Jazz Artist of the Week
Milt Jackson - "Bags"
Milt Jackson was a American vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet. A very expressive player, Jackson differentiated himself from other vibraphonists in his attention to variations on harmonics and rhythm. He was particularly fond of the twelve-bar blues at slow tempos. He preferred to set the vibraphone's oscillator to a low 3.3 revolutions per second (as opposed to Lionel Hampton's speed of 10 revolutions per second) for a more subtle vibrato.
Milt Jackson's most famous ensemble, The Modern Jazz Quartet, featured Jackson on vibraphone, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Under Lewis's leadership, they carved their own niche by specializing in elegant, restrained music that used sophisticated counterpoint, yet nonetheless retained a strong blues feel. Lewis firmly believed that J.S. Bach and the blues were compatible, combining classical form with jazz improvisation and polyphony. Lewis wrote both fugue-like classically influenced pieces, such as "Concorde," as well as modern jazz standards, such as "Django." Milt Jackson's "Bags' Groove" is a testament to their roots in the blues. Enjoy!
Milt Jackson's most famous ensemble, The Modern Jazz Quartet, featured Jackson on vibraphone, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Under Lewis's leadership, they carved their own niche by specializing in elegant, restrained music that used sophisticated counterpoint, yet nonetheless retained a strong blues feel. Lewis firmly believed that J.S. Bach and the blues were compatible, combining classical form with jazz improvisation and polyphony. Lewis wrote both fugue-like classically influenced pieces, such as "Concorde," as well as modern jazz standards, such as "Django." Milt Jackson's "Bags' Groove" is a testament to their roots in the blues. Enjoy!
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