Darrell Grant's MJ New: Our Mr. Jackson

Anyone missing the artistry and elegance of the Modern Jazz Quartet will warm quickly to pianist Darrell Grant's MJ New, which pays homage to the great vibraphonist Milt Jackson and, through him, the legendary MJQ, on Our Mr. Jackson. The instrumentation is the same as the MJQ, with Mike Horsfall sitting in for Jackson on vibraphone and Grant for pianist John Lewis. Bassist Marcus Shelby (think Percy Heath) and drummer Carlton Jackson (Kenny Clarke, Connie Kay) round out the quartet. Alas, Jackson died in July 2021, and the album is dedicated to his memory.

Those familiar with the MJQ will pretty much know what to expect. While imitation presumably was not the goal, the MJ New sounds very much like the MJQ Old. One difference is at the piano, where Grant's strapping two-handed approach seldom bears any resemblance to Lewis' spare single-note runs. As for Horsfall, he might pass for Jackson in a blindfold test. Shelby and Jackson? They may as well be Heath and Clarke (or Kay, who replaced Clarke three years into the quartet's long and successful runs, the last of which ended in 1997.)

The repertoire is mostly MJQ as well, with such staples as "Bags' Groove," "Versailles," "Autumn in New York," "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" and "Cancer" from Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite spicing the menu. Grant adds a pair of originals, "Crossing the Bridge" and "A Viennese Affaire," also adapted the adagio from Franz Schubert's "String Quartet in C Major" and is credited with arranging a brief reprise of "Bags' Groove," which closes the album. The MJ New also perform Duke Ellington's "Drop Me Off in Harlem," Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Bach to Brazil" and {{Terence Blanchard}'s symphonious "Wading Through."

Even though many of the numbers on Our Mr. Jackson will be well-known to fans of the MJQ, it is always a pleasure to hear them again, especially when they are played with such expertise and insight. The temperament and musicianship on the album are excellent, as must be its over-all grade.