Milton "Bags" Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999) was an American j… Read Full Bio ↴Milton "Bags" Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999) was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with several hard bop and post-bop players.

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.

Nearness of You
Milt Jackson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Its not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
Its just the nearness of you

It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
Its just the nearness of you

When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true

I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right

To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Milt Jackson Quartet's song The Nearness of You describe a feeling of intense joy and closeness that is only possible when the person you love is close by. The singer explains that it's not external factors, like the pale moon or sweet conversation, that excite them, but rather the closeness of the person they love. The singer goes on to describe the intense physical and emotional sensation they experience when they are holding their loved one close. They don't need any extra frills or romantic accouterments to be happy, they only need to feel the nearness of their beloved.

The lyrics to this song are a testament to the fact that true happiness and fulfillment can only be achieved through connection with another person. The nearness of another person has the power to ignite all of our wildest dreams and desires. It's a reminder that true joy comes from the experience of being deeply connected to another person, and that all the trappings of romance and seduction pale in comparison to the simple pleasure of being near the one you love.

Line by Line Meaning

Its not the pale moon that excites me
The sight of the moon doesn't thrill or excite me.

That thrills and delights me, oh no
It's not what you think, the moon isn't what causes me to feel delighted.

Its just the nearness of you
It's simply the closeness and intimacy between you and I that makes me feel this way.

It isn't your sweet conversation
It's not necessarily the topics or quality of our conversations.

That brings this sensation, oh no
Rather, it is simply feeling close to you that brings me this incredible sensation.

Its just the nearness of you
Once again, it's the feeling of being close to you that I find so powerful.

When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
Feeling the warmth of your embrace, and sensing how close you are to me, is an incredible feeling.

All my wildest dreams come true
Being so close to you feels like living out all of my greatest and most profound dreams.

I need no soft lights to enchant me
I don't require visual aesthetics to be enchanted.

If you'll only grant me the right
If you only allow me to be near you in this way.

To hold you ever so tight
To hold you closely and tightly in my arms.

And to feel in the night the nearness of you
To experience the feelings of intimacy, companionship, and closeness with you throughout the night.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, NED WASHINGTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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