This album is certain to be placed in the MJQ section of any shop that carries it. In reality though, only four of the cuts here feature the permanent, stand-alone, 1952-vintage Modern Jazz Quartet; the other eight having been done in the summer and fall of 1951, when they were still known as
the Milt Jackson Quartet, with
Jackson providing all of the original material. The differences are so subtle as to be indistinguishable --
Milt Jackson and
John Lewis are on every cut, while Al Johns subs for
Kenny Clarke on drums, and
Ray Brown precedes
Percy Heath on four of the tracks.
Clarke's drumming is more impressive in its quiet way, but
Ray Brown's bass work is simpler and more forceful. The sound is fair, with some hints of distortion that's been repaired, on this otherwise nicely done reissue. [The 2003 reissue on Savoy Jazz changed the title of the original album to Beginnings and added two bonus tracks: a 1949 version of "Bluesology" by
Milt Jackson, and a large group featuring
Billy Mitchell on sax and
Roy Haynes on drums, and a 1954 version of "Blues Mood" by
Kenny Clarke with
Milt Jackson and
Percy Heath.] ~ Bruce Eder