The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) was a jazz combo established in 1952 that played music influenced by classical,cool jazz,blues and bebop. The Quartet consisted of John Lewis (piano),Milt Jackson (vibraphone),Percy Heath,and various drummers,most notably Kenny Clarke and Connie Kay. The group grew out of the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespie's big band from 1946 to 1948,which consisted of Lewis,Jackson,and Clarke along with bassist Ray Brown. They recorded as the Milt Jackson Quartet in 1951 and Brown left the group,being replaced on bass by Heath. During the early-to-mid-1950s they became the Modern Jazz Quartet,Lewis became the group's musical director,and they made several recordings with Prestige Records,including the original versions of their two best-known compositions,Lewis's "Django" and Jackson's "Bags' Groove". Clarke left the group in 1955 and was replaced as drummer by Kay,and in 1956 they moved to Atlantic Records and made their first tour to Europe.
Django is an album by the Modern Jazz Quartet,first released on 12-inch LP in 1956.
Know What I Mean? is a 1962 jazz album by alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley,accompanied by Bill Evans and the rhythm section of the Modern Jazz Quartet. It was released on the Riverside label as RLP-433.
Bags &Trane is an album credited to jazz musicians Milt Jackson and John Coltrane,released in 1961 on Atlantic Records,catalogue SD 1368. Taking its title from Jackson and Coltrane's nicknames,it is the only collaborative record by the two,although only Jackson contributed original compositions. In actuality,the album belongs in Jackson's discography,as he was the session leader and still signed to Atlantic under the auspices of the Modern Jazz Quartet,and not in that of Coltrane,who had left the label for Impulse Records at the time of this album's first issue. However,like Prestige Records,as Coltrane's profile grew after he had stopped recording for the label,Atlantic released them with Coltrane's name more prominently displayed.
Fontessa is a 1956 album by the Modern Jazz Quartet released on Atlantic Records. It was the first of their albums released on Atlantic. The album was released in the USA in mono on the black Atlantic label with catalogue number 1231. It was released in the USA in stereo on the green Atlantic label with catalogue number SD 1231. The prefix SD stands for Stereo Disc. The current internationally available CD release is the mono version. A Japanese CD exists of the stereo version. Additionally both mono and stereo versions were released in many other territories,for example the UK with London LTZ-K 15022 for the mono and London SAH-K 6031 for the stereo. The 11-minute title tune by the group's pianist and musical director John Lewis was inspired by Commedia dell'arte,and the four characters depicted in it are pictured on the cover. Lewis wrote of it in the liner notes:
Fontessa is a little suite inspired by the Renaissance Commedia dell’Arte. I had particularly in mind their plays which consisted of a very sketchy plot and in which the details,the lines,etc. were improvised. This suite consists first of a short Prelude to raise the curtain and provide the theme. The first piece after the Prelude has the character of older jazz and improvised parts are by the vibraphone. This piece could perhaps be the character of Harlequin. The second piece has the character of less older jazz and the improvised parts are played by the piano. The character here could perhaps be Pierrot. The third piece is of a still later jazz character and develops the main motif. The improvised parts are by the drums. This character could perhaps be Pantaloon. The opening Prelude closes the suite. Fontessa is the three-note main motif of the suite and is perhaps a substitute for the character of Colombine.
Concorde is an album by the Modern Jazz Quartet,recorded in New York on July 2,1955,and first released that year as an LP,Prestige 7005,with liner notes by Ira Gitler. The album was reissued in 2008 as part of the Rudy Van Gelder Remasters collection.
Musician,composer,Raconteur is a live album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1981 and released on the Pablo label.
Lonely Woman is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1962 and released on the Atlantic label.
European Concert is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in Sweden in April 1960 and originally released on two consecutive volumes on the Atlantic label.
Pyramid is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded from 1959 to 1960 and released on the Atlantic label.
The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn Volume 2 is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded at the Music Inn in Lenox,Massachusetts,in 1958,with guest artist Sonny Rollins appearing on two numbers,and released on the Atlantic label.
The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded at the Music Inn in Lenox,Massachusetts in 1956,with guest artist Jimmy Giuffre appearing on three numbers,and released on the Atlantic label.
The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess is an album by the American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet performing the score to George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess recorded in 1964-65 and released on the Atlantic label.
Jazz Dialogue is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet with a big band featuring performances recorded in 1965 and released on the Atlantic label.
Blues at Carnegie Hall is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1966 at a benefit concert presented by The Manhattan School of Music and released on the Atlantic label.
Blues on Bach is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded in 1973 and released on the Atlantic label. The album includes five arrangements by John Lewis of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach,interspersed with four original blues pieces "on" [the name] "Bach"—in keys that spell out in order the name B-A-C-H.
Together Again:Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival '82 is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982 and released on the Pablo label.
Echoes is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1984 and released on the Pablo label.
Topsy:This One's for Basie is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1985 and released on the Pablo label.
Dedicated to Connie is a live album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in Slovenia in May 1960 and released in 1995 on the Atlantic label following drummer Connie Kay's death. The album was also released by Jazz Life in 1990 as Modern Jazz Quartet In Concert.
[2] 
[3] 