Broadcast: October 17, 2004
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VOICE ONE:
I'm Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Shirley Griffith with the VOA Special English program PEOPLE IN
AMERICA. Today, we tell about pianist John Lewis. He created one of one of
the most famous jazz groups in America, the Modern Jazz Quartet.
VOICE ONE:
John Lewis was known for his creativity. He was a skilled piano player and
musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet for almost fifty years. He wrote
and arranged all the music for the small group. Mister Lewis was responsible
for the group's sound and its identity.
John Lewis was interested in jazz, blues and bebob, a music with a great deal
of energy. Yet he was also greatly influenced by his training in European
classical music. Classical music is expressive and intense, but is also
structured. He thought jazz should be presented the same way.
John Lewis combined classical music with traditional jazz to create songs for
himself and the three other members of his quartet. He believed music should
be simple and clear, yet played in a meaningful way. Here is one of the
Modern Jazz Quartet's big hits, "Django."
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VOICE TWO:
John Lewis was greatly influenced by the piano style of the famous jazz
bandleader, Count Basie. Like Basie, Lewis believed in making every note of
music count. He depended as much on silence as he did on notes to get his
message across.
John Lewis often used a form of music called fugue. Fugue is a series of
opposing melodies used to create a complex effect. Mister Lewis also combined
written music with music that the group invented as it went along.
This new kind of jazz attracted both lovers of jazz and classical music. It
also appealed to people who did not necessarily like jazz. Here is an example
of fugue in the song "Alexander's Fugue."
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VOICE ONE:
The Modern Jazz Quartet included John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath and
Connie Kay. The group made its first recording in nineteen fifty-two. And
they continued to play together, with a seven year break, until nineteen
ninety-nine.
John Lewis was as concerned about appearances as he was about the music. The
musicians had to dress well for every performance. They played mostly in
concert halls instead of small dance clubs. Lewis believed jazz should
receive the same respect as classical music.
VOICE TWO:
John Lewis was born in La Grange, Illinois, in nineteen twenty. He grew up in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. He started playing the piano when he was seven. As a
teenager, he played professionally in churches around Albuquerque. He soon
was playing in local dance halls.
Lewis studied anthropology and music at the University of New Mexico. In
nineteen forty-two, he joined the Army and served in Europe during World War
Two.
After the war, Lewis moved to New York City and played in Dizzy Gillespie's
big band. He also studied for his master's degree at the Manhattan School of
Music.
