Wizard of the Vibes [Original recording remastered]

Milt Jackson, Thelonious Monk & Milt Jackson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 17, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1948
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B00005LKBZ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,755 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

jazz cd bebop - blue note compilation of works of milt jackson.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bags the Wizard, August 24, 2002

By 

George H. Soule (Edwardsville, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wizard of the Vibes (Audio CD)

This is a great album. It's important jazz history, but it is also excellent music. There are two sessions represented here. The first is a quintet comprising alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson and what would soon be called the Modern Jazz Quartet--John Lewis (piano) Milt Jackson (vibraharp), Kenny Clarke (drums), and Percy Heath (bass). So you get MJQ with Lou. And these are wonderful renditions of Bags' tunes and standards. The "Bags Groove" is a great take on a modern jazz standard. This version is fresher and different from later takes (compare it to the classic Miles Davis recording). Jackson is indeed a wizard, and John Lewis proves why Kenny Clarke considered him the best of the bop pianists. Donaldson's solo on Ellington's "Don't Get around Much Anymore" demonstrates how many excellent alto players were completely eclipsed by Bird--in another musical universe this could have been a classic too. In any event, the album highlights Jackson's lyricism and command of a difficult instrument in his own compositions "Tahiti," "Lillie," and "Bags Groove" and in such tunes as "What's New." The second session on the album was a 1948 meeting with Thelonious Monk that includes brilliant renditions of "Misterioso," "Epistrophy," and "I Mean You." These juxtapose Monk's quirky percussive piano with Jackson's lyrical filigree work. Monk sets chords down and Bags dances weaving arabesque figures across them. All in all, this is an important collection.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Milt and Monk : the great meeting, November 10, 2001

By 

JEAN-MARIE JUIF (BESANCON France) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wizard of the Vibes (Audio CD)

Blue Note's producers Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff were really great guys.They made some of the most essential sessions of new talents,who were young musicians at this time, and who are now recognized as some of the greatest masters of jazz: Thelonious Monk,Miles Davis,Bud Powell,Dexter Gordon,Milt Jackson,Jackie McLean,Herbie Nichols,and many more.This Rudy Van Gelder's reissue of Milt Jackson's works for Blue Note includes two different sessions: first, the April 7,1952 session with John Lewis,Lou Donaldson,Percy Heath and Kenny Clarke (tracks 1-9),and great tunes: Milt's compositions,the famous "Bag's groove","Lillie",a beautiful ballad,and "Tahiti";a salute to Duke ("don't get around much anymore"),Lou's theme ("on the scene"),and the great "what's new" by Bob Haggart.
But the most important is certainly the second session,recorded on July 2,1948 : Milt Jackson,Thelonious Monk,John Simmons and Shadow Wilson.The osmosis between Milt and Monk is perfect.The masterpiece of the session is Monk's "Misterioso", a fascinating and crazy exploration of the blues.Monk's playing on this track is out of this world. Just as mad as Jimmy Yancey."I mean you","epistrophy" and "evidence"(aka "just us" or "justice") are terrific too.In the last three tracks ("all the things you are","I should care" #1 & 2), singer Kenny Hagood joins the quartet.
This cd,which includes many alternate and unissued tracks,was remastered by the great Rudy Van Gelder,and the cover of the jacket uses the drawing of the original 10 inch LP.A treasury in the Blue Note catalog.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historic Album, A MUST for MJQ Fans, But..., February 4, 2004

By 

J H Murphy "Hank Murphy" (Agoura, California USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wizard of the Vibes (Audio CD)

I'll echo some of the other reviews that this is a landmark in many ways, and a great addition to your collection if you are a fan of Milt Jackson, or the MJQ, or Monk. Just be aware of some drawbacks. First, this is a mono recording. Second, the sound is not up to the quality of the other Blue Note RVG re-issues I've bought. RVG did the re-mastering, but was not the original engineer. Neither of these is a reason to avoid the album, just be aware of it when you buy. The other nuisance item is the sequence on the CD - it's inaccurate, showing most of the alternate tracks immediately after the original released version, when in fact they are at the end of each of the respective albums. I'm listening to Milt Jackson on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"...Windows Media Player says it's "What's New"...a nuisance rather than a catastrophe, as the liner notes sequence is accurate. Overall, four stars, straight-ahead early 50's jazz, and recommended for MJQ and Monk fans without reservation.