The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) was a jazz combo established in 1952 that played music influenced by classical, cool jazz, blues and bebop. For most of its history the Quartet consisted of John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibraphone), Percy Heath, and Connie Kay (drums). The group grew out of the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespie's big band from 1946 to 1948, which consisted of Lewis and Jackson along with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Kenny Clarke. They recorded as the Milt Jackson Quartet in 1951 and Brown left the group, being replaced on bass by Heath. During the early-to-mid-1950s they became the Modern Jazz Quartet, Lewis became the group's musical director, and they made several recordings with Prestige Records, including the original versions of their two best-known compositions, Lewis's "Django" and Jackson's "Bags' Groove". Clarke left the group in 1955 and was replaced as drummer by Connie Kay, and in 1956 they moved to Atlantic Records and made their first tour to Europe.
Percy Heath was an American jazz bassist, brother of saxophonist Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert Heath, with whom he formed the Heath Brothers in 1975. Heath played with the Modern Jazz Quartet throughout their long history and also worked with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, and Thelonious Monk.
The Complete Last Concert is a double CD live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded at Avery Fisher Hall in 1974 and released on the Atlantic label originally as a double album The Last Concert (1975) and More from the Last Concert (1981) before the complete edition was released in 1988.
The Comedy is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1960 and 1962 and released on the Atlantic label.
Music from Odds Against Tomorrow is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring interpretations of the soundtrack score for the 1959 motion picture Odds Against Tomorrow. It was released on United Artists Records, the label that the films' production company United Artists had founded two years earlier for its film soundtracks. The album was recorded with the Modern Jazz Quartet and a 22-piece orchestra.
Pyramid is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1959-60 and released on the Atlantic label.
The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn Volume 2 is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded at the Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts, in 1958, with guest artist Sonny Rollins appearing on two numbers, and released on the Atlantic label.
The Modern Jazz Quartet and the Oscar Peterson Trio at the Opera House is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet and the Oscar Peterson Trio featuring performances recorded in Chicago in 1957 and released as a split album on the Verve label. The tracks by Oscar Peterson were subsequently released on Peterson's 1957 album Oscar Peterson at the Concertgebouw.
The Modern Jazz Quartet is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1957 and released on the Atlantic label.
The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded at the Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts in 1956, with guest artist Jimmy Giuffre appearing on three numbers, and released on the Atlantic label.
Collaboration is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet with Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida featuring performances recorded at Webster Hall in 1964 and released on the Atlantic label.
Jazz Dialogue is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet with a big band featuring performances recorded in 1965 and released on the Atlantic label.
Blues at Carnegie Hall is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1966 at a benefit concert presented by The Manhattan School of Music and released on the Atlantic label.
Plastic Dreams is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet, augmented by a brass section on three tracks, recorded in 1971 and released on the Atlantic label.
The Legendary Profile is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded in 1972 and released on the Atlantic label.
Reunion at Budokan 1981 is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded at their reunion concert at the Nippon Budokan in 1981 and released on the Pablo label.
Echoes is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1984 and released on the Pablo label.
Topsy: This One's for Basie is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1985 and released on the Pablo label.
Three Windows is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded with the New York Chamber Symphony in 1987 and released on the Atlantic label.
Dedicated to Connie is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in Slovenia in May 1960 and released in 1995 on the Atlantic label following drummer Connie Kay's death. The album was also released by Jazz Life in 1990 as Modern Jazz Quartet In Concert.
