Milt Jackson

Centenary of Mr. Milt Jackson🎉Thanks for all fans and Happy New Year!! 🥂

Milt Jackson, byname of Milton Jackson, also called Bags, (born January 1, 1923, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. - died October 9, 1999, New York, New York), American jazz musician, the first and most influential vibraphone improviser of the postwar, modern jazz era.

Jackson began playing the vibraphone (also called vibes or vibraharp) professionally at age 16. He attended Michigan State University and joined ’s sextet in 1945; he then worked with Gillespie’s big band and later returned to play vibraphone and piano in Gillespie’s sextet (1950–52). He also freelanced with leading bop musicians in New York City and played in the band (1949–50).

He was a cofounder of the (MJQ), which was his principal performance vehicle during 1952–74, and he subsequently played in numerous MJQ reunion tours. Meanwhile, he recorded often as sideman, including classic sessions with (“Evidence,” “Criss Cross,” “Straight, No Chaser”) and (“Bags’ Groove”), and as leader, including performances with top tenor saxophonists , , and . He continued to tour and record in the 1990s; one of his last recordings was with jazz legends and , with whom Jackson had formed the Very Tall Band years earlier.

Album Notes: In The Republic, a work which found as wide circulation in its time as LaIlebs Of Birdland, Plato, who didn't know Milt Jackson from Benjamin Jowett, wrote:
"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity."
In the same work. Plato noted. - Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other. because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul."

The soul was as important in Plato's time as it seems to be in today's world of jazz, because, as Plato stressed. -The soul of man is immortal and imperishable."
Atlantic Records, of course, is on record in the matter of Milt Jackson's soul. He has plenty, plenty of it, this firm has authoritatively said.
Yet. In addition to the soulful quality of his music, Jackson is living proof of Plato's feeling on simplicity.

Jackson is a proud, confident musician an a world of anarchical confusion. While other jazz musicians strive for individuality, and often are engulfed in shadow and pain, Jackson explores his own niche. simply. directly, and creatively....

Album Notes: "Milt Jackson a while back took part in a friend's record date. There were contractual reasons why Milt's name couldn't be used, but the leader quickly, solved the problem of what pseudonym to put in the notes by simply calling Milt "Brother Soul".

The question of "Bags soul" came up again in a conversation with Dizzy Gillespie. "Why, didn't you know?" asked Dizzy. "Milt is Sanctified. That's why he plays so soulful. His whole family is Sanctified."

When a man is Sanctified, that's another way of saying that his early — and in some cases, continuing — religious experience was absorbed in one of the Churches of God in Christ. In these churches, the services are based largely on music, and it is music of a releasing freeness, music in which the congregation collectively and individually gives from within the innermost reservoirs of the spirit and received in turn the strength of having been opened to the honesty and joy of each other. The most deeply swinging, exultant gospel singing comes from the Churches of God in Christi and from those similarly uninhibited church units that are members of the Holiness Churches. It is not generally realized that a number of modern jazzmen first felt the passionate possibilities of self-expression in improvised music while still small children at Sanctified churches.

"Soul" is clearly the most essential quality of a jazzman, and Milt has as much of that open emotional strength as anyone in his jazz generation, and more than most. There are other corollary qualities that are also needed. One is an almost automatic dedication to playing. A jazzman whose desire to play is limited only or mainly by the expectation of a paycheck is apt to be more a craftsman than a creator. The players are those who find whatever informal sessions exist wherever they themselves may be, or who, if necessary, create their own sessions."

Album Notes: The enclosed album aptly describes by title the masterful music herein. A tongue-in-cheek reference to that fine town in Florida so synonymous with the slow-and-easy vacation life it captures in name the slow-and-easy approach to vibe-ism that is synonymous with the name Milt Jackson.

JACKSON'S-VILLE is our theme for today, however, and a relaxed "down" album it is! Side A features the group on the medium-tempoed blues TIME, for long, easy choruses. SENTIMENTAL, INDIGO, and AZURE are a medley. The first is Milt's in a rolling-up, swelling style. INDIGO is all Lucky Thompson... light and fluffy and pretty.

AZURE, the third in the Ellington medley tribute features Hank Jones' ever-tasty keyboard technique, reverting to SENTI-MENTAL and Milt for a close. Side B features the group swinging on MINOR with Wendell, Kenny, and all taking choruses. And, SOUL, the closer, is the Blues in waltz-time. This writer's first experience with 3/4 blues of this type was "Six Bit Blues" on a recent Joe Wilder album. The idea and presentation fascinated then... and now, in the hands of masters like the messrs. Jack-son, Thompson, Jones et al, it's a Gas!

