Wicked early work from
Milt Jackson – a record that's got a lot more of an edge than some of his later work with the
Modern Jazz Quartet – a near-perfect
modernist bop sound that's every bit the best side of Blue Note in the early 50s! The groups here are really great – one a
quintet that features
Jackson's partners in the MJQ – John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums (who was in the first rendition of the
quartet) – the group's also joined by Lou Donaldson on alto sax, who blows with this boppish edge that really deepens the sound! And the other
quintet is even better – with Thelonious Monk on piano and Sahib Shihab on alto sax.
Milt's vibes ring out in this boldly chromatic way – clearly a sense of discovery in process during the session – and titles include "Bag's Groove", "On The Scene", "Willow Weep For Me", "Criss Cross", "Eronel", "Tahiti", and "What's New".
(Great Japanese pressing, with obi – TOJJ 5011.)