Modern Jazz Quartet: Modern Jazz Quartet (TDK DVD)

The Modern Jazz Quartet
40th Anniversary Tour

John Lewis , piano
Milt Jackson , vibraphone
Percy Heath , bass
Mickey Roker , drums
Kammerorchester Arcata Stuttgart
Patrick Strub
Picture Format: 4:3, 1 DVD
Sound Format: LPCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Running Time: 59 mins
Region Code: NTSC All
Booklet Languages: GB, F, D
Subtitle Languages:None
Recording Date: Jazz-Gipfel, Stuttgart, 1992

Cat. No: DVWW-JMJQ40 (re-release)

After their live recording in Freiburg at the legendary Zelt-Musikfestival in 1987 (available on TDK DVWW-JMJQ35), this DVD shows quite a different side of the Modern Jazz Quartet, here celebrating their 40 th anniversary.
Missing on this occasion was long-serving drummer Connie Kay, who by 1992 was already seriously ill and had to be replaced by Mickey Roker on the tour. Sadly in the last few years all four group members have died, the last being Percy Heath in 2005.
The Stuttgart concert begins with Three Windows, a title from the score to the film No Sun in Venice. After an introduction by the jazz musicians the orchestra sets in, finely tuned into the swing of the piece. The following Sketch was originally written for the MJQ and a string quartet and for the third piece, Alexander¡¦s Fugue, the string orchestra is joined by the wind players. The slow movement of the classical Rodrigo¡¦s Concierto de Aranjuez ¡V which had also been adapted for jazz by Miles Davis - allows the orchestra a full symphonic part .