Needless to say, Milt Jackson is noted as the foremost vibe star in modern jazz. One of the early converts to this style, he was discovered by Dizzy Gilles-pie and nurtured by Diz, Monk, Klook, Bird, and others of the early "Bop" school. Recent years have proved him today's top stylist on the instrument, and his efforts have won him award af-ter award. Lucky Thompson, one of jazzdom's most underrated and under-recorded tenor sax stylists earns another "gold star" for his fine efforts here, and the classic rhythm section of THE TRIO, Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall and Kenny Clarke, excell as always throughout. Album note courtesy of .

Recorded on this day on January 23, 1956 🎂

Album Notes: The enclosed album is another in a recent series of Savoy releases featuring the inimitable "Bags" on vibes. Surely no mallet-master is more deserving of LP space than Milt, one of Bop's early stars end a major contributor m the prominence of his instrument on today's modern jazz scene.

In this set of 6 tracks, Milt displays a new vitality, verve, and amazing up-tempo technique. While listening to the tapes, this writer was intrigued by Mills approach, and questioned Ozzie Cadens. (who arranged and supervised the date) about it. "No, it's not a new set of vibes he's playing on." It's just that Bags so rarely plays up tempos that you never hear it on records." In retrospect, this feet gained importance.

Listen to the wailing 8th note runs on LOVER and SOMETIMES when he doubles up the tempo. His style changes up from the lag beat "Shuttle" one has come to expect, into a new faceted brilliance! Milt's comrades-in-jazz for this dale were the even tasteful Savoy Featured Stars HANK JONES, WENDELL MARSHALL AND KENNY CLARKE of "Trio" fame.

Sharing front-line chores is Lucky Thompson, a welcome addition to Savoy's roster. Lucky's big tone ... his Hawkins-like phrasing, and effervescent creative contribution is a standout. Mill plays alone with rhythm on CAN'T, again exhibiting that "cool" vibrate that only he is able to achieve on vibes.

Kenny Clarke blows fine on all tracks, exhibiting particular lire behind the man on TRAMP. Hank Jones piano figures are a thing of beauty on his lovely composition ANGEL FACE. Although much has been said of and for Milt's contribuition as a member of the renowned Modern jazz Quartet, this writer feels that "Bags" medium is a less restrained, free-swinging group such as that heard here. His choice of men, the fire with which they perform. and the overall peak of creativity captured he**in will mark this over the years as one of the best!

Happy Birthday Mr. Milt Jackson, who would have been 99, today!!🎉

Thanks for all fans and Happy New Year!! 🥂
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Milt Jackson, byname of Milton Jackson, also called Bags, (born January 1, 1923, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.—died October 9, 1999, New York, New York), American jazz musician, the first and most influential vibraphone improviser of the postwar, modern jazz era.

Jackson began playing the vibraphone (also called vibes or vibraharp) professionally at age 16. He attended Michigan State University and joined ’s sextet in 1945; he then worked with Gillespie’s big band and later returned to play vibraphone and piano in Gillespie’s sextet (1950–52). He also freelanced with leading bop musicians in New York City and played in the band (1949–50).

He was a cofounder of the (MJQ), which was his principal performance vehicle during 1952–74, and he subsequently played in numerous MJQ reunion tours. Meanwhile, he recorded often as sideman, including classic sessions with (“Evidence,” “Criss Cross,” “Straight, No Chaser”) and (“Bags’ Groove”), and as leader, including performances with top tenor saxophonists , , and . He continued to tour and record in the 1990s; one of his last recordings was with jazz legends and , with whom Jackson had formed the Very Tall Band years earlier.

Jackson brought to his musical settings a highly developed sensitivity to balance and contrast, which made much of his playing with the MJQ muted when compared with his aggressive work in his own groups.

Whenever Milt Jackson could free himself from the 'bo***ge' of the Modern Jazz Quartet and its assertive leader John Lewis, he dedicated himself to his two great passions: ballads and the blues. That was precisely the case when he entered the famous Rudy van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, USA in 1956.

He was free to choose his sidemen, and money was no object, which is why various formations gathered in the studio for the three recording sessions. With Lucky Thompson on the tenor sax (unfortunately for only three numbers), Barry Galbraith, Barney Kessel or Skeeter Best on the guitar, Oscar Pettiford or Percy Heath on the bass, together with Kenny Clarke or Lawrence Marable on the drums, he set off on a journey through the history of jazz. John Lewis stayed unobtrusively in the background and offered 'Bags' (as Milt was known) plenty of opportunities to glory in soloistic freedom.

