John Aaron Lewis was an American jazz pianist, composer and arranger, best known as the founder and musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet.
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, Thelonious Monk and Lee Konitz.
James Peter Giuffre was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He is known for developing forms of jazz which allowed for free interplay between the musicians, anticipating forms of free improvisation.
Know What I Mean? is a 1962 album by jazz musician Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, accompanied by Bill Evans and the rhythm section of the Modern Jazz Quartet. It was released on Riverside label as RLP-433.
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.
Pyramid is an album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California in 1974 featuring performances by Adderley's Quintet with Nat Adderley, Hal Galper, Walter Booker and Roy McCurdy with guest appearances by Phil Upchurch, George Duke, and Jimmy Jones.
The Song Book is an album by American jazz saxophonist Booker Ervin featuring performances recorded in 1964 for the Prestige label.
On Broadway Volume 2 is the fourth album by Paul Motian to be released on the German JMT label. It was released in 1989 and features performances of Broadway show tunes by Motian with guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Charlie Haden and tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano. The album was followed by three subsequent volumes, and it was rereleased on the Winter & Winter label in 2003.
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.
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.
The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess is an album by the American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet performing the score to George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess recorded in 1964-65 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.
The Legendary Profile is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded in 1972 and released on the Atlantic label.
Quiet Song is an album by pianist Paul Bley, clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre and guitarist Bill Connors recorded in 1974 and released on Bley's own Improvising Artists label in 1975.
The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet is an album by American jazz composer and arranger Jimmy Giuffre featuring him exclusively on clarinet which was released on the Atlantic label in 1956.
Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre is an album by American jazz saxophonist Lee Konitz and saxophonist, composer and arranger Jimmy Giuffre which was released on the Verve label in 1959.
Porgy and Bess is an album by American jazz pianist Hank Jones featuring interpretations of music from George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess recorded in 1958 for the Capitol label.
Porgy & Bess is an album by multi-instrumentalist Buddy Collette featuring jazz versions of music from the George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess recorded at sessions in 1957 and released on the Interlude label in 1959.
