Modern Jazz Quartet

I picked these two Modern Jazz Quartet records up at a local antique shop that has about 2000 records in a back room. I actually discovered MJQ my freshman year of college when my dad started giving some of his records. I took “The Last Concert” from his collection, which is a live recording of the last show in 1974 before Milt Jackson left the band. Since taking that record, I usually buy whatever MJQ record I find if the price is right (these were 3 bucks each).
What I like about MJQ and any other jazz band with a vibraphonist, is how much more relaxed a quartet sounds with a vibraphonist instead of a sax or any other horn. A quartet sounds much more brash with a horn blazing through scales compared to the smooth, chilled out sounds of a vibraphone.
These records are both pretty decent. I don’t think either one of them compares to the album on Prestige, but they are good in their own right. I’ve posted the song “Dancing” off of plastic dreams for you to check out. Make sure listen through to the end because there’s a nice little breakdown.
MJQ - Dancing