Search - Modern Jazz Quartet :: Fontessa: Ljublijana, May 1960

A wonderfully satisfying listening experience.

John Austin | Kangaroo Ground, Australia | 03/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As someone who usually listens to and reviews recordings of German lieder and classical singers and instrumentalists of the past, I might seem an odd candidate for reviewing this CD. Nevertheless, I offer my assessment.The Modern Jazz Quartet provide one of the most satisfying listening experiences ever produced by four musicians. Their music can be listened to casually, it can be played a background music to live conversation, and it can be studied and analysed endlessly. The sound texture produced by vibraphone, piano, bass, and drums is as easy on the ear and soothing to the brain as any devised by man. Their repertoire is largely composed by the musicians themselves. The Italian "Giants of Jazz" label provides 62 minutes of music on this CD, recorded at a concert in Ljubljana, May 27 1960. Sedate but very extensive applause precedes and follows each item, appropriate to these discrete, dinner-suited musicians from the USA. No one should approach the check out point without this CD in his trolley."