All Artists:Modern Jazz Quartet Title:Pyramid (Mlps) Members Wishing: 0 Total Copies: 0 Label:Wea Japan Original Release Date: 1/1/2006 Re-Release Date: 1/1/2007 Album Type: Import, Limited Edition Genres:Jazz, Pop Styles:Cool Jazz, Bebop Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1
Synopsis
Album Description
Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. Atlantic. 2007.
"This is another very fine record by the incomparable group MJQ. As usual they play with great swing and wonderful taste. However, I think there are even finer MJQ records, notably Odds against to-morrow, Modern Jazz Quartet (Atlantic), Fontessa (Atlantic) or European Concert (Atlantic)."
Mellow beauty, perfect for a certain mood or time of life...
William E. Adams | Midland, Texas USA | 12/18/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this on LP when I was in high school, trying to be hip like Hugh Hefner, or at least my best friend, Bob Ewaskiewicz. It kept me company during many lonely and dateless hours between 11th grade and the end of my first year of college. It is not the absolute best MJQ release, but it is very typical of their studio work when just the four of them performed without a guest with a horn like Paul Desmond or Sonny Rollins. Gently swinging, but overall a quiet, studious mood prevails. I wasn't old enough or smart enough back in the early 60's to appreciate the artistry revealed on this disc, yet I liked it a lot. I can still recall how sad I felt giving that record away when I packed up all I owned, to be stored during a two-year stint in the Army. "It Don't Mean a Thing..." and "How High the Moon" are the highlights for the casual listener, but the John Lewis originals like "Django" are where the genius is found. As an introduction to MJQ, I think the Rollins or Desmond collaborations are better, or the "Odds Against Tomorrow" film score. But "Pyramid" is a good second exposure, and will always have a place in my heart for the peace it provided a late-blooming and troubled teen."
A Milestone Album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris | ny | 06/05/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Such artists were known a lot for their ALBUMS, like Dave Brubeck, AHmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis Trio, MIles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Modern Jazz Quartet. The artists mentioned above all have trademark album covers and material on them. For the mjq, this was a common thing. Albums like Django, Concorde, and Fontessa are all trademark albums, and constantly appear in jazz lists and discographies. This album was one of them. All though this album has a lot of "re do's" like Django, and Dont Mean A Swing, we were all introduced to Vendome. And all though, you might of heard of Pyramid before the date of the session of this album, it was not done in an established and well-formed arrangement like this. This album is great. Each man delivered something. John Lewis gave his light, but blues influenced block chord playing, Milt Jackson soulfully strutted his things, Percy Heath delivered rich and fufilling bass lines, and Connie Kay added his light and dynamic drumming to fit the MJQ. This is one of the top five best mjq recordings ever."
Connie's Settlin' IN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Christopher Covais | NEW YORK | 02/27/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The music on this album is absolutely great. It starts off with a fast short swingin tune, typical of MJQ albums. Pyramid swings in 3/4 time, and so do others. It does get boring at the end.(the last two songs) I also feel that this is the first session date that drummer Connie Kay felt more comfurtable in the studio, as he opens up more and plays the skins a little bit more harder, but still keeping the restraint."
The Modern Jazz Quartet at its Mature Age
Mau Tom | Birmingham, AL United States | 12/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have Pyramid in vinyl and for me is among the masterpieces. The importance of this 1958 record is that it contains one of the most striking music composition of all music production after the WW II, namely Django. The Modern Jazz Quartet was at the very best mature period under John Lewis's leadership. Django was already performed hundred times since 1955.
At difference with the other contemporary jazz performance, the music of MJQ is a magic mixture of well defined complex music structure, derived from the classic (Bach JS) background of John Lewis, with fluent melodic swingy melodic improvisation of Milton Jackson. These contrasting personalities are crossing each other all over the record, but again in Django they had the best encounter. The passage from the exciting crescendo of Milton Jackson to the moderate solo of John Lewis is just an outstanding masterpiece. It is like the picture of how, sometime, in the life, you have to slow down and restrain your feeling, you are going to experience the sadness of the final event.
Noteworthy there are also Vendome and Pyramid, the first for its valuable delicious counterpoint, the second for the intense dialog between piano and vibe.
However the MJQ music has a limitation, it is such an unique kind that could not become a genre or a trend either, nobody can imitate them, unfortunately even among jazz funs, MJQ represents a niche without descendants. Still the formal rigour of the MJQ has been served as reference point for widening the world of jazz music in such a manner to allow its acceptance everywhere, including classic conservatories."