Modern Jazz Quartet
Modern Jazz Quartet
Modern Jazz Quartet
The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) was a jazz combo established in 1952
Modern Jazz Quartet
that played music influenced by classical, cool jazz, blues and bebop. For
most of its history the Quartet consisted of John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson
(vibraphone), Percy Heath (double bass), and Connie Kay (drums). The
group grew out of the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespie's big band from
1946 to 1948, which consisted of Lewis and Jackson along with bassist Ray
Brown and drummer Kenny Clarke. They recorded as the Milt Jackson
Quartet in 1951 and Brown left the group, being replaced as bassist by
Heath. During the early-to-mid-1950s they became the Modern Jazz Quartet,
Lewis became the group's musical director, and they made several
recordings with Prestige Records, including the original versions of their
two best-known compositions, Lewis's "Django" and Jackson's Bags'
Groove". Clarke left the group in 1955 and was replaced as drummer by Modern Jazz Quartet in 1964
Connie Kay, and in 1956 they moved to Atlantic Records and made their Left to right: Heath, Kay, Jackson, Lewis
first tour to Europe. Background information
Under Lewis's direction, they carved their own niche by specializing in Also known as The Quartet, The MJQ
elegant, restrained music that used sophisticated counterpoint inspired by Genres Jazz
baroque music, yet nonetheless retained a strong blues feel. Noted for their
Years active 1952–1997
elegant presentation, they were one of the first small jazz combos to perform
Labels Prestige (UK Esquire),
in concert halls rather than nightclubs. They were initially active into the
Atlantic (UK London),
1970s until Jackson quit in 1974 due to frustration with their finances and
Apple, Douglas
touring schedule, but reformed in 1981. They made their last released
recordings in 1992 and 1993, by which time Kay had been having health Past members Kenny Clarke · Milt
issues and Mickey Roker had been his replacement drummer while Kay was Jackson · John Lewis ·
unavailable. After Kay's death in 1994, the group operated on a semi-active Percy Heath · Connie
basis, with Percy Heath's brother Albert Heath on drums until disbanding Kay · Mickey Roker ·
permanently in 1997. Albert Heath
Contents
History
Background, formation, departure of Kenny Clarke, and Prestige recordings (1946–1955)
Move to Atlantic Records and international success (1956–1974)
Hiatus, reunion, and final years (1974–1997)
Style and public image
Honors
Discography
Compilations
Filmography
References
Further reading
External links
History
John had this idea to write some different music for the instruments that were in the quartet, and wrote
"Vendome" and a few other very orchestrated pieces. He wasn't interested in writing for Milt Jackson's quartet, so
we became a partnership, a corporation—the Modern Jazz Quartet was the performing entity. John's vision for the
group was to change the music from just a jam session, or rhythm section and soloist idea, to something more. We
were all equal members, and the dress, the wearing of tuxedos, and trying to perform in concert rather than always
in nightclubs, was part of what he envisioned to change the whole attitude about the music.[1]
In April 1952 they recorded for Hi-Lo Records as the Milt Jackson Quartet and also made a record for Blue Note Records with
Lou Donaldson on saxophone as the Milt Jackson Quintet, later released on Wizard of the Vibes; the latter record contained the
first recording of Bags' Groove", which would become a signature song of the Modern Jazz Quartet.[1][6][7][8] In November of
that year they accompanied Charlie Parker in a live recording at Birdland. For Prestige Records, they made their first recordings
as the Modern Jazz Quartet on December 22, 1952 which, on Prestige CEO Bob Weinstock's insistence, were released under the
group name Milt Jackson and the Modern Jazz Quartet. These recordings contained the original version of Lewis's composition
"Vendome", the Quartet's first experiment with combining jazz and fugal counterpoint.[1][6][9] Between 1953 and early 1955 the
group recorded the tracks that were eventually released on the album Django (1956), including their first recording of Lewis's
composition "Django", another signature piece for the Quartet.[1][9] In 1953 they also accompanied Ben Webster and Sonny
Rollins on live recordings, the former being released in 2001 as 1953: An Exceptional Encounter.[6][10] In October 1953, the
Quartet began its first major booking at Birdland, which was followed by appearances in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Philadelphia, and Carnegie Hall. Reviewing their appearance at Birdland, Nat Hentoff wrote: "If the success of the Modern Jazz
Quartet depended only on the support of jazz musicians, this could be the most in-demand unit in the country."[1] Heath recalled:
We had a hard time getting people to quiet down and listen. At that time in nightclubs, people were talking about
hanging out. In order to break that down, instead of trying to play over the conversation, we'd use reverse
psychology and play softer. Suddenly, they knew we were up there and realized the conversation was louder than
the music. Of course, if it got too loud, we'd come off – just stop playing and walk off. It didn't take long for them
to realize they were wasting their time because we weren't going to entertain them in that sense. We didn't have
funny acts, we didn't have any costumes. We were conservatively dressed, we played conservative music, and if
you didn't listen you didn't get it. We were four instruments going along horizontally, contrapuntally. There was
no backup and soloist, the concept was changing.[1]
In January 1955, they returned to Birdland, and on the last night of that engagement, Clarke announced that he was quitting the
band. He later said that he did so because "I wouldn't be able to play the drums my way again after four or five years of playing
eighteenth-century drawing-room jazz".[11] Lewis recalled "He was trying to find himself. There was a change in the music, but it
was early when Kenny left so it was easy to handle and adjust to. If we had to make the change later, it would have been a
disaster. We had to give up a lot of pieces we played when Kenny left."[1] Heath commented "It had to change, because there is
no other Kenny Clarke. Kenny didn't want to have such orchestrated music because he was an innovator and didn't want his part
dictated."[1] Jackson said "The three years Kenny was in the group was an experimental stage. We were still looking for a
direction."[1] Monte Kay, who had by then become the group's manager, suggested that Clarke be replaced by Connie Kay (no
relation), who joined the group the day after Clarke had left. The group members had come to have various responsibilities
besides playing their instruments: Lewis was the musical director, Jackson handled public relations, Heath managed the finances,
and Kay organized the accommodation and transportation.[1] On July 2, 1955, the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded their last album
with Prestige Records, Concorde; its title track was Lewis's second major fugue-influenced piece for the group.[1][9]
They then moved from Atlantic to Apple Records, for which they released Under the Jasmin Tree (1968) and Space (1969).
