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This 71-minute coupling of two early 1960s recordings by Modern Jazz Quartet pianist John Lewis is without doubt a musical feast. But, as with a gourmet banquet, one is advised to savor each course before moving on to the next serving, for there are some deliciously rich dishes on the menu. The opening program,
Golden Striker, consists of 10 Lewis compositions, most inspired by the commedia dell'arte, a traditional form of improvised Italian comedy. Stately and cinematic in nature (indeed, the title track and "Odds Against Tomorrow" were both composed for films), these performances demonstrate Lewis's comfort outside the intimate chamber-jazz setting where the MJQ flourished and in an expansive orchestral milieu. The second half of the disc is more fascinating still. Largely created for a 1960 Jazz Profiles performance in New York, it consists of three compositions by Third Stream spearhead Gunther Schuller--"Abstractions," "Variants on a Theme of John Lewis (Django)," and "Variants on a Theme by Thelonious Monk (Criss-Cross)"--plus Jim Hall's "Piece for Guitar and Strings." With Hall, Ornette Coleman, and Eric Dolphy among the featured players, these pieces set then-nascent free-jazz intensity in a more formal setting. Dig in!
--Steven Stolder
