially the orchestral things), but as the 60s wore on, those tendencies became less common (or at least less overt), and that's when things got a little more interesting for me.

I remember in 1975 (74? 76?) when they were celebrating some anniversary, and they had a run of appearances on several TV shows. The music was very strange, really, lots of vamps and open-ended sections with sparse changes, no real "beat" out of Kay, just a nice soft blur of sound. "Avant-garde" in many respects, although it was still performed in tuxedos and stuff.