Milt Jackson in MJQ

[Bol]

I am curious. Do people like Milt Jackson's playing in MJQ? Whenever I listen to a record by them, I can't help but think that it would be a whole lot better if it were Modern Jazz Trio, without Jackson. I'd be able hear a lot more of John Lewis's playing without the distracting vibes.

[danasgoodstuff]

I think many people think kinda the opposite, that they'd rather hear More Milt, preferably somewhere else. I've just come to accept that the MJQ is its own thing, different than the work of any of its members in other contexts.

[mikeweil]

The pairing is the key to the MJQ's unique sound. Without Lewis' arrangements and its challenges, he would have sounded pretty similar most of the time, as his small group sessions as a leader often do. he needs the contrast of different surroundings to play at his peak. Lewis OTOH needs players to write for - as much as I like him, his early trios are not that thrilling. Late in his career his solo albums were outstanding.

Edited January 14, 2014 by mikeweil

[xybert]

Definitley like Milt Jackson's playing with the MJQ, although the group as a whole took ages to grow on me. Expectations: i wanted the Evans/LaFaro/Motian trio with Bobby Hutcherson, i got (what i heard as) an ultra tight, slightly corny blues on bach thing. Took me ages to get my head around it and enjoy it for what it is. Now i savour every note.

[jazzbo]

The pairing is the key to the MJQ's unique sound. Without Lewis' arrangements and its challenges, he would have sounded pretty similar most of the time, as his small group sessions as a leader often do. he needs the contrast of different surroundings to play at his peak. Lewis OTOH needs players to write for - as much as I like him, his early trios are not that thrilling. Late in his career his solo albums were outstanding.

Nicely presented Mike.

[jeffcrom]

My first wife, who was not a trained musician, was a Milt Jackson fan and had many of his solo albums. After spinning a Modern Jazz Quartet album, she turned to me and asked, "Why doesn't Milt play like that all the time?"

My answer was similar to Mike's.

[Bol]

The pairing is the key to the MJQ's unique sound. Without Lewis' arrangements and its challenges, he would have sounded pretty similar most of the time, as his small group sessions as a leader often do. he needs the contrast of different surroundings to play at his peak. Lewis OTOH needs players to write for - as much as I like him, his early trios are not that thrilling. Late in his career his solo albums were outstanding.

Hmmm… I really like Lewis's early recordings on Atlantic, and his one record on Pacific Jazz with Jim Hall, Bill Perkins, and others. I love his elegant, sparsely-noted swing. I only have two later records of his, and had not thought that they are that different from his early records.

[marcello]

Try this one:

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I agree with Mike, but it's not the whole story of the MJQ's sound. What took me back to the MJQ in 2010 (after fifty years ) was Milt's other recordings. But when I got back there, I realised what I'd never noticed in my youth, that the MJQ's sound was anchored in Connie Kay's playing (and strange kit). Without him, I think they'd have sounded like any other band.

(But I've never heard their Prestige albums with Klook, so I could be wrong.)

MG

[Hardbopjazz]

Doesn't MJQ stand for the Milt Jackson Quartet?

I feel his playing in the MJQ is what gives the band its signature sound.

[jazzbo]

Allen, they were great with Klook too. He wasn't really around long enough to see if he would have developed the drum chair in the same way as Connie as John and Milt developed the sound and scope of the Quartet.

[gmonahan]

I used to be one of those "Free Milt from the MJQ!" guys, but listening to the Mosaic set sort of turned me around. Interestingly, I caught this thread as I was listening to "Modern Jazz Quartet: Lost Tapes, Germany, 1956-1958" on SWRMusic (a Twilight Zone moment), and I too have trouble imagining the group without all its voices. In particular, I think Jackson and Lewis quickly developed a really lovely rapport. Particularly on the ballads, they interacted in very intricate and subtle ways, such that the performances would have been much the poorer without both of them (and Heath and Kay) working together.

gregmo

[Peter Friedman]

Milt Jackson is definitely my favorite vibes player of all time. He is a great blues player, is masterful on ballads and swings like mad.

His recordings as leader and sideman with a variety of musicians have consistently given me great pleasure.

The Modern Jazz Quartet provides a quite different context for Milt. The typically well considered and organized writing of John Lewis results in a very different listening experience that I have grown increasingly fond of over the years. I wouldn't want to be without either Milt Jackson as a vital part of the MJQ, or in the role of leader and sideman in other settings.

As for John Lewis, I am a great fan of his sparse and, for me, highly interesting piano work. His solo and trio albums are , in my view, emotionally rich. I also like his sessions as leader of groups outside the MJQ context. Lewis brings an individual approach to the music in both his writing and playing.

[mikeweil]

The pairing is the key to the MJQ's unique sound. Without Lewis' arrangements and its challenges, he would have sounded pretty similar most of the time, as his small group sessions as a leader often do. he needs the contrast of different surroundings to play at his peak. Lewis OTOH needs players to write for - as much as I like him, his early trios are not that thrilling. Late in his career his solo albums were outstanding.

Hmmm… I really like Lewis's early recordings on Atlantic, and his one record on Pacific Jazz with Jim Hall, Bill Perkins, and others. I love his elegant, sparsely-noted swing. I only have two later records of his, and had not thought that they are that different from his early records.

The one on Pacific Jazz is a gem, of course, and his projects with varying ensembles for Atlantic, too - but his trios or duos or solos on the Atlantic albums are not yet fully realized. Just my two cents. The Wonderful Wolrd Of Jazz, for one, is another gem.

[JSngry]

I see his (Lewis') post-MJQ recordings of Bach are pretty much mad-crazy pricey these days...what is driving that?

[Chuck Nessa]

Silly folk.

[JSngry]

I wondered about that.

[Larry Kart]

I once caught the MJQ at the Plugged Nickel on a very crowded night that found me wedged in a seat half-behind Lewis and at his right hand. Hearing the balance between his comping and Jackson's solo work on a two-thirds Lewis, one-third Jackson basis was very interesting.

[Chuck Nessa]

I wondered about that.

Nothing wrong, just nothing special.