MODERN JAZZ QUARTET.

Description

Town Hall, Birmingham April 1964 concert flyer 

Original first printing concert flyer advertising American jazz combo The Modern Jazz Quartet at the Town Hall in Birmingham [England] on Friday, 24th April, 1964, presented by Harold Davison, and with Brazilian guitar virtuoso Laurindo Almeida as special guest artist.

Collaboration is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet with Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida featuring performances recorded at Webster Hall in 1964 and released on the Atlantic label.^[3]

July 21, 1964
RCA Webster Hall, New York City  Produced by Nesuhi Ertegun.  

The MJQ (vibraphonist Milt Jackson, pianist John Lewis, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Connie Kay) were joined for this 1964 session by the great acoustic guitarist Laurindo Almeida, and the music is very memorable. Their version of “One Note Samba” (which starts out with Almeida playing unaccompanied) is a classic, the guitarist fits into the four John Lewis compositions quite comfortably, and “Concierto de Aranjuez” is given a lengthy and inventive treatment. [A reissue by Gambit added Plays George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, featuring music from three concert performances at Webster Hall in late 1964 that were recorded for radio broadcast.]

Almeida’s technically astounding and yet understated style is especially appropriate for the MJQ, which investigates a broad range of music without ostentation or even excessive volume. Instead, these master musicians go about their business by delving into the richness of the jazz/classical, and in this case Latin, influences they have studied and enjoyed.

The idea for combining the MJQ with Almeida started at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival, when they were booked to perform jointly. At the time, both the individual and the group were highly popular due to Almeida’s involvement with the bossa nova craze as well as the acceptance of the MJQ in concert halls throughout the world. Audiences were puzzled about how to react to these well-dressed musicians who bestowed class and respect upon the jazz music they played. And yet, the audiences were appreciative and plentiful.

In October 1956 the Quartet took their first trip to Europe, performing on a month-long Birdland All-Star tour with Bud Powell, Miles Davis and Lester Young during October and November, as well as a two-week residency at the Club Saint-Germain in Paris. Also in 1956, they had moved to Atlantic Records, which was switching from singles to LPs and began focusing on jazz under the guidance of producer Nesuhi Ertegun. Twelve months after the Birdland All-Star tour, the MJQ were back in Europe, now touring in their own name, performing 88 concerts in four months in Germany, France, and the British Isles, receiving rave reviews. In 1957, they also recorded a self-titled studio album, and the live album The Modern Jazz Quartet and the Oscar Peterson Trio at the Opera House, produced by Nesuhi Ertegun and Norman Granz, respectively.

The flyer measures 22.8 x 17.8 cm and is beautifully printed in red and black inks on thin, matte-coated paper stock. Complete with the original postal booking form still intact. In excellent unfolded and unmarked condition. Feel free to email us with any questions you may have concerning this item. Additional images of the flyer available on request.