40 Years of MJQ

The Modern Jazz Quartet is the only jazz group ever signed to Apple Records, having recorded two albums for the Beatles' label in the late 1960s. An odd pairing, to be sure, but then the MJQ has always been something of an anomaly in the jazz world. Formed after the original members met in Dizzy Gillespie's big band during the 1940s, by the early '50s the quartet—comprised of piano (John Lewis, also the principal composer), vibes (Milt Jackson), bass (Percy Heath), and drums (Connie Kay, in failing health at the time of this 1992 concert, was replaced by Mickey Roker)—had settled on a lineup that was both amazingly long-lived and, considering the absence of horn players, rather strange in the bebop and post-bop eras. Some called their style "chamber jazz"—an apt description here, as the group joins forces with an orchestra for this five-song first-rate show presented in Stuttgart, Germany. Lewis' music, on tunes such as "Three Windows” (from the film No Sun in Venice), "Alexander's Fugue," and "A Day in Dubrovnik Suite," balances composition and improvisation (with the brilliant Jackson taking most of the solos), while the strings echo the melody (or play in counterpoint, or lay out entirely) to exquisite effect. Viewers may recognize the adagio movement from Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concerto de Aranjuez," famously recorded by Miles Davis for Sketches of Spain—a timeless, haunting piece of music. Unfortunately, they'll also hear the tape hiss that permeates the entire audio track and, during the quieter moments, is an obnoxious distraction. Presented in Dolby Digital stereo, DVD extras include text bios of the artists. Recommended, overall. Aud: P. (S. Graham)