Milt Jackson

One of the greatest vibraphonists in jazz history, Milt Jackson was at the forefront of several musical approaches during his lengthy career, cooling the fire of early bebop with the chill timbre of his instrument and achieving one of the music’s most sophisticated expressions as a founding member of the elegant Modern Jazz Quartet. Born in Detroit in 1923, the young Jackson gravitated toward music, singing and playing guitar, violin, and percussion before switching to vibes at age 16 after hearing Lionel Hampton. Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie hired Jackson for a new bebop sextet in 1945, where he quickly became an early proponent of high-octane music. As he recorded with trumpeter Howard McGhee and pianist Thelonious Monk, Jackson formed a close bond with pianist John Lewis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Kenny Clarke, all fellow Gillespie sidemen. After performing as the Milt Jackson Quartet they soon became the Modern Jazz Quartet, with Percy Heath replacing Brown in 1952. The group’s blues-based sound evolved into an early collision of jazz and classical music that was later dubbed third stream. The switch led Clarke to step down, with Connie Kay inheriting the drum throne. Apart from a seven-year hiatus between 1974 and 1981, the group maintained a lofty position in jazz, though they were sometimes derided for their classical pretensions. Jackson maintained a prolific career outside the group, where his earthy sense of swing and soulful phrasing flourished. He continued to play until his death in 1999 at age 76 from liver cancer.