Name: Django [Reissue]
Brand: Original Jazz Classics
SKU: 123249
Price: 19.25 USD
Availability: InStock

Django [Reissue]

Rating

Album: Django [Reissue]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Django Album Version	More Info...	7:02
2)	One Bass Hit Album Version	More Info...	3:02
3)	La Ronde Suite Album Version	More Info...	9:31
4)	The Queen's Fancy Album Version	More Info...	3:15
5)	Delaunay's Dilemma Album Version	More Info...	4:00
6)	Autumn In New York Album Version	More Info...	3:42
7)	But Not For Me Album Version	More Info...	3:46
8)	Milano Album Version	More Info...	4:27

Performer Notes

Modern Jazz Quartet: Milt Jackson (vibraphone); John Lewis (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on June 25, 1953, December 23, 1954 and January 9, 1955. Originally released on Prestige (7057). Includes liner notes by Ira Gitler.
Modern Jazz Quartet: Milt Jackson (vibraphone); John Lewis (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on June 25, 1953, December 23, 1954 and January 9, 1955. Originally released on Prestige (7057). Includes liner notes by Ira Gitler.
Digitally remastered by JVC using XRCD (Extended Resolution Compact Disc) technology.
The Modern Jazz Quartet: John Lewis (piano); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Percy Heath (upright bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).
Refined, supremely accomplished, and possessed of a unique sound (courtesy of Milt Jackson's shimmering vibes), the Modern Jazz Quartet set a new standard for the jazz group as chamber ensemble. DJANGO puts these qualities on display, with variety and technical prowess to spare. The title track, a tribute to Gypsy guitar-king Django Reinhardt, written by pianist John Lewis, sets the stage with its bop excursions and change-ups from cool swing to minor-key moodiness (which also appropriately mirrors Reinhardt's music and life). The group's take on "Two Bass Hit" lets bassist Percy Heath take center stage, with support and accents from the others.
"La Ronde Suite" is a near-10-minute four-part suit of shifting colors, highlighting each member on their respective instruments (drummer Kenny Clarke takes a rare solo spot here). Two more Lewis tunes, "The Queen's Fancy" (a jazzy march) and the ballad "Milano," bracket two notable readings of standards--"Autumn in New York" (Jackson's vibes create a wistful effect) and "But Not For Me." For an early demonstration of the MJQ's classic sound (it was recorded in 1953), DJANGO remains one of the key albums in their discography. (The Extended Resolution reissue provides superior audiophile quality.)

Professional Reviews

Down Beat (p.69) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Percy Heath had one of the best left hands in the business, and on the title track of DJANGO his notes ring for an extraordinarily long time..."