A seminal album that defined the fresh sound of a whole new generation in
jazz – that "third stream" movement that was different from the cool
jazz of the west coast, and the fire of New York! The style here follows that same mix of
jazz and higher-concept elements you'd hear on other
Modern Jazz Quartet albums for Atlantic – but the music is expanded here
with some great help from outside parties too. The
Jimmy Giuffre trio join the
quartet on most of side one – adding in
Jimmy's snakey clarinet and Jim Hall's fluid guitar lines for a really fresh take on the MJQ groove. The remainder of the album brings in the Beaux Arts String
Quartet – who shade in the mix of vibes and piano
with these dark strains that are really beautiful – and bring even more drama than usual to the music. Titles include "Da Capo", "Fine", "Exposure", "Sketch", and "Conversation".