A very expressive player, Jackson differentiated himself from other vibraphonists in his attention to variations on harmonics and rhythm. He was particularly fond of the twelve-bar blues at slow tempos. He preferred to set the vibraphone's oscillator to a low 3.3 revolutions per second (as opposed to Lionel Hampton's speed of 10 revolutions per second) for a more subtle vibrato. On occasion, Jackson would also sing and play piano professionally.
He was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie, who hired him for his sextet in 1946. He quickly acquired experience working with the most important figures in jazz of the era, including John Coltrane, Woody Herman, Howard McGhee, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker. In the Gillespie big band one of his jobs was to play in a quartet with John Lewis, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke while the horn section took a break from the demanding high-register horn parts. This group became the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ), which had a long independent career of 20 years until disbanding in 1974 over financial problems (though it reformed in 1981). Jackson then toured alone, performing in various small combos.
From the mid-70s to the mid-80s, Jackson recorded for Norman Granz's Pablo Records, including the classic, "Jackson, Johnson, Brown & Company" (1983), featuring Jackson with J.J. Johnson on trombone, Ray Brown on bass, backed by Tom Ranier on piano, guitarist John Collins, and drummer Roy McCurdy.
He also guested on recordings by many leading jazz, blues and soul artists, such as B.B. King, Ray Charles, etc.
His composition "Bags' Groove" ("Bags" was his nickname, from the 'bags' under his eyes from staying up late) is a jazz standard. He has been featured on the NPR radio program Jazz Profiles.
‘Round About Midnight
Milt Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Round midnight, midnight
I do pretty well, till after sundown
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
But it really gets bad
'Round midnight
Memories always start 'round midnight
When my heart is still with you
And ol' midnight knows it, too
When a quarrel we had needs mending
Does it mean that our love is ending
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
You're out of my heart
And I'm out of my mind
Let our hearts take wings'
'Round midnight, midnight
Let the angels sing
For your returning
Till our love is safe and sound
And old midnight comes around
Feelin' sad
Really gets bad
Round, Round, Round Midnight
The lyrics to Milt Jackson Quartet's "Round Midnight" convey the emotions and thoughts of someone who is struggling with the memories and feelings associated with a lost love. The singer describes how the memories always start "round midnight" and how they begin to feel sad as suppertime approaches. He is torn between his heart and mind as he wonders whether a quarrel they had means that their love is ending. Despite this struggle, the singer longs for his love to return and for their love to be "safe and sound" once again, as midnight approaches and memories flood back.
Line by Line Meaning
It begins to tell
As the clock strikes midnight, a story begins to unfold
'Round midnight, midnight
The time of day is midnight
I do pretty well, till after sundown
The singer is able to distract themselves during the day, but the evenings are hard
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
Evening mealtime causes the artist to feel melancholic
But it really gets bad
As the night goes on, the sadness becomes worse
'Round midnight
The time of day is still midnight
Memories always start 'round midnight
When it's late and quiet, memories of the past come flooding back
Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
The artist is unable to handle the pain that comes with remembering
When my heart is still with you
The artist's heart still belongs to someone they miss
And ol' midnight knows it, too
The late hour seems to understand the artist's heartache
When a quarrel we had needs mending
If there is an issue in the relationship that needs fixing
Does it mean that our love is ending
The artist wonders if this issue signifies the end of the relationship
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
The singer misses their loved one and realizes it more and more each day
You're out of my heart
The singer's loved one is no longer a part of their heart
And I'm out of my mind
The singer feels like they're going crazy without their loved one
Let our hearts take wings'
The artist wants to be reunited with their loved one
'Round midnight, midnight
The time of day is still midnight
Let the angels sing
The singer wants heavenly beings to rejoice in their reunion
For your returning
Because they're longing for their loved one to come back
Till our love is safe and sound
The artist wants the love between them and their loved one to be secure and unshakeable
And old midnight comes around
The artist's sorrow always returns again at midnight
Feelin' sad
The artist is upset
Really gets bad
The singer's emotions become increasingly intense
Round, Round, Round Midnight
The late hour and the artist's emotions seem to circle endlessly
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cootie Williams, Bernard D Hanighen, Theolonious S Monk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mabovithz elthz
いつも夜が更けると始まるの
真夜中になる頃
明るいうちは大丈夫だけど
夕食の頃になると悲しくなってくる
だけど本当に辛いのは真夜中なんだ
日付が変わる頃いつも思い出が蘇る
真夜中になる頃
そんな思い出なんかどうってことない
強い気持ちにはなれないよ
だってまだあなたへの気持ちが残ってるから
真夜中はそんなこともお見通し
仲直りしなきゃいけないような
ひどい口げんかをしてしたからって
それで２人は終わりになるの？
ねえ，そばにいて欲しいのに
最近気づいたの
あなたが遠くなったって
そのせいで
どうにかなってしまいそう
いつか日付が変わる頃
２人の愛を舞い上がらせよう
真夜中になる頃
天使に歌ってもらうよ
あなたが戻ってくれたら
昔と同じ気持ちになれるはず
あの頃みたいな夜が来たら
いつか日付が変わる頃
２人の愛を舞い上がらせよう
真夜中になる頃
天使に歌ってもらうよ
あなたが戻ってくれたら
昔と同じ気持ちになれるはず
あの頃みたいな夜が来たら
いつか日付が変わる頃
２人の愛を舞い上がらせよう
真夜中になる頃
天使に歌ってもらうよ
あなたが戻ってくれたら
昔と同じ気持ちになれるはず
あの頃みたいな夜が来たら
Rick Davenport
One of The Best displays of jazz ever performed! Salute to the great Milt Jackson!
Attilio Malambri 01
A deep soul with the hands of an angel...i'm in heaven but at the same time i'm feeling like i'm walking in some street of an old New York City by night...
tod hursen
How much appreciation can one express for Milt's genius ; he's such a stimuli for thought.
Delius Myth
The way he eyeballs the audience: "Are you cool enough for this?"
Michael Chapman
'Literally!......
niac
not even close...
markbra
That`s a no-no to white usa.
zanohoriamazo1
🤣😁 Yes indeed, plenty plenty profound soul!
DeGrate1896
@Delius Myth. And the answer comes back as a definitive "No, Mr. Jackson. Most of us are not cool enough or worried enough or deserving enough, but thank you for being gracious."
Test Account
Great jazz masterpiece, perfectly suted for listening at the top of a highrise in the middle of a big city, in a clear and frosty winter afternoon, with that muffled traffic noise, low winter sun, and pink distant smokes on the horizon