The story behind puzzle No. 64
The Modern Jazz Quartet · Django · Prestige · 1954
John Lewis wrote it for Django Reinhardt, the Belgian-born guitarist who died in 1953. It became the signature piece of the Modern Jazz Quartet.
The Modern Jazz Quartet recorded Django for Prestige on December 23, 1954. It came out first on a 10-inch record, The Modern Jazz Quartet, Vol. 2, in 1955, and then as the title track of the 1956 album Django.
The next day, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Kenny Clarke were back in the studio with Miles Davis for Bags' Groove.
Pianist John Lewis wrote Django as a tribute to Django Reinhardt, who had died the year before.
Miles Davis called it one of the best compositions ever. It appears on NPR's list of the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.
The piece opens like a slow, solemn procession, then the quartet breaks into swing for the solos before returning to the mournful theme.
It became so identified with the group that Percy Heath joked that if they didn't play Django in a concert, they risked getting stoned.
Who's on it
Keep listening
Revisit Bags' Groove (puzzle No. 52), recorded the very next day with three of the same players.
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