ELEGANCE:
The Birth of the Modern Jazz Quartet

These seminal recordings by the Modern Jazz Quartet (originally billed in 1951 as the Milt Jackson Quartet) ably showcase the group's original mission of "tradition plus progress." By melding a refined, cool aesthetic to their inherent bluesy and swinging quality, the MJQ forged a new path in jazz that influenced a generation of musicians while also garnering widespread popular appeal. The last two tracks include an earlier septet rendition of Jackson's Bluesology and the lustrous Blues Mood, from an impromptu Kenny Clarke All Stars sextet session (with fellow MJQ members Jackson and Heath joined by Gerald Wiggins, Frank Morgan and Walter Benton), captured during a 1954 MJQ tour. Elegant music by the great vibraphonist Jackson and the early Modern Jazz Quartet.