modern jazz society

[alocispepraluger102]

hearing this for the first time.

what an all star group!

quite ahead of its time.

[Chuck Nessa]

And of its time.

[B. Clugston]

That's a classic. One of my favourites.

[alocispepraluger102]

And of its time.

certainly not earthshaking, but very comfortable to these 1944 model ears.

Edited August 7, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[Chuck Nessa]

Really interesting date. I wish I still had the vinyl and I wish I'd snagged the cd when available. Lack of funds is bad shit.

[Larry Kart]

Bought it when it first came out, always wanted to like it, but that rhythm section on that day was broken. Also, IIRC Tony Scott was far from an asset here. Again IIRC it felt like parts were not fitting together, and I'd bet that John Lewis didn't chose all of those players or the instrumentation either; his writing sounds rather awkward here compared to earlier mixed-ensemble work for J.J. or many later things under his own name for horns and rhythm.

[Larry Kart]

Listened again: Lewis's writing for the three woodwinds (clarinet, flute, and bassoon) sounds very awkward, sour, and muddy to me, especially on "Midsommer," but then that whole piece is pretty limp; by contrast Schuller handles those instruments on the pieces he arranged, ""Django" and "The Queen's Fancy," with professional expertise, though also a bit blandly. The rhythm section does come close to stasis at times, but that mostly seems to be because harpist Janet Putnam is trying to be Freddie Green. J.J. is in very frigid form IMO, as is Getz (who sounds like he might just be stoned out of his gourd). Lucky Thompson is excellent, and so is Aaron Sachs, who probably gets more into the pieces he plays on (in terms of putting them over as pieces) than anyone else.

[Swinging Swede]

As far as I remember, the liner notes mention that the musicians just had learned that Bird had died, and that it affected them.

[alocispepraluger102]

thanks for helping understand this album.

[brownie]

Also, IIRC Tony Scott was far from an asset here.

But he obviously was needed for the session since he appeared under his real name Anthony Sciacca.

Tony Scott was under contract with RCA Victor at the time. John Lewis would probably have not bothered with the legal problems involved if he did not want him.

[JohnS]

That's a classic. One of my favourites.

I agree wholeheartedly.

[Larry Kart]

Also, IIRC Tony Scott was far from an asset here.

But he obviously was needed for the session since he appeared under his real name Anthony Sciacca.

Tony Scott was under contract with RCA Victor at the time. John Lewis would probably have not bothered with the legal problems involved if he did not want him.

I don't get "obviously needed." Lots of guys at that time, when jazz musicians of some prominence had exclusive contracts with labels, appeared under pseudonyms on labels other than the ones they were signed to. Mike Fitzgerald's website has a long list of such e.g. Art Farmer (Kunst Bauer), Jimmy Cleveland (Jimmy O'Heigho), Lee Konitz (Zeke Tolin). All I was saying in any case, is that for me (not a Scott fan) he sounds pretty weak and twiddly here, while Aaron Sachs ("obviously needed"?) is in fine form. The only need here was for an improvising New York-based modern clarinetist who could negotiate some tricky charts. I suppose Sol Yaged or Peanuts Hucko might not have filled the bill. As for John Lewis's role, my guess is that Norman Granz was responsible for Getz's presence, while Schuller chose the bassonist, flute player, and Janet Putnam, though God knows who urged her/let her try to imitate a rhythm guitar. I'd be curious as to who came up with that particular instrumentation. Off the top of my head, I don't recall Lewis ever again using woodwinds that prominently, with the possible exception of "European Windows" (and maybe that was just strings, rhythm, and Ronnie Ross?) Certainly it was writing for brass that Lewis proved to have a special gift for.

[brownie]

Tony Scott had studied at Juilliard and also with composer Stephan Wolpe so I'm inclined to think John Lewis had a good reason to use him.

The Tony Scott official site mentions that

Lewis and Shuller also lead, in November (1955), the concert series Jazz at Town Hall produced by Monte Kay and Pete Kameron in which the Modern Jazz Quartet, with J.J. Johnson (tb), Lucky Thompson(ts), Tony Scott (cl) was supplemented for a large part of the adventurous program by a woodwind chamber orchestra. The program included classical and atonal music by J. Johnson, G. Schuller, J. Lewis, and Luigi Nono.

John Lewis must have been satisfied with Tony Scott's contribution to hire him a few months after the recording session!