''Django'' is an album by the
Modern Jazz Quartet
The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) was a jazz combo established in 1952 that played music influenced by classical music, classical, cool jazz, blues and bebop. For most of its history the Quartet consisted of John Lewis (pianist), John Lewis (piano), ...
, first released on 12-inch LP in 1956.
Overview
The actual sessions had taken place in June 1953, December 1954, and January 1955, and (as
Prestige Records
Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...
had yet to enter the 12-inch LP era) were first released on two 10-inch albums, entitled ''Modern Jazz Quartet'' (PRLP 160, 1953, whose second side contained "The Queen's Fancy", "Delauney's Dilemma", "
Autumn In New York" and "
But Not For Me") and ''The Modern Jazz Quartet, Vol. 2'' (PRLP 170, 1955, containing "
Django", "One Bass Hit", "Milano" and "La Ronde Suite"). The first session took place in New York, but the eventual
sessions were engineered by
Rudy Van Gelder; the whole album was reissued in 2006 as part of the Rudy Van Gelder Remasters collection.
"Django" (like the other original material on the album) was composed by the group's pianist and musical director,
John Lewis. It is one of his best-known compositions, written in memory of the Belgian gypsy guitarist
Django Reinhardt. One other apostrophic tune is "Delauney's Dilemma", a jaunty tribute to the French jazz critic
Charles Delaunay. The lengthy "La Ronde Suite", with discrete sections emphasizing each group member's contributions, is in fact a version of the standard "Two Bass Hit", written by Lewis for
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
and recorded by, among others,
Miles Davis on ''
Milestones''. Gillespie's own tune, "One Bass Hit", is also included as a feature for bassist
Percy Heath.
Vibraphonist Milt "Bags" Jackson can be heard grunting and humming throughout the quieter numbers, which include renditions of the
Gershwins' "But Not For Me" and the
Vernon Duke standard "Autumn In New York".
Reception
Writing for
All About Jazz, Douglas Payne described ''Django'' as "classic jazz in construction and execution" and said it was "the place to begin appreciating the many and great virtues of one of jazz's finest aggregates".
's Lindsay Planer wrote that "In terms of seminal Modern Jazz Quartet entries, it is hard to exceed the variety of styles and performances gathered on ''Django''."
Track listing
#"
Django" (
John Lewis) – 7:03
#"One Bass Hit" (
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
) – 2:59
#"La Ronde Suite" (Lewis) – 9:38
#"The Queen's Fancy" (Lewis) – 3:12
#"Delauney's Dilemma" (Lewis) – 4:01
#"
Autumn In New York" (
Vernon Duke) – 3:40
#"
But Not for Me" (
George Gershwin,
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...
) – 3:44
#"Milano" (Lewis) – 4:23
Personnel
*
Milt Jackson
Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...
— vibraphone
*
John Lewis — piano
*
Percy Heath — bass
*
Kenny Clarke — drums
References
External links
*
NPRbr>
Basic Jazz Record Library recommendation
{{Authority control
1956 albums
Cool jazz albums
Post-bop albums
Modern Jazz Quartet albums
Prestige Records albums
Albums produced by Bob Weinstock
Albums recorded at Van Gelder Studio
Albums produced by Ira Gitler