* En anglais uniquement
The musical director of
the Modern Jazz Quartet for its entire history,
John Lewis found the perfect outlet for his interest in bop, blues, and
Bach. Possessor of a "cool" piano style that (like
Count Basie's) makes every note count,
Lewis with
the MJQ has long helped make jazz look respectable to the classical music community without watering down his performances.
After serving in the military,
Lewis was in the
Dizzy Gillespie big band (1946-1948). He recorded with
Charlie Parker during 1947-1948 (including "Parker's Mood"), and played with
Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool Nonet, arranging "Move" and "Rouge." He worked with
Illinois Jacquet (1948-1949) and
Lester Young (1950-1951), and appeared on many recordings during the era. In 1951,
Lewis recorded with
the Milt Jackson Quartet which by 1952 became
the Modern Jazz Quartet.
Lewis' musical vision was fulfilled with
the MJQ and he composed many pieces, with "Django" being the best-known. In addition to constantly touring with
the MJQ during 1952-1974,
Lewis wrote the film scores to Odds Against Tomorrow, No Sun in Venice, and A Milanese Story, recorded as a leader (including the 1956 cool classic "Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West," collaborations with
Gunther Schuller, and records with
Svend Asmussen and
Albert Mangelsdorff), and worked with
Orchestra U.S.A. in the mid-'60s. When
the MJQ broke up in 1974,
Lewis worked as an educator and occasionally recorded as a leader. With
the MJQ's rebirth in 1981, he has resumed his former role as its guiding spirit until his death in 2001. Most of
Lewis' own projects were recorded for Atlantic. ~ Scott Yanow