名人轶事:John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet

（单词翻译）

By Cynthia Kirk


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 skilled¹ 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. Mister² Lewis was responsible

for the group's sound and its identity³.


John Lewis was interested in jazz, blues⁴ 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 expressive⁵ and intense⁶, 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 melodies⁷ 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 lovers⁸ of jazz and classical music. It

also appealed to people who did not necessarily⁹ 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 recording¹⁰ 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 anthropology¹¹ 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.#p#副标题#e#


VOICE ONE:

John Lewis played in the rhythm¹² section of Gillespie's band. Other members

were drummer Kenny Clarke, bass¹³ player Ray Brown and vibraphone player Milt

Jackson. The four often performed together while the horn players in the band

rested.

The four band members continued to work together after leaving Dizzy's group

in the late nineteen forties. At that time, they were criticized¹⁴ for not

playing "true jazz." But they continued anyway. Ray Brown and Kenny Clarke

soon left the group. Bass player Percy Heath and drummer Connie Kay replaced

them. In nineteen fifty-two, the group became the Modern Jazz Quartet and

established its own identity.

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen fifty-six, the Modern Jazz Quartet played a series of concerts in

Europe. The group helped make jazz popular with many music listeners in

Europe. The members of the quartet had become major stars by the time they

returned to the United States.

The Modern Jazz Quartet continued to perform all over the world for sold-out

crowds until the late nineteen seventies. People loved the group's teamwork

and their amazing sound. Listen as we play "Vendome", another big hit.

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VOICE ONE:

Critics say John Lewis's "less is more" piano style and Milt Jackson's energy

on the vibraphone were the secret to the group's long-lasting success. Yet

over the years, Mister Jackson expressed dissatisfaction with limits that

were put on his talents. The group separated in nineteen seventy-four.

However, the members of the quartet reunited after seven years. They played

together until Milt Jackson's death in nineteen ninety-nine.

In addition to his work with the Modern Jazz Quartet, John Lewis worked for

many years as musical director of the Monterey Jazz Festival in California.

He wrote the music for several Hollywood films. He taught at Harvard

University and the City College of New York. And he helped establish a jazz

school in Massachusetts.

VOICE TWO:

Through the years, John Lewis worked with some of the biggest names in jazz,

including trumpet¹⁵ player Miles Davis. Yet for all the praise Lewis received,

he was known for putting the interests of the group over the individual.John

Lewis lived a quiet life with his wife, Mirjana, in New York City. In March,

two thousand one, he died of cancer. He was eighty years old. His death

officially marked the end of a historic¹⁶ period in modern jazz.

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VOICE ONE:

This Special English program was written and produced by Cynthia Kirk. Our

audio¹⁷ engineer was Roy Benson. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Shirley Griffith. Listen again next week for another PEOPLE IN

AMERICA program on the Voice of America.