From Goodman to Shorter, some of the best jazz has carried the sign of four
Modern Jazz Quartet
From 1952 to 1974, the MJQ—pianist John Lewis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Connie Kay—embodied elegance and intelligence in jazz. Pyramid (Atlantic), from 1959, is just one of many high points for this band, containing two Lewis-penned evergreens, “Django” and “Vendome,” as well as inspired versions of “How High the Moon” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing.”
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