The Artistry of the Modern Jazz Quartet (1952)

About this title: Spanning one of the few transitional periods for the Modern Jazz Quartet when Connie Kay replaced Kenny Clarke as the group's drummer, The Artistry of the Modern Jazz Quartet covers the years from 1952-1955. By this point in the group's career, John Lewis was largely overseeing the quartet's repertoire, penning the bulk of the original material. Indeed, on The Artistry Of, the pianist contributes six compositions to Milt Jackson's one (the excellent "Ralph's New Blues"). The set is balanced out by renditions of the most common of jazz standards in "Almost Like Falling in Love," "I'll Remember ... read more

Tracks:

1. La Ronde [Lewis]
2. Rose of the Rio Grande [Warren/Gorman/Lesli]
3. The Queen's Fancy [Lewis]
4. Delaunay's Dilemma [Lewis]
5. In a Sentimental Mood [Ellington/Kurtz/Mil]
6. The Stopper [Rollins]
7. Almost Like Being in Love [Lerner/Loewe]
8. No Moe [Rollins]
9. Django [Lewis]
10. One Bass Hit [Brown/Fuller/Gilles]
11. Milano [Lewis]
12. Ralph's New Blues [Jackson]
13. I'll Remember April [DePaul/Johnston/Ray]
14. Concorde [Lewis]
15. Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise [Hammerstein/Romberg]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.