Milton Brent Buckner (July 10, 1915 – July 27, 1977) was an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
pianist and organist, who in the early 1950s popularized the
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs ...
Ira Gitler
Ira Gitler (December 18, 1928 – February 23, 2019) was an American jazz historian and journalist. The co-author of ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'' with Leonard Feather—the most recent edition appeared in 1999—he wrote hundreds of ...
(2007). ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. Oxford University Press. that influenced
Red Garland
William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jaz ...
,
George Shearing
Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 ti ...
,
Bill Evans
William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...
, and
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...
. Buckner's brother, Ted Buckner, was a jazz saxophonist.
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, United States. His parents encouraged him to learn to play piano, but they both died when he was nine years old. Milt and his younger brother Ted were sent to Detroit where they were adopted by members of the Earl Walton band: trombonist John Tobias, drummer George Robinson fostered Milt and reedplayer Fred Kewley ( Fred Cecil Kewley; 1889–1953) fostered Ted.Lars Bjorn with Jim Gallert ''Before Motown: A History of Jazz in Detroit, 1920-60'' University of Michigan Press, 2001, p. 24-25. Buckner studied piano for three years from the age 10, then at 15 began writing arrangements for the band, he and his brother going on to become active in the Detroit jazz world in the 1930s.
Buckner first played in Detroit with the McKinney's Cotton Pickers and then with
Cab Calloway
Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocali ...
. In 1941, he joined
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charle ...
's big band, and for the next seven years served as its pianist and staff arranger. Buckner was part of a Variety Revue of 1950 organized by Lionel Hampton at the Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago W ...
in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on June 25, 1950. He led a short-lived big band of his own for two years, but then returned to Hampton's in 1950. In 1952, he formed his own trio and pioneered the use of the electric Hammond organ. He often played in Europe in the late 1960s. His last studio session took place in Paris on 4 July 1977. Milt Buckner is also known for the use of his song "The Beast" in the title menu of the video game, '' Battlefield: Bad Company''.
Buckner died of a heart attack in July 1977, in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
, at the age of 62.
Discography
* "Vibe Boogie" (with
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charle ...
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps.
Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south.
...
MG-15023 0" LP 1953) - note: includes 6 of the 13 tracks Buckner's Beale Street Gang recorded for Savoy in 1946, 1947, 1948, and 1951.
* ''Organ...Sweet 'N' Swing'' (
Regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
MG-6004, 1956) - note: a shared album with Bobby Banks, and Vin Strong; includes 4 of the 6 tracks Buckner's trio recorded for Scooter Records (a subsidiary of Roost) in 1952: "By The River St. Marie", "Rollin' Strollin'", Take It Away", and "Russian Lullaby".
* ''Rockin' with Milt'' (
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerou ...
T-642, 1955; CD reissue: Jasmine JASCD-499, 2009)
* ''Rockin' Hammond'' (Capitol T-722, 1956; CD reissue: Jasmine JASCD-499, 2009)
* ''Send Me Softly'' (Capitol T-938, 1957; CD reissue: Solar U4569921, 2012)
* ''Mighty High'' ( Argo LPS-660, 1959; CD reissue: Solar U4569916, 2012)
* ''Please, Mr. Organ Player'' (Argo LPS-670, 1960; CD reissue: Solar U4569921, 2012)
* ''Midnight Mood'' (Argo LPS-702, 1961; CD reissue: Solar U4569916, 2012)
* ''The New World of Milt Buckner'' (
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital ...
BCP-6072, 1963)
* ''Play Chords'' (SABA 15110, 1966)
* ''Them There Eyes'' (with Buddy Tate) ( Black & Blue 33.013, 1967)
* ''Locked Hands'' (
MPS
MPS, M.P.S., MPs, or mps may refer to:
Science and technology
* Mucopolysaccharidosis, genetic lysosomal storage disorder
* Mononuclear phagocyte system, cells in mammalian biology
* Myofascial pain syndrome
* Metallopanstimulin
* Potassium perox ...