Lewis, who produced these albums, recalled: "Monte Kay was a friend of the president of the Beatles' company, and he felt we
weren't getting the attention we should have, so we went there and had two good records."[1][9] Returning to Atlantic, they
released Plastic Dreams (1971) and The Legendary Profile (1972). In 1973 they recorded the last studio albums before their
hiatus, In Memoriam with an orchestra and Blues on Bach, both of which were released the next year).[1][9]
Honors
The Modern Jazz Quartet earned a variety of honors, including the first NAACP award for cultural contributions in the field of
music in 1957, top billing on numerous jazz magazine polls, and honorary doctorates from Berklee College.[2]
Discography
First dates are of recording, in parentheses are dates of release
1952: The Modern Jazz Quartet Quintet recorded 1952 and 1954 (Prestige)
1952 Wizard of the Vibes (10" LP issued 1952, 12" LP as Milt Jackson issued 1956) – session has identical
personnel to the Modern Jazz Quartet of the time plus Lou Donaldson.
1953: 1953: An Exceptional Encounter (The Jazz Factory, 2001) – with Ben Webster
1955: Concorde (Prestige)
1953–55: Django (Prestige, 1956)
1956: Fontessa (Atlantic)
1956: The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn (Atlantic) – with Jimmy Giuffre
1958: The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays No Sun in Venice (Atlantic)
1957: The Modern Jazz Quartet (Atlantic)
1957: The Modern Jazz Quartet and the Oscar Peterson Trio at the Opera House (Verve)
1958: The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn Volume 2 (Atlantic) – with Sonny Rollins
1959: Music from Odds Against Tomorrow (United Artists) – also released as Patterns (United Artists, 1960)
1959–1960: Pyramid (Atlantic, 1960)
1960: European Concert (Atlantic)
1960: Modern Jazz Quartet in Concert (Jazz Life, 1990) – recorded in Ljubljana
1960: Dedicated to Connie (Atlantic, 1995)
1960: The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra (Atlantic)
1960: Third Stream Music (Atlantic) with guests including the Jimmy Giuffre 3
1962: The Comedy (Atlantic)
1962: Lonely Woman (Atlantic)
1963: 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (Douglas, 1997), also released as In a Crowd (Atlantic, 1998)
1964: The Sheriff (Atlantic)
1964: Collaboration (Atlantic) – with Laurindo Almeida
1964–65: The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Atlantic)
1965: Jazz Dialogue (Atlantic) – with The All Star Jazz Band
1966: Concert in Japan '66 (Atlantic/Jazz Forever, Japan only)
1966: Blues at Carnegie Hall (Atlantic)
1966: Place Vendôme (Philips) – with The Swingle Singers
1967: Live at the Lighthouse (Atlantic)
1968: Under the Jasmin Tree (Apple)
1969: Space (Apple)
1971: Plastic Dreams (Atlantic)
1972: The Legendary Profile (Atlantic)
1973: In Memoriam (Little David, 1974)
1973: Blues on Bach (Atlantic, 1974)
1974: The Complete Last Concert (Atlantic, 1988) – includes The Last Concert (1975) and More from the Last
Concert (1981)
1981: Reunion at Budokan 1981 (Pablo)
1982: Together Again: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival '82 (Pablo)
1984: Echoes (Pablo)
1985: Topsy: This One's for Basie (Pablo)
1987: Three Windows (Atlantic)
1988: For Ellington (East West)
1992: A Night at the Opera (Jazz Door, 1994)
1992–93: MJQ & Friends: A 40th Anniversary Celebration (Atlantic)
Compilations
Dates are of first release.
