Milt Buckner - it's his birthday today

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

It’s the day for remembering the great Milt Buckner, who was born on 10 July 1915, in St Louis, MO.

Milt (with Wild Bill Davis and Bill Doggett) was one of the three great pre-Jimmy Smith organists. I think these guys are too often forgotten.

Not by Pete Fallico, however, who has put a good bio and appreciation of Milt’s style on his Doodlin’ Lounge website, here

http://www.doodlinlounge.com/Stories/Buckner.html

There is also a very good, illustrated, discography of Milt’s recordings by Armin Buttner on the web. Part one, which covers the period 1941-1963, is here

http://www.jazzdocumentation.ch/buckner/di...y/buckner1.html

Part two covers the period 1966-1973 and is here

http://www.jazzdocumentation.ch/buckner/di...y/buckner2.html

And part three, covering the period 1974-1977, is here

http://www.jazzdocumentation.ch/buckner/di...y/buckner3.html

Much is made of Milt’s development of the locked hands approach to piano playing, which he took over to his organ work. What’s not emphasised is that, when you approach the organ like that, what you have is a FUNK WEAPON. And as a funk weapon, Milt is at his most superb on “Green onions”

(available from Amazon France)

and on two albums with Illinois Jacquet: “Go power”;

and “The soul explosion”

If you only get three of Buckner’s albums, get those; they are MIGHTY!

But the locked hands approach also leads to a powerful and effective way of playing ballads. So then get some of his marvellous “Midnight slows” series.

Throughout Milt’s work, whether funky or sexy slow ballads, or up-tempo swing oriented material, there is more joy and exuberance than you find in most other jazz musicians; truly, Milt was a child of the Hampton band!

MG

[Rabshakeh]

Is this really our only Milt Buckner page on this forum? I can’t find any others.

I’ve just been listening to Crazy Rhythm with Buddy Tate. That combo of purest grease and those weird smacking lascivious noises has got me feeling grubby, exhausted but not yet sated.

Edited March 24, 2022 by Rabshakeh

[JSngry]

Some older reading that might be of interest:

and especially this, which needs to be protected against digital holocaust:

 

[Rabshakeh]

Thanks.

[Gheorghe]

I remember I listened once to a Black Lion LP of Milt Buckner with Illinois Jaquet, I think the title was "the king".

The other thing was one version of "Groovin High" with Charlie Parker on "Summit Meeting at Birdland". 

I think I also saw a video of him with Hamp. It seems that Milt Buckner was very small, and bobbin up and down on the piano chair 

[medjuck]

About 60 years ago I saw Milt Buckner with a large band at a club called The Black Bottom in Montreal but I can't remember who the leader of the band was.