John Lewis
The musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet for its entire history, John Lewis found the perfect outlet for his interest in bop, blues, and Bach. Possessor of a "cool" piano style that (like Count Basie's) makes every note count, Lewis with the MJQ has long helped make jazz look respectable to the classical music community without watering down his performances.
After serving in the military, Lewis was in the Dizzy Gillespie big band (1946-1948). He recorded with Charlie Parker during 1947-1948 (including "Parker's Mood"), and played with Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool Nonet, arranging "Move" and "Rouge." He worked with Illinois Jacquet (1948-1949) and Lester Young (1950-1951), and appeared on many recordings during the era. In 1951, Lewis recorded with the Milt Jackson Quartet which by 1952 became the Modern Jazz Quartet. Lewis' musical vision was fulfilled with the MJQ and he composed many pieces, with "Django" being the best-known. In addition to constantly touring with the MJQ during 1952-1974, Lewis wrote the film scores to Odds Against Tomorrow, No Sun in Venice, and A Milanese Story, recorded as a leader (including the 1956 cool classic "Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West," collaborations with Gunther Schuller, and records with Svend Asmussen and Albert Mangelsdorff), and worked with Orchestra U.S.A. in the mid-'60s. When the MJQ broke up in 1974, Lewis worked as an educator and occasionally recorded as a leader. With the MJQ's rebirth in 1981, he has resumed his former role as its guiding spirit until his death in 2001. Most of Lewis' own projects were recorded for Atlantic.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Grand Encounter: 2° East / 3° West
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Jan 1, 1956
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Wonderful World Of Jazz
Jazz - Released by Rhino Atlantic on Jan 1, 1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The John Lewis Piano
Jazz - Released by Rhino Atlantic on May 1, 1958
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Abstractions - John Lewis Presents Contemporary Music: Compositions by Gunther Schuller and Jim Hall
Jazz - Released by Rhino Atlantic on Jan 1, 1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Improvised Meditations & Excursions
Jazz - Released by Rhino Atlantic on Jan 1, 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Afternoon In Paris
Jazz - Released by Dreyfus Jazz on Jan 1, 1957
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Milanese Story
Jazz - Released by Rhino Atlantic on Jan 17, 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Four Classic Albums Plus (Digitally Remastered)
John Lewis, Modern Jazz Quartet
Jazz - Released by Avid Entertainment on Apr 13, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Music of Jimmie Lunceford
John Lewis, American Jazz Orchestra
Jazz - Released by MusicMasters on Jan 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Little Girl Blue
Jazz - Released by Chameleon Archive on Oct 15, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Is Bach!
Johnny Bach & The Moonshine Boozers, John Lewis
Rockabilly - Released by El Toro Records on Jul 12, 2018
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Essential Jazz Masters
Bebop - Released by Master Classics Records on Oct 1, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Slukefter Blues - Copenhagen '84
Jazz - Released by Gazell Records on Jan 1, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Easy Living
Jazz - Released by Marylebone Records on Dec 6, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas Instrumentals
Christmas Music - Released by Tomorrow Music on Nov 30, 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo