Milt Jackson – Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet – 180 Gram Vinyl Record

Description

Milt Jackson – Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet – 180 Gram Vinyl Record

This self-titled Milt Jackson collection draws together three early Blue Note sessions recorded between 1948 and 1952. The first side centers on Jackson with John Lewis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, and alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson—the original Modern Jazz Quartet rhythm team expanded by a horn. The second side reaches further back to performances with Thelonious Monk, showing how Jackson’s ringing vibraphone sound developed inside the small-group language of bebop.

“Lillie” and “Tahiti” establish the 1952 group’s relaxed precision. Jackson’s attack is crisp, but the notes bloom after the mallet strike, giving his lines both rhythmic definition and warmth. “What’s New” reveals his ballad phrasing, while “Bags’ Groove” introduces the blues theme that became one of his signature compositions. Donaldson’s “On the Scene” adds a more angular alto voice to the poised interplay of Lewis, Heath, and Clarke.

The Monk material begins with “Willow Weep for Me,” featuring Sahib Shihab, Al McKibbon, and Art Blakey. “Criss Cross” and “Eronel” place Jackson inside Monk’s distinctive rhythmic and harmonic world, where pauses and unexpected accents matter as much as velocity. Earlier versions of “Mysterioso” and “Evidence” reveal the vibraphonist’s importance to Monk’s first Blue Note recordings.

Alternate masters of “Lillie” and “Four in One” complete the program. They are not filler: the differences in phrasing and solo construction show how rapidly these musicians could rethink a piece. Heard as a whole, the album connects Jackson’s role in the emerging Modern Jazz Quartet with his work beside Monk, Blakey, Donaldson, and other central architects of postwar jazz.

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series pressing presents the 12-track compilation in mono on 180-gram vinyl. Kevin Gray cut the edition all-analog from the original master tapes, and the record was pressed at Optimal. UPC 602445082278 identifies this 2022 release, preserving the historic BLP 1509 sequence and its Reid Miles presentation.

Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic

Record Details

Artist: Milt Jackson
Title: Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet
Format: 180 Gram Mono Vinyl Record
Label: Blue Note Records
Release year: 1955
UPC: 602445082278

Track Listing

A1. Lillie
A2. Tahiti
A3. What’s New
A4. Bags’ Groove
A5. On the Scene
A6. Willow Weep for Me
B1. Criss Cross
B2. Eronel
B3. Mysterioso (Alternate Master)
B4. Evidence
B5. Lillie (Alternate Master)
B6. Four in One (Alternate Master)