Here we have one of those "all-star" sessions from the 1950s that brought together a talented group of like-minded musicians - in this case a group who could lay down some outstanding hard bop tracks - to produce a quality record that could quickly be brought to stores and show off the roster of the Savoy label at the time. There are no shortage of these type of LPs out there, they would come to be known as "blowing sessions" and many are excellent, with a few reaching the status of classic recordings (The Sermon and All Night Long come to mind).

Opus De Jazz was first released in 1955 with an alternate front cover that made no mention of the musicians involved, only of the instruments they played. In fact, the original title read as Opus De Jazz for Flute, Vibes, Piano, Bass, Drums. The second cover, released a year later, names the musicians (with a nod to the instrumentation now prominently on the back cover); why the sudden change is most likely lost to history, but perhaps Savoy realized crediting the musicians on the front would appeal more to the consumer flipping through the record racks.

"Opus De Funk", the opening track on the album, is the real highlight here, with the musicians clearly energized by the possibilities of the Horace Silver composition. The nearly fourteen minute track allows for great soloing, first by Jackson, then Wess and finally by Hank Jones, a rotation that is decreasingly repeated another four times before the tune closes out with the theme once again (they start with five bars apiece, then four, then three, all the way down to one bar each). This is early hard bop jazz music at it's very best.

Album Notes: It seems that sometimes 10 inch LPs do not suffice. When a musician is an important one in the sense of having something to say) lovers of the jazz art cannot get enough of him. The 12 inch LP is the logical solution, that until everyone can get a Rek-O-Kut turntable.

Prestige will utilize the 12 inch series in two ways. One will be to bring up to date the best work of the important musicians recorded at the company's inception: Stan Getz, Lee Konitz, Miles Davis and Gerry Mulligan. Remastering will be done by Rudy Van Gelder who will bring the sound up to new standards. Each these albums will contain significant recordings of the aforementioned musicians. The space afforded by the 12 inch LP will be used to present a collection of numerous short tracks (i.e. the 3 minute recording), and in the cases of Mulligan and Davis, the longer sides as well.

In new recording for the 12 inch series, although the short track will not be completely neglected, the main emphasis is on ample time for development of idea by the soloist and composer. As in the case of the reissues, the musicians important ones people who are contributing richly to the story of jazz.

Followers of modern music since the early Forties remember Milt for his work with the small group and hig band of Dizzy Gillespie, Howard McGhee's group and Woody Herman's band. He has acquired a vast new follow-
ing through the success of the Modem Jazz Quartet, in success in which he has played a major part.

Accompanying Milt in thi: LP are pianist Horace Silver, bassist Perey Heath and drummer Connie Kay.

Horace is currently with Art Blakey's Messengers. Percy and Connie are Mili's team mates in the MJO.

THE NEARNESS OF YOU, MY FUNNY VALENTINE and I SHOULD CARE are given their usual ballad treat-ment but not in usual way.

WONDER WHY is a bright little tune from a movie, MOONRAY un oli Artie Shaw opus and STONE. WALL a blues original by Milt taken up tempo.

"Roll 'Em Bags" and "Meet Milt Jackson" are albuns by American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring performances recorded in 1949 and 1956 and released on the Savoy label.

Meet Milt Jackson Note > "Bags is the name, man! Mrs. Deagon's favorite preacher of the gospel of modern "vibe-dom" is the subject of this album. And well deserved, too. Milt "Bags" Jackson is well-known to follow ers of today's jazz as the first and foremost mallet-master extant. Since 1945 he has played an important part in the development of not only his Instrumen, but of the entire modern idiom in combo jazz.

In this album, attention is being focused, as well, on 2 of his other allied talents... singing and at the piano. Born in Detroit, Michigan on New Year's Day, 1923, Milt majored in music at Michigan State College, while freelancing around the city in various combos. Dizzy Gillespie, just out of Billy Eckstine's band and fronting his own first unit, come through Detroit, heard the young "Bags" on vibes and brought him to New York. This was 1945 the big formative vear of Bo-Bop. Minton's was thriving... Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy, and other neophyte Bopsters were experi menting, extending, and broadening the concepts of that day's jazz. Milt Jackson, too, joined these other musical luminaries to help and this new "felled fifth" musical colmn its first birth cries.

He played... he did some writing... he developed an altogether new approach to an instrument that had previously became almost the sole property of Lionel Hampion. From 1945 to 1949 Min played with groups led by Dizzy, Howard McGhee, Tad Damaron, Thelonious Monk, and more. He racorded pro lusely at the new Be Bop movent pace for a new growth of interest in the vibes." H. Alan Stein