Milt Jackson - The Atlantic Albums Collection 1956 - 1961 (2016)

A true master of the vibraphone - among jazz music s less championed albeit heavily featured instruments Milt Jackson was distinctive in his playing largely due to his unique variations in rhythm and harmony, often realised in slow tempo, twelve-bar blues patterns. He was also known for setting his motor-driven oscillator to 3.3 revolutions per second rather than the standard 10 - thus producing a subtle vibrato, rarely heard from tuned percussive instruments. Known best as one of the founders of the Modern Jazz Quartet, Milt also worked with a plethora of legendary performers, including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Ray Charles and Coleman Hawkins. While a much sought-after sideman, Jackson s finest work came when leading or co-leading his own groups, and it was his output for Atlantic Records that notably cemented his reputation as one of the most critically respected musicians of the genre. This four disc collection brings together the entirety of Milt Jackson s output for Atlantic Records between 1956 and 1961. Featuring eight full albums and over five hours of music in total, this set provides the perfect introduction to a legendary career, which ended only following Milt Jackson s passing on 9th October 1999, at the age of 76. With faithfully remastered audio throughout, and of course exceptional musicianship, appearances from a wide range of other acclaimed musicians and some of the finest music recorded during the period in question, this compilation is a fitting testament not just to a master of his instrument, but to a key figure in the development of the entire jazz idiom.