Ballads & Blues (Milt Jackson album)
| Ballads & Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1956 | |||
| Recorded | January 17 & 21, and February 14, 1956 | |||
| Studio | New York City and Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 42:02 | |||
| Label | Atlantic 1242 | |||
| Producer | Nesuhi Ertegun | |||
| Milt Jackson chronology | ||||
| ||||
Ballads & Blues is an album by the American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson of performances recorded in 1956 and released on the Atlantic label.[1]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [3] |
The AllMusic review awarded the album 4½ stars.[2]
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the album "near-perfect Jackson fare," and wrote: "The others mostly keep out of his way and let him blow, although Lucky Thompson is on the final three tracks and in excellent fettle."[3]
Jazz Journal's Derek Ansell stated that the album "makes me want to trot out the tired old cliché – they don't make 'em like this anymore. The trouble is it's true, they really don't."[4]
A reviewer for Billboard commented: "The fans should heartily welcome this 'blowing' session... An excellent set that should sell well."[5]
Track listing
[edit]- All compositions by Milt Jackson, except as indicated
- "So in Love" (Cole Porter) - 3:14
- "These Foolish Things" (Eric Maschwitz, Jack Strachey, Harry Link) - 4:25
- "Solitude" (Duke Ellington) - 4:43
- "The Song is Ended" (Irving Berlin) - 4:40
- "They Didn't Believe Me" (Jerome Kern, Herbert Reynolds) - 3:45
- "How High the Moon" (Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis) - 6:13
- "Gerry's Blues" - 5:02
- "Hello" - 3:47
- "Bright Blues" - 6:13
Recorded in New York City on January 17 (tracks 6, 8 & 9) and January 21 (tracks 1, 3 & 5) and at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey on February 14 (tracks 2, 4 & 7), 1956
Personnel
[edit]- Milt Jackson – vibes
- Lucky Thompson – tenor saxophone (tracks 6, 8 & 9)
- John Lewis – piano (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9)
- Barry Galbraith (tracks 1, 3 & 5) or Barney Kessel (tracks 2, 4 & 7) or Skeeter Best (tracks 6, 8 & 9 – guitar
- Oscar Pettiford (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9) or Percy Heath (tracks 2, 4 & 7) – double bass
- Kenny Clarke (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9) or Lawrence Marable (tracks 2, 4 & 7) – drums
- Ralph Burns – arranger (tracks 1, 3 & 5)
References
[edit]- ^ Milt Jackson discography. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
- "Reviews and Ratings of New Jazz Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 20, 1956 – via Google Books. - ^ a b "Milt Jackson - Ballads & Blues". Allmusic. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
- ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9 ed.). Penguin. pp. 754–755.
- ^ Ansell, Derek (November 28, 2019). "Milt Jackson: Ballads And Blues". Jazz Journal. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ "Reviews and Ratings of New Jazz Albums". Billboard. October 20, 1956. p. 46.