In Memoriam (Modern Jazz Quartet album)

1974 studio album by Modern Jazz Quartet

In Memoriam

Studio album by

Modern Jazz Quartet

Released| 1974
Recorded| November 5–6, 1973
Studio| CBS Studios, New York City
Genre| Jazz
Length| 33:51
Label| Little David LD 3001
Producer| John Lewis and Teo Macero
Modern Jazz Quartet chronology
| The Legendary Profile
(1972)  | In Memoriam
(1974)  | Blues on Bach
(1974)

|
|

Milt Jackson chronology
| Sunflower
(1974)  | In Memoriam
(1974)  | Blues on Bach
(1974)

|
|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
Allmusic| [1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide| [2]

In Memoriam is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded in 1973 and released on the Little David label.[3]

## Background

[edit]

On the Album In Memoriam, recorded a year before the start of their hiatus, the Modern Jazz Quartet was accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Maurice Peress. Pianist John Lewis wrote the title composition in tribute to Walter Keller, his piano teacher at the University of New Mexico. He composed "Jazz Ostinato" around 1960 during the third stream era; it is based on three ostinato figures, the third of which he said was originally conceived as backing "for an Ornette Coleman – Eric Dolphy approach". Furthermore, the piece contains homages to Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky, prompting Lewis to comment that it "also plays a part in the memorium". The group had previously recorded the adagio from "Concierto de Aranjuez" with the guitarist Laurindo Almeida on their 1964 album Collaboration.[4][5][6]

## Reception

[edit]

The Allmusic review stated "despite some stimulating moments, the music is often quite dry. It's one of the classic group's lesser releases".[1]

## Track listing

[edit]

All compositions by John Lewis except as indicated

1. "In Memoriam – First Movement" – 8:40
2. "In Memoriam – Second Movement" 9:03
3. "Jazz Ostinato" – 6:19
4. "Adagio from the Guitar Concerto: Concerto de Aranjuez" (Joaquín Rodrigo) – 9:49

## Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

* Milt Jackson – vibraphone
* John Lewis – piano
* Percy Heath – bass
* Connie Kay – drums
* Unnamed symphony orchestra conducted by Maurice Peress

Production

* John Lewis – producer
* Teo Macero – producer
* Stanley Tonkel – recording engineer
* Gene Paul – re-mix engineer
* John Lewis – re-mix engineer
* Edd Kolakowski – Steinway piano technician

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Nastos, M. G. Allmusic Review accessed June 1, 2012
2. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp. 143. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
3. ^ Modern Jazz Quartet discography accessed June 1, 2012
4. ^ Giddins, Gary (1998). "Modern Jazz Quartet (The First Forty Years)". Visions of Jazz: The First Century. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 393, 398. ISBN 978-0-19-513241-0.
5. ^ "Albuquerque Celebrates its Own Jazz Icon". Weekly Alibi. July 7, 2016. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
6. ^ "Collaboration – The Modern Jazz Quartet". AllMusic. Retrieved October 19, 2019.

* v
* t
* e

Modern Jazz Quartet

Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Percy Heath, Connie Kay

Kenny Clarke, Mickey Roker, Albert Heath

Years given are for the recording(s), not first release,
except where indicated.

Group
albums|

* Wizard of the Vibes (as Milt Jackson Quartet, 1952)
* 1953: An Exceptional Encounter (and Ben Webster, 1953)
* Django (1953–55)
* Concorde (1955)
* Fontessa (1956)
* The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn (1956)
* The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays No Sun in Venice (1957)
* The Modern Jazz Quartet (1957)
* The Modern Jazz Quartet and the Oscar Peterson Trio at the Opera House (1957)
* The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn Volume 2 (with Sonny Rollins, 1958)
* Pyramid (1959–60)
* Music from Odds Against Tomorrow/Patterns (1959)
* European Concert (1960)
* Dedicated to Connie (1960 [1995])
* The Comedy (1960–62)
* The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra (1960)
* Lonely Woman (1962)
* The Sheriff (1963)
* Collaboration (and Laurindo Almeida, 1964)
* The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (1964–65)
* Jazz Dialogue (1965)
* Blues at Carnegie Hall (1966)
* Place Vendôme (and The Swingle Singers, 1966)
* Live at the Lighthouse (1967)
* Under the Jasmin Tree (1967)
* Space (1969)
* Plastic Dreams (1971)
* The Legendary Profile (1972)
* In Memoriam (1973)
* Blues on Bach (1973)
* The Complete Last Concert (1974 [1988])
* Reunion at Budokan 1981 (1981)
* Together Again: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival '82 (1982)
* Echoes (1984)
* Topsy: This One's for Basie (1985)
* Three Windows (1987)
* For Ellington (1988)
* MJQ & Friends: A 40th Anniversary Celebration (1992–1993)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template