Modern Art Orchestra’s Legendary Albums series presents the most important and unique albums of jazz literature, performed by MAO. By learning and playing these compositions and arrangements, the musicians are paying tribute to the jazz legends and are undergoing an intense process of musical improvement. The band absorbs the material of the original recordings, sticking to the arrangements, forms and compositional features. As improvisation is the blood of jazz, solos are invented by the players at the moment. Due to the respect shown towards the original conceptions of the legendary composers and the level of craftsmanship known from Modern Art Orchestra, the Legendary Albums series both brings you the essence of jazz tradition and guarantees a fresh musical experience.

Legendary Albums – Miles Davis: My Funny Valentine & Four and More

These two records are actually one. They have been recorded at a single concert. Neglecting Davis’s artistic intentions is not the only sin that the recording industry committed against an otherwise very assertive artist and bandleader. The two records have not been issued representing the original order, as first only the slow and mid-tempo numbers were picked and released, becoming an  immediate hit nevertheless. Only two years after the concert, in 1966 were the fast tunes issued on a separate record, entitled ’Four’ and More. This period can be considered an intermediate time in the career of Davis’s as a bandleader. The sax player of the band, George Coleman was about to depart from the legendary band. On the other hand the rhythm section consisting of pianist Herbie Hancock, bass player Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams has already joined the Davis quintet. The concert was scheduled in the newly inaugurated Philharmonic Hall of the Lincoln Center in New York City. Expectations, which proved well-founded in the  meantime, were that the new concert venue would rise in prestige to the level of the Carnegie Hall. This was the first major concert for the young rhythm section with Davis, and they were quite nervous. In addition, the concert was given political significance, as it was a charity event for black civil rights organisations, a cause Davis and his associates wholeheartedly supported. Less motivating was the fact that the musicians did not get paid at all. No one really regretted anything in hindsight, Davis’s My Funny Valentine became one of the best selling records, sold in the thousands even in the cheap CD editions, while its counterpart, featuring breath-taking tempi and fresh instrumental interactions has become the favourite of collectors.