Opinions about the 4cd box set “Modern Jazz Quartet – MJQ 40” (Atlantic, mostly)

[JSngry]

I've really come to appreciate Lewis' comping. He's always playing riffs and other "big band" type devices that create things that Heath and Kay can bounce off and around in some pretty funky ways.

 

[mikeweil]

34 minutes ago, JSngry said:

I've really come to appreciate Lewis' comping. He's always playing riffs and other "big band" type devices that create things that Heath and Kay can bounce off and around in some pretty funky ways.

the Plastic Dreams album has some more examples for his funky big band type comping. Would fit both the James Brown or Basie bands.

Balance of opinions re-esatblished. All fine with me.

Pim's statement about Lewis and Jackson complemeting each other is to the point! 

[JSngry]

People who are looking for something that is intentionally not going to be there are sure to not find it!!!🎄🎄🎄🔂🔂🔂

[felser]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

People who are looking for something that is intentionally not going to be there are sure to not find it!!!🎄🎄🎄🔂🔂🔂

"What is lacking cannot be counted"  Eccl. 1:15b

[JSngry]

Turn turn turn.

[JSngry]

So much of the discussion was (and apparently still is) about the Lewis/Jackson relationship, but...Percy Heath and Connie Kay were where the glue was. Those other two guys could yin/yang their asses off, but it only worked because that glue was always stickying.

[Pim]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

So much of the discussion was (and apparently still is) about the Lewis/Jackson relationship, but...Percy Heath and Connie Kay were where the glue was. Those other two guys could yin/yang their asses off, but it only worked because that glue was always stickying.

Definitely. Their supportive and subdued playing helped creating that MJQ sound. This one’s a personal favorite of mine:

 

[JSngry]

 

[Peter Friedman]

After the bashing of John Lewis and Milt Jackson, here are my thoughts.

Milt Jackson is definitely my favorite jazz vibes player.

I very much like John Lewis on piano. His albums as leader are things I very much enjoy.

While I do like the full range of MJQ recordings, the albums by Bags I enjoy the most are those where he is the leader on a variety of labels.

[JSngry]

 

[mjzee]

I love Milt Jackson's music, he's one of my favorites in all of jazz.  John Lewis: he's pretty boring in the context of MJQ (IMHO), but I do like a few of his solo efforts on Atlantic (for example, "The Golden Striker") and RCA.  I would blame the MJQ dynamic more on the success of the format: the tuxes, the composed demeanor, the demure performances.  Of course they could really swing, but when they did, it was still really polite.  But it was marketable, which I do not criticize.