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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZJACKSON, Milt(b 1 Jan. '23, Detroit; d 9 Oct. '99, NYC) Vibes, piano; aka 'Bags'. Studied music at Michigan U; discovered by Dizzy Gillespie '45, came to NYC; played with Gillespie, others; Woody Herman '49-50, Gillespie again '50-52, then founder member of Modern Jazz Quartet. The first vibist in modern jazz and far and away the most popular and influential, he uses a unique slow vibrato, swings with a bluesy, even gospel feeling, while keeping it under control in the context of the MJQ's delicacy for decades. He led his own groups during MJQ's summer vacations, often co-leading with Ray Brown. Many of his earliest records '47-52, on Galaxy in Detroit, Savoy and Gillespie's DeeGee label in NYC, then on Blue Note, featured Percy Heath, John Lewis and Kenny Clarke, the first MJQ lineup; his earliest well-known LP was probably Opus De Funk on Prestige '54, with Heath, Clarke, Horace Silver and Henry Boozier on trumpet (a pseudonym?); Milt Jackson Quartet '55 had Silver, Heath and Connie Kay, the MJQ's perennial drummer after Clarke went to France. LPs on Savoy '56 followed by Ballads And Blues '56, Plenty, Plenty Soul '57, Bags And Flutes '57, Soul Brothers with Ray Charles, Bean Bags '58, Bags And Trane '59 with John Coltrane, Ballad Artistry Of Milt Jackson '59 with strings arranged by Quincy Jones, Vibrations '60, all on Atlantic; also Paris Session on Philips and Bags Opus on UA '58. Statements '62 on Impulse had a quartet with Kay, Paul Chambers, Hank Jones; Bags Meets Wes '61 with Wes Montgomery was a debut on Riverside/Milestone, followed by sextet Invitation '62, big-band LPs Big Bags '62 and For Someone I Love '63, quintet Live At The Village Gate '63. Quintet Jazz'n'Samba '64 (Impulse) was followed by Mercury/Limelight LPs included quartet In A New Setting '64, quintets Live At The Museum Of Modern Art '65, Born Free '67. A Verve LP with strings '68 was followed by Impulse LPs That's The Way It Is and Just The Way It Had To Be '69, both made live at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Hollywood by a a quintet with Brown, and Memphis Jackson (made in L.A.) with big band led by Brown. Sunflower '72 with strings, quintet/sextet Goodbye '73 and Olinga '74 (the last with strings) were on CTI. Jackson's desire to lead his own groups coincided with MJQ's split mid-'74 (but reunions continued); records on Norman Granz's Pablo label began at Montreux '75 and there were a total of ten with Brown, plus Soul Fusion '77 with Monty Alexander Trio, two LPs with Count Basie '78, Big Mouth '81 (septet with three percussionists and female vocal quartet), Two Of The Few '83 (duet with Oscar Peterson). On other labels: Loose Walk '79 on Italian Palcoscenico label, made in Milan (quintet with Sonny Stitt), septet Bebop '88 on EastWest; Reverence And Compassion '93, The Prophet Speaks '94, Burnin' In The Woodhouse '95 and Sa Va Bella (For Lady Legends) '96 on Qwest/WB, the latter with three vocals by Etta Jones in good form. Two-CD Much In Common '97 on Verve compiled three '60s sessions with Brown, big bands arranged by Ernie Wilkins and Oliver Nelson plus a small group with Wild Bill Davis. |