The Complete Atlantic Studio Recordings of The Modern Jazz Quartet 1956-64 (7 CDs)
(Release Date; May 2011)It might seem odd that the prototypical bebop rhythm section from Dizzy Gillespie’s ’40s orchestra would morph into the pioneering chamber jazz group of the ’50s. But the music created by Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Percy Heath and Connie Kay (replacing Kenny Clarke) collectively under the Modern Jazz Quartet moniker never strayed far from bop or the blues and much of their classical endeavors were influenced by Johann Sebastian Bach, whose intricate, sycopated music bore an uncanny resemblance to bebop.
After two striking albums on Prestige, the quartet was snapped up in 1956 by Atlantic Records, an emerging major label (their forte was R & B) which was then returning to its jazz roots on a grand scale signing the likes of Charles Mingus, Jimmy Giuffre and the MJQ.
One of the most popular and controversial groups of its time, the MJQ has faded from the forefront of jazz history in recent times. So Mosaic thought it was about time to pull together the seminal work that the band recorded for Atlantic over the next years. They were prolific, releasing 14 albums (all of which are included on this 7-CD set) in just eight years. But these albums were more than just blowing sessions; they were well thought-out conceptual albums that required imagination, compositional time and hard work. They range from classic jazz albums by the foursome to collaborations with Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Giuffre and Laurindo Almeida to two ambitious third-stream projects to the masterful reinterpretation of Gershwin’s „Porgy And Bess.“
Taken as a body of work, this set not only captures the creative peaks of this extraordinary group but also puts into focus its expansive scope.
Stan Getz: The 1953-54 Norgran Studio Sessions (4 Audiophile LPs)
(Release Date; May 2011)Even in a career as celebrated and prolific as Stan Getz’s, there are pockets of neglected gems that dot the landscape. In the case of Getz, one of those overlooked areas is his 1953-54 Clef Norgran recordings with a working quintet that included valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and pianist John Williams. The band recorded several excellent albums for Clef and Norgran during those years, but when Clef and Norgran were phased out and the material was recycled on Verve, the tracks from these recording sessions were scattered over many 12″ LPs which combined them with other groups from other sessions and some were forgotten altogether.
So the impact of the body of work that this group left behind was diluted by the manner in which it was re-released on Verve in the decades that followed. This Mosaic LP-only set returns to the original LP masters and sequence to restore clarity and shape to this exceptional quintet.
When Brookmeyer left Getz to join Gerry Mulligan, legendary trumpeter Tony Fruscella replaced him in the final months of the band, long enough to record two extended tunes included here. Midway through the quintet’s life, Getz recorded a little-known but superb quartet session with Jimmy Rowles, Bob Whitlock and Max Roach, the four sides of which were also released in splintered form throughout the hears.
Now all of this material is gathered in one place on four 180-gram audiophile LPs with three previously unissued alternate takes and the 78 take of „Pot Luck“, giving the music its full due and historical perspective.
Das MJQ Set kommt für mich sehr überraschend, ist aber willkommen, da ich erst vier der enthaltenen Alben besitze – und auch wenn ich mir kaum vorstellen kann, vierzehn am Stück zu hören, so mag ich doch Lewis und Jackson sehr gerne, gemeinsam oder jeden für sich.
Das Getz-Set ist die Vinyl-Version des Hip-O-Select CD-Sets, das ich oben schon erwähnt habe. Die Sessions von 1952 sind nicht enthalten, da sie schon im früheren (seit langem vergriffenen) Stan Getz Set mit all den Aufnahmen mit Jimmy Raney zu finden waren. Kein grösseres Problem, da die Sachen seit langem auf der CD „Stan Getz Plays“ greifbar sind.
Nehme an, das Getz LP-Set wird etwas über 100$ kosten – das ist nicht wenig… mal sehen, ob ich mich dazu durchringen mag oder doch die CD-Variante kaufe. Muss ich mir erst noch überlegen. Das, was ich davon haben will sind jedenfalls die Aufnahmen mit Bob Brookmeyer (und die Alternate Takkes von der Session mit Rowles/Roach, die als Bonus auf der „Plays“-CD zu finden ist, aber eben ohne Alternate Takes) und die finden sich selbstverständlich auch im Mosaic-Set.
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"Don't play what the public want. You play what you want and let the public pick up on what you doin' -- even if it take them fifteen, twenty years." (Thelonious Monk) | Meine Sendungen auf Radio StoneFM: gypsy goes jazz, #158 – Piano Jazz 2024 - 19.12.2024 – 20:00 | Slow Drive to South Africa, #8: tba | No Problem Saloon, #30: tba