Milt Jackson was sort of the Stephen Jackson of The Modern Jazz Quartet—the fiery one, the bluesy one who pushed against the constraints of John Lewis’s formality. Or at least that was my younger understanding of the tensions between Jackson and Lewis of the MJQ (I saw them live in ‘86 and the tension was palpable). It was probably more complex than that. Jackson respected the formality (Lewis’s “Third Stream” compositions, the tuxedos) as well, and Lewis could play the blues. Just as Stephen Jackson respects his coach, the right way to play the game, teamwork, etc.
Be that as it may, let’s talk about two Milt Jackson records: The First Q on Savoy and Milt Jackson on Blue Note. The interesting thing about The First Q and the first side of MJ is that Jackson is the session leader on proto-MJQ gigs. In future years, Lewis would become the intellectual leader of the MJQ, but Jackson was always its heart. Anyway, he’s the featured guy on these discs recorded in the early ’50’s. If you’re notion of the MJQ is meditative (or boring) “chamber jazz” (and Lord, it could be that), these records are a nice antidote. Which is to say, the blues and fire that Jackson brought to the MJQ is at the forefront of these three minute tunes. Of course, Jackson could play those ballads real pretty too.
Most interesting to me of these two records is Side Two of the Milt Jackson disc, which features Jackson playing with the Thelonious Monk Quintet. I’ll have to do more thinking about this when we get to the Monk records, but I think I prefer the Blue Note period of Monk’s career (early fifties)—there’s youth, danger and humor in these sides. Monk and Jackson make “Misterioso” into something exalted.
Can I expect the same from Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis in the upcoming basketball year?
