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Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra

The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra
Atlantic SD-1359
1961

Available for purchase/download so I will not be posting a sample. Sorry!

Billboard Magazine: Here is a fascinating blend of the classical and jazz schools, a much talked about concept where very little has been accomplished at the recording level. The MJQ, working as a sort of concerto soloist all by itself in front of the distinctively classical ork passages to pick up a similar theme in readily identifiable jazz connotations.

Well... that explanation and the rather subdued cover art would not have perked my interest back in the day (as I'm not a jazz or classical music buff). And I don't normally post jazz stuff here (I mean reasonably straight forward jazz stuff), but this album will be of interest to others who collect the same type of music that you see on my blog.

To me, the sound is better explained (so that I get it) as a bridge between dramatic movie soundtrack passages and small combo jazz. Going out on a limb... the vibe is sort of as if Arthur Lyman did something "heavy", without the bird calls. You may also hear a bit of some early 60s private-eye or detective TV show thing happening.

From the back cover: John Lewis (director MJQ) and this writer (Gunther Schuller) do not claim that these works represent the final and ultimate stage in this particular musical development. On the contrary, we feel they mark only a beginning and it is our hope that the music contained herein will stimulate further interest in works of this nature.

Find yourself a copy! You will enjoy the experience!

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