Filmography
2005: The Modern Jazz Quartet: 35th Anniversary Tour
2007: 40 Years of MJQ
2008: Django
References
1. Giddins, Gary (1998). "Modern Jazz Quartet (The First Forty Years)". Visions of Jazz: The First Century. New
York: Oxford University Press. pp. 376–402. ISBN 978-0-19-513241-0.
2. Bordowitz, Hank (1992). "MJQ celebrates 40 years". American Visions. Vol. 7 no. 1. pp. 26–30.
3. "Bop Baroque The Blues". DownBeat. Vol. 59 no. 1. 1992. pp. 24–27.
4. Holley, Eugene (April 2000). "Farewell to the quartet". DownBeat. Vol. 67 no. 4. pp. 38–42.
5. Zwerin, Mike (November 19, 2003). "MJQ and a fountain of youth" (https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/19/style/IH
T-mjq-and-a-fountain-of-youth.html). The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
6. "Milt Jackson Discography" (https://www.jazzdisco.org/milt-jackson/discography/). Jazz Discography Project.
Retrieved November 11, 2018.
7. "Wizard of the Vibes – Milt Jackson" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/wizard-of-the-vibes-mw0000589968).
AllMusic. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
8. Gioia, Ted (2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. New York City: Oxford University Press.
p. 27–28. ISBN 978-0-19-993739-4.
9. "The Modern Jazz Quartet Discography" (https://www.jazzdisco.org/the-modern-jazz-quartet/discography/). Jazz
Discography Project. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
10. "1953: An Exceptional Encounter" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/1953-an-exceptional-encounter-mw0000000
212). AllMusic. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
11. Kernfeld, Barry (1999). "Clarke, Kenny". American National Biography. Oxford University Press.
doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1802594 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fanb%2F9780198606697.article.18
02594).
12. Coady, Christopher (2016). John Lewis and the Challenge of 'Real' Black Music. University of Michigan Press.
pp. 134–135. ISBN 9780472122264.
13. "Lonely Woman – The Modern Jazz Quartet" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/lonely-woman-mw0000651665).
AllMusic. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
14. Levin, Eric (June 27, 1983). "The Modern Jazz Quartet" (https://people.com/archive/the-modern-jazz-quartet-vol-
19-no-25/). People. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
15. "A 40th Anniversary Celebration – The Modern Jazz Quartet" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/celebration-mw00
00623068). AllMusic. November 24, 2018.
16. "MJQ & friends : a 40th anniversary celebration" (http://www.worldcat.org/title/mjq-friends-a-40th-anniversary-cel
ebration/oclc/30133547). WorldCat. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
17. Watrous, Peter (December 3, 1994). "Connie Kay, 67, Drummer, Dies; A Specialist of Sounds and Styles" (http
s://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/03/obituaries/connie-kay-67-drummer-dies-a-specialist-of-sounds-and-styles.html).
The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
18. Chinen, Nate (May 22, 2017). "Mickey Roker, Dynamic Hard-Bop Drummer and Philly Jazz Institution, Dies at
84" (http://www.wbgo.org/post/mickey-roker-dynamic-hard-bop-drummer-and-philly-jazz-institution-dies-84#strea
m/0). WBGO. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
19. "Dedicated to Connie – The Modern Jazz Quartet" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/dedicated-to-connie-mw000
0172909). AllMusic. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
20. "Dedicated to Connie (Musical CD, 1995)" (http://www.worldcat.org/title/dedicated-to-connie/oclc/33264626).
WorldCat. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
21. Voce, Steve (April 30, 2005). "Percy Heath" (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/percy-heath-52668
7.html). The Independent. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
22. Bouchard, Fred (June 2001). "John Lewis: 1920–2001". DownBeat. Vol. 68 no. 6. p. 22.
23. Owens, Thomas (January 20, 2002). "Modern Jazz Quartet (jazz)". In Root, Deane L. (ed.). Grove Music Online.
Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J305700 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fgmo%2F
9781561592630.article.J305700).
24. Ratliff, Ben (October 11, 1999). "Milt Jackson, 76, Jazz Vibraphonist, Dies" (https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/1
1/arts/milt-jackson-76-jazz-vibraphonist-dies.html). The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
25. Keepnews, Peter (March 31, 2001). "John Lewis, 80, Pianist, Composer and Creator of the Modern Jazz Quartet,
Dies" (https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/31/arts/john-lewis-80-pianist-composer-and-creator-of-the-modern-jazz-
quartet-dies.html). The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
Further reading
Rupp, Carla Marie (2011). "Respectability and The Modern Jazz Quartet; Some Cultural Aspects of Its Image
and Legacy As Seen Through the Press" (https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/74/). CUNY
Academic Works. City College of New York. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
External links
more about MJQ and recordings (http://koti.mbnet.fi/ohuuska/index.html)
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