Five-Star Collection... The Modern Jazz Society

The Modern Jazz Society

Presents

A Concert Of Contemporary Music

Of the five compositions that were recorded for this album, three were specifically commissioned by Mr. Norman Granz for this date. The remaining two, Django and The Queen's Fancy, were older compositions of mine that were specially orchestrated by Mr. Gunther Schuller for this session.

I am greatly indebted to all the music and musicians I have known for my inspiration for these compositions. The compositions center on and depend on the jazz soloist and they incorporate jazz and classical techniques. Midsömmer is an adagio in a general first Rondo form, the chord structure of the second theme being used for the improvisations. The title and inspiration is from the Swedish summer holiday and festival. Little David's Fugue is a fugue. The expositions are written while the episodes are improvised on a predetermined chord structure the accompanying instruments participate in the development of intervallic and rhythmic elements of the subject. The Queen's Fancy — This piece was written during the weeks of the coronation of H. M. Queen Elizabeth II of England and was inspired by pieces written for Queen Elizabeth the first of England. This piece is an arrangement and orchestration by Gunther Schuller. Django also is an arrangement and orchestration by Mr. Schuller. The piece is a memoriam for and is dedicated to the late great French guitarist Django Reinhardt. Sun Dance was inspired by dancers. Namely the Hopis of New Mexico and the great Watuse dancers in a film entitled "King Solomon’s Mines". *John Lewis (liner notes)*

This is a collection of five John Lewis compositions, three of which were commissioned by Norman Granz for this recording. On one and three, the musicians are Stan Getz, Tony Scott, J. J. Johnson, flutist James Politis, bassoonist Manuel Zegler, French horn Gunther Schuller, harpist Janet Putnam, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Connie Kay. On the others, Lucky Thompson and Aaron Sachs replace Getz and Scott while the rest of the personnel remains the same. Midsommer, an "adagio in a general first rondo form" is impressionistic. Though it's a flowingly lyrical work in general, the opening composed section is too long for the content involved and rather diffuse. The soloists are superb, particularly in the cross-conversations. Little David's Fugue is based on a sprightly set of figures, and it swings. The solos are good, but Sachs is not up to Scott.

Gunther Schuller's arrangement for The Queen's Fancy works out well, giving this unique mixture of jazz and quasi-Elizabethan textures growing space and effective added coloration. Schuller's scoring of Django is less successful. The original had a spare strength while this version is somewhat sugary and the harp in the background tends to be distracting and somewhat out of context. Sun Dance is another indication, as are all of these works, of Lewis' compositional imagination and craftsmanship. The blowing in these last three is again very good, especially Getz, J. J., Scott, and Lucky. Norman Granz deserves credit for commissioning the set.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, February 22, 1956 [5 stars])*

Side 1

01 - Midsömmer

02 - Little David's Fugue

Side 2

03 - The Queen's Fancy

04 - Django

05 - Sun Dance

(All compositions by John Lewis)

John Lewis (supervisor, arranger);

Stan Getz [#1, #3], Lucky Thompson[#2, #4, #5] (tenor saxes); J.J. Johnson (trombone);

Tony Scott [as Anthony Sciacca, #1, #3], Aaron Sachs [#2, #4, #5] (clarinets);

Gunter Schuller (french horn, arranger, conductor) ; James Politis (flute); Manuel Zegler (bassoon);

Janet Putnam (harp); Billy Bauer (guitar);Percy Heath (bass); Connie Kay (drums).

Recorded at Fine Sound, New York City, March 14, 1955

✳✳✳

For those who prefer the digital version, the CD reissue features three bonus tracks taken from the original rehearsals previously unissued until 1999. This reissue received the special token of merit award in Richard Cook and Brian Morton's The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, 6th Ed. Here’s their evaluation:

The Modern Jazz Society

Presents

A Concert Of Contemporary Music

One of the great forgotten masterpieces of the 1950s, this brilliant date is still available only as a limited-edition reissue in Verve’s Connoisseur Edition. 

Collectors are advised to snap up any copies they see, although it's disgraceful that this classic should not be more easily available. The Modern Jazz Society was an initiative by Lewis and Schuller to present new works and new arrangements, broadly in the 'Third Stream' vein which Schuller encouraged. Lewis was only the supervisor of the original LP, but new discoveries — a rehearsal of a previously unheard J.J Johnson piece "Turnpike" and a run-through of "Queen's Fancy" — find him at the piano.

The five principal pieces are all Lewis compositions, and they are among the finest treatments of Little David's Fugue, Django and Queen's Fancy ever set down. 

Django, with its final coda taken at the stately pace of a cortege, is so bewitching that it can silence a room. "Midsömmer", which has not been performed or recorded in the intervening 45 years, is a gorgeously evocative piece. The arrangements and ensembles are intoxicatingly beautiful, but there are also the most handsome solos by Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson and Lucky Thompson — the latter especially reminding us how poorly he was served by most of his recording opportunities.

*The Penguin Guide to Jazz, 6th Ed. ("Crown" of recommended jazz recordings)*

1 - Little David's Fugue

(John Lewis)

2 - Django

(John Lewis)

3 - The Queen's Fancy

(John Lewis)

4 - Midsömmer

(John Lewis)

5 - Sun Dance

(John Lewis)

6 - Turnpike (rehearsal take)

• false start

• breakdown take

• complete rehearsal take

(J. J. Johnson)

7 - Midsömmer (rehearsal take)

(John Lewis)

8 - The Queen's Fancy (rehearsal take)

(John Lewis)

John Lewis (supervisor, arranger);

Stan Getz [#3, #4, #7], Lucky Thompson[#1, #2, #5] (tenor saxes); J.J. Johnson (trombone);

Tony Scott [as Anthony Sciacca, #3, #4, #7], Aaron Sachs [#1, #2, #5] (clarinets);

Gunter Schuller (french horn, arranger, conductor) ; James Politis (flute); Manuel Zegler (bassoon);

Janet Putnam (harp); Billy Bauer (guitar); Percy Heath (bass); Connie Kay (drums). 

On #6, #8 add John Lewis (piano).

On #8 omit J.J. Johnson (trombone) and James Politis (flute).

Recorded at Fine Sound, New York City, March 14, 1955