15199, 1968)
* ''More Chords'' (MPS 15237, 1969)
* ''Rockin' Again'' (Black & Blue 33.043, 1972)
* ''Black and Blue Stomp'' (Black & Blue, 33.061, 1973)
* ''Block Chords Parade'' (Black & Blue 33.184, 1974
el. 1984
EL, El or el may refer to:
Religion
* El (deity), a Semitic word for "God"
People
* EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer
* El DeBarge, music artist
* El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American ...
CD reissue: Black & Blue BB-953, 2002)
* ''Green Onions'' (with Roy Gaines) (Black & Blue 33.087, 1975; Classic Jazz CJ-141, 1980; CD reissue: Black & Blue BB-929, 2000)
* ''Milt Buckner & His Alumni (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions)'' (Black & Blue BB-909, 1976 el. 1998
* ''Boogie Woogie USA'' (Black & Blue 33.120, 1977)
As sideman
With
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (April 18, 1924 – September 10, 2005) was an American singer and multi-instrumentalist from Louisiana. He won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1983 for his album, ''Alright Again!''.
Early life
B ...
* ''Sings Louis Jordan'' (Black & Blue 33.053, 1973)
* ''Cold Strange'' (Black & Blue 33.096, 1973
el. 1976
EL, El or el may refer to:
Religion
* El (deity), a Semitic word for "God"
People
* EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer
* El DeBarge, music artist
* El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American ...
With Arnett Cobb
* ''Again with Milt Buckner'' (Black & Blue 33.052, 1973)
* ''Midnight Slows, Vol. 3'' (with Floyd "Candy" Johnson too!) (Black & Blue 33.055, 1973)
* ''Midnight Slows, Vol. 6'' (Black & Blue 33.093, 1976)
* ''The Wild Man From Texas'' (Black & Blue 33.099, 1976)
With
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...
* ''Leapin' on Lenox'' (Black & Blue 33.072, 1974)
With Roy Gaines
* ''Superman'' (Black & Blue, 33.088, 1975)
With Tiny Grimes
* ''Chasin with Milt'' (Black & Blue 33.017, 1968)
With
Illinois Jacquet
Jean-Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo.
Although he was a pioneer of t ...
The King!
''The King!'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Illinois Jacquet which was recorded in 1968 and released on the Prestige label.Prestige PR-7597, 1968)
* ''
The Soul Explosion
''The Soul Explosion'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Illinois Jacquet which was recorded in 1969 and released on the Prestige label.Black Lion BL-146, 1971)
* ''Illinois Jacquet with Milt and Jo'' (Black & Blue 33.070, 1974)
* ''Jacquet's Street'' (Black & Blue 33.112, 1976)
With Floyd "Candy" Johnson
* ''Candy's Mood'' (with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown too!) (Black & Blue 33.058, 1973)
With Guy Lafitte
* ''Midnight Slows, Vol. 7'' (Black & Blue 33.115, 1977)
With
Jay McShann
James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and ...
* ''Jumpin' the Blues'' (Black & Blue 33.039, 1970 el. 1972
* ''Kansas City Memories'' (Black & Blue 33.057, 1973)
With Buddy Morrow
* ''Night Train Goes to Hollywood'' ( Mercury MG-20702/SR-60702, 1962)
With Andre Persiany
* ''Pianistically Yours'' (Black & Blue 33.176, 1975–1976 el. 1982
With
Hal Singer
Harold Joseph Singer (October 8, 1919 – August 18, 2020), also known as Hal "Cornbread" Singer, was an American R&B and jazz bandleader and saxophonist.
Early life
Harold Joseph Singer was born in Greenwood, an African American district ...
* ''Milt And Hal'' (with Tiny Grimes too!) (Black & Blue 33.016, 1968)
With
Buddy Tate
George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.
Biography
Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All ...
* ''When I'm Blue'' (Black & Blue 33.014, 1967)
* ''Crazy Rhythm'' (Black & Blue 33.018, 1968)
* ''Midnight Slows, Vol. 1'' (Black & Blue 33.026, 1971)
* ''Midnight Slows, Vol. 4'' (Black & Blue 33.068, 1974)
* ''Midnight Slows, Vol. 5'' (Black & Blue 33.075, 1974)
With Marcel Zanini
* ''Blues and Bounce!'' (Black & Blue 33.110, 1976)