This review is for the Actual Item Listed, MJQ 40 Years
This isn't much of a review, I just downloaded the 47 tracks of 'MJQ: 40 Yrs', and it sounds GREAT!. I am amazed that Amazon is posting six reviews of A DIFFERENT ALBUM under this product listing. All 6 reviews are for an MJQ album called "Collaboration", which is by the same artist, but is definitely NOT the product listed, namely "MJQ: 40 Years". Since there are ZERO reviews of the actual item, at this time, I wanted to at least let you know, it's quite fine! That's very succinct, I know, but at least I'm talking about the actual item listed, not SOME OTHER ALBUM !!!

A real pleasure for decades
A reviewer here said: "My vinyl copy of this recording has endured over thirty-six+ years of playing and can finally be retired." I say: keep the vinyl too, now that I see that this CD is not currently available for purchase! In fact, make a back-up copy of the CD and put it in the safe deposit box. This music should be preserved and enjoyed as one of the best "collaborations" in history. Unfortunately, Brahms and Heifetz never recorded together on piano and violin. Fortunately, the MJQ and Almeida did! Dumb example, but it just says: this is one of the best of the MJQ, and I've been an MJQ fan since high school in the sixties.

one more happy person
now I had spent a week to find this recording again and I'm so happy to have it. Even listening to the little samples just brings me back in my youth as this record used to be my favourit for blue hours. Reading the other rewiews I see I'm not the only one! Now I hardly can wait to get my new example of this marvellous composition of formidable musicians playing on my soul.

Absolutely Brilliant and Marvellous
When I read the other reviews for this album, I was amazed at the passionate tone of the praise for it; having finally listened to its tracks, in particular the last, I now understand and fully concur.

The rendition of Rodrigo's Concierto De Aranjuez by Laurindo Almeida and the MJQ is simply put, ineffably beautiful. In the liner notes, the artist himself recognizes that "it is one of the best things I ever did". To my ears (untrained as they are)the artist succeeds in bringing out the fire and soul of this piece, playing every note as if his fingers were fused directly with that Universal element which we call "Music". Only later does one realize the technical brilliance: the guitar has seldom if ever been played with such nuance and rich tonality. ( No wonder Sharon Isbin cites Almeida as a prime influence. )

Brilliant! Fantastic! A Joy!

One of the finest recordings ever made.
My vinyl copy of this recording has endured over thirty-six+ years of playing and can finally be retired. After having waited for this album to be re-released on CD, the event has happened. It was and remains one of the finest albums in recorded music. MJQ and Laurindo Almeida are at their masterful best -- it is pure magic and always has been -- their version of Rodrigo's "Concierto De Aranjuez" is worth the price alone, it should be required listening. Each piece on this recording seems to have been so carefully selected that they build on one another -- the result is an awesome experience, something that makes your life better.