In Memoriam (Modern Jazz Quartet album)
{{Infobox album
| name = In Memoriam
| type = Album
| artist = Modern Jazz Quartet
| cover = In Memoriam (Modern Jazz Quartet album).jpg
| alt =
| released = 1974
| recorded = November 5–6, 1973
| venue =
| studio = CBS Studios, New York City
| genre = Jazz
| length = 33:51
| label = Little David LD 3001
| producer = John Lewis and Teo Macero
| chronology = Modern Jazz Quartet
| prev_title = The Legendary Profile
| prev_year = 1972
| next_title = Blues on Bach
| next_year = 1974
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Milt Jackson
| type = Album
| prev_title = Sunflower
| prev_year = 1974
| title = In Memoriam
| year = 1974
| next_title = Blues on Bach
| next_year = 1974
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Allmusic
| rev2 = The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide
| rev2Score = {{rating|3|5}}{{Cite book
|editor-last=Swenson
|editor-first=J.
| author-link =
| year = 1985
| title = The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide
|url=https://archive.org/details/rollingstonejazz00swen
|url-access=registration
| publisher = Random House/Rolling Stone
| location = USA
| isbn = 0-394-72643-X
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/rollingstonejazz00swen/page/143 143]
}}
}}
In Memoriam is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded in 1973 and released on the Little David label.[http://www.jazzdisco.org/the-modern-jazz-quartet/catalog/#little-david-ld-3001 Modern Jazz Quartet discography] accessed June 1, 2012
Background
On the Album In Memoriam, recorded a year before the start of their hiatus, the Modern Jazz Quartet was accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Maurice Peress. Pianist John Lewis wrote the title composition in tribute to Walter Keller, his piano teacher at the University of New Mexico. He composed "Jazz Ostinato" around 1960 during the third stream era; it is based on three ostinato figures, the third of which he said was originally conceived as backing "for an Ornette Coleman – Eric Dolphy approach". Furthermore, the piece contains homages to Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky, prompting Lewis to comment that it "also plays a part in the memorium". The group had previously recorded the adagio from "Concierto de Aranjuez" with the guitarist Laurindo Almeida on their 1964 album Collaboration.{{cite book|last=Giddins|first=Gary|title=Visions of Jazz: The First Century|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|year=1998|chapter=Modern Jazz Quartet (The First Forty Years)|pages=[https://archive.org/details/visionsofjazzfir0000gidd/page/393 393, 398]|isbn=978-0-19-513241-0|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/visionsofjazzfir0000gidd/page/393}}{{cite news|url=https://alibi.com/blog/w4522/Albuquerque-Celebrates-its-Own-Jazz-Icon.html|title=Albuquerque Celebrates its Own Jazz Icon|work=Weekly Alibi|date=July 7, 2016|accessdate=October 19, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/collaboration-mw0000311781|title=Collaboration – The Modern Jazz Quartet|work=AllMusic|accessdate=October 19, 2019}}
Reception
The Allmusic review stated "despite some stimulating moments, the music is often quite dry. It's one of the classic group's lesser releases".Nastos, M. G. [https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-memoriam-mw0001881172 Allmusic Review] accessed June 1, 2012
Track listing
All compositions by John Lewis except as indicated
- "In Memoriam – First Movement" – 8:40
- "In Memoriam – Second Movement" 9:03
- "Jazz Ostinato" – 6:19
- "Adagio from the Guitar Concerto: Concerto de Aranjuez" (Joaquín Rodrigo) – 9:49
Personnel
Musicians
- Milt Jackson – vibraphone
- John Lewis – piano
- Percy Heath – bass
- Connie Kay – drums
- Unnamed symphony orchestra conducted by Maurice Peress
Production
- John Lewis – producer
- Teo Macero – producer
- Stanley Tonkel – recording engineer
- Gene Paul – re-mix engineer
- John Lewis – re-mix engineer
- Edd Kolakowski – Steinway piano technician
References
{{reflist}}
{{Modern Jazz Quartet}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Modern Jazz Quartet albums
Category:Albums produced by Teo Macero