In Memoriam is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded in 1973 and released on the Little David label.
Background
On the Album In Memoriam, recorded a year before the start of their hiatus, the Modern Jazz Quartet was accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Maurice Peress. Pianist John Lewis wrote the title composition in tribute to Walter Keller, his piano teacher at the University of New Mexico. He composed "Jazz Ostinato" around 1960 during the third stream era ; it is based on three ostinato figures, the third of which he said was originally conceived as backing "for an Ornette Coleman – Eric Dolphy approach". Furthermore, the piece contains homages to Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky, prompting Lewis to comment that it "also plays a part in the memorium". The group had previously recorded the adagio from "Concierto de Aranjuez" with the guitarist Laurindo Almeida on their 1964 album Collaboration.
Reception
The Allmusic review stated "despite some stimulating moments, the music is often quite dry. It's one of the classic group's lesser releases".