The Modern Jazz Quartet – The Early Years 1952-56 – 2CD

The Modern Jazz Quartet were one of the most innovative, distinctive and influential groups in jazz in the 1950s and subsequent decades, pioneering a refined, classically-influenced style of cool jazz which retained the blues-based traditions of the genre, and reflected the changes wrought by bebop, while playing music which was unique and unmistakeable. That music owed much to the interplay of John Lewis’ piano and Milt Jackson’s vibraphone seamlessly underpinned by Percy Heath’s bass. Kenny Clarke was the group’s original drummer, replaced when he left in 1955 by Connie Kay. This great-value 32-track 2-CD set comprises recordings from their first four LP releases for Prestige and Atlantic from their first studio session as the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1952 through to 1955. It features all the titles from their original 10” Prestige LP “The Modern Jazz Quartet”, and from their 12” LPs for Prestige “Django” and Concorde”, plus all the titles from their Atlantic LP “Fontessa”, and selected titles from their Atlantic LP “At Music Inn” (some tracks on that album also featured Jimmy Giuffre, but none of those are included here). It’s a comprehensive overview of the music which established their reputation and captures the essence of their approach during their formative years as a recording unit.

Track Listing:

CD 1:
1. All The Things You Are -   2. La Ronde -   3. Vendome -   4. Rose Of The Rio Grande -   5. The Queen’s Fancy -   6. Delaunay’s Dilemma -   7. Autumn In New York -   8. But Not For Me -   9. Django -   10. One Bass Hit -   11. Milano -   12. La Ronde Suite / Piano -   13. La Ronde Suite / Bass -   14. La Ronde Suite / Vibes -   15. La Ronde Suite / Drums -   16. Concorde -   17. Gershwin Medley; Soon, Love Walked In, Love Is Here To Stay, For You -   18. I'll Remember April -   19. All Of You -

CD 2:
1. Ralph's New Blues -   2. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise -   3. Woody’n You -   4. Willow Weep For Me -   5. Fontessa -   6. Versailles -   7. Angel Eyes -   8. Over The Rainbow -   9. Bluesology -   10. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess ? -   11. Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West -   12. Variation No. 1 On 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' -   13. A Morning In Paris -