180-gram pressing includes album download

Who would have thought this quartet would confound revolutions in fashion and survive for 40 years? And that it would achieve widespread popularity in Europe in 1957? The conquest of the general public by these four gentlemen was more an act of seduction. In 1946 drummer Kenny Clarke created the opportunity for his friend John Lewis to join Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra. Here Lewis replaced Thelonious Monk on the piano for two years before heading with Kenny to Paris for a few months.

John Lewis had worked in New York with Charlie Parker and thanks to him was writing arrangements for the now legendary nonet of Miles Davis. John, Kenny and vibraphonist Milt Jackson formed Dizzy's rhythm section; this trio was to form the nucleus which in 1952 gave rise to the Modern Jazz Quartet. The pianist with the velvet touch had been much in demand for studio sessions while still a student at the Manhattan School of Music. Milt said, John didn't want to be a sideman to me and I didn't want to be one to him. It was all about partnership. The sound director had found his lead performer. Bass player Ray Brown was replaced by former U.S. fighter pilot Percy Heath, and from 1955 Connie Kay came in on drums for Kenny Clarke.

At the time of these recordings, John Lewis was still in the process of developing the unique concept of The Modern Jazz Quartet as a jazz chamber group, for which he often scored even the bass and drum parts. The cosmopolitan Lewis successfully exploited a wide variety of source material (folksong, counterpoint, standards etc.) to develop new structures and create a style of jazz that was free of cliches and would ultimately prove timeless.

Soloists
◾John Lewis, piano
◾Milt Jackson, vibraphone
◾Percy Heath, double-Bass
◾Conny Kay, percussion

Track Listing
Side 1
Ralph’s New Blues
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Willow Weep For Me
I’ll Remember April

Side 2
You Go To My Head
I Can’t Get Started
Tenderly
J.B. Blues