The Modern Jazz Quartet – Complete Atlantic Studio Recordings of the Modern Jazz Quartet 1956-1964

It might be said, though not everyone will agree, that the creative tension between John Lewis’s more baroque sensibilities, and the swingin’ blues-mindedness of Milt Jackson, is what led the MJQ to become a poster child for what’s come to be called “third stream” music.

If you’re interested in a “is it classical, is it jazz?” kind of debate, this series will be good listening for you and your fellow toastmasters. And if you care to address the question of whether jazz is “serious” music or not, you’ll find much to provoke you here as well.

And if you simply want to listen to some of the most imaginative music to be made in the name of jazz in the last 50+ years, then you’ll definitely want to listen to this incredible collection from Mosaic.

And for the record, in honor of John Lewis, this post was brought to you by the letter “L.”