JAZZ REVIEW : INTELLIGENCE AND ELEGANCE FROM THE MJQ

For 35 years the Modern Jazz Quartet has exuded a sense of proper elegance in its stylish music and class presentation. From the formal wear to its “Third Stream” abstraction of jazz and European formalism, the four gentlemen of the MJQ have toured the world as arguably jazz music’s premier chamber ensemble.

In celebration of its longevity (the group officially disbanded in 1974 but reunited in 1981), the MJQ is currently on the road again, and Saturday night the group wafted--certainly not blew--into town for a concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

From an opening reading of Duke Ellington’s “Rockin’ in Rhythm” to its closing “A Day in Dubrovnik,” vibist Milt Jackson, pianist John Lewis, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Connie Kay (the newest member of the group, Kay replaced Kenny Clarke in 1955) created a nonstop flow of intelligent concert music that challenged the imagination without undue strain on the emotions.

Indeed, there is a coldness about the MJQ’s refined and exacting performance. Only two of the group’s 15 offerings during its two-part concert Saturday evening were blowing tunes, and both of them were blues (“True Blues” and “Reunion Blues”) by Jackson. The rest of the 2 1/2-hour performance was about as spontaneous as a space launch.

Obviously, though, there is reason to marvel at precision and the foursome amazed with musical devices still uncommon to jazz. The varying time signatures and resulting mood shifts in “Dubrovnik,” the “walking” vibes lines underscoring Lewis’ “One Never Knows,” the evocative programmatic qualities of his “Encounter in Cagnes”--each was a delight for those who hear music in their heads, rather than just with their feet.

That the MJQ’s music can still cast such a magical spell is owed to the group’s singularity of mind and spirit. When one itches, the other three scratch, and whatever approach the group devises--be it the Ellington opener that swayed more than rocked, or a drum feature that had Kay performing a military tattoo--the performance carries a warranty of satisfaction.

The name might be a bit of a misnomer today--after all, the modernity of the MJQ’s music has been surpassed by other innovations and aberrations--yet the Modern Jazz Quartet remains vital and its contributions an enduring musical constant.