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 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
“‘Round About Midnight” is a classic jazz standard composed by Thelonious Monk and made popular by many other jazz musicians, including Milt Jackson. In the song, the singer describes the loneliness and sadness he feels as memories flood back to him around midnight. The lyrics suggest that he may have experienced a quarrel with someone he loves, and he is unsure if their love is ending or if it can be mended. He longs to be reunited with his love and hopes that they can rekindle their romance.
The song’s haunting melody suits the lyrics perfectly, evoking a sense of melancholy and yearning. The repetition of the phrase “'Round midnight” emphasizes the importance of this time of day to the singer, as memories and emotions are brought to the surface. The line “Suppertime I'm feelin' sad” is particularly poignant, as it suggests that the singer is not only lonely, but also hungry and possibly impoverished.
Overall, the song captures the experience of heartbreak and the desire for reconciliation, as well as the power of memories to haunt and comfort us. The lyrics and melody are timeless, making “‘Round About Midnight” a beloved standard in the jazz canon.
Line by Line Meaning
It begins to tell
The story starts to unfold
'Round midnight, midnight
At around midnight, when the night is at its darkest
I do pretty well, till after sundown
I feel fine during the day, until the sun sets
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
When it's time to eat dinner, I start to feel down
But it really gets bad
But my sadness becomes even worse
'Round midnight
At around midnight, when the night is at its darkest
Memories always start 'round midnight
My memories of you always come flooding back around midnight
Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
I can't bear to recall those memories
When my heart is still with you
When my heart still belongs to you
And ol' midnight knows it, too
Even midnight is aware of my feelings
When a quarrel we had needs mending
When there's a disagreement that needs to be resolved
Does it mean that our love is ending
Does it signify that our love is coming to an end?
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
I miss you dearly, I've been realizing lately
You're out of my heart
You no longer hold a place in my heart
And I'm out of my mind
I've gone crazy without you
Let our hearts take wings'
Let us be free to love each other again
'Round midnight, midnight
At around midnight, when the night is at its darkest
Let the angels sing
Let the angels rejoice at our reunion
For your returning
At the thought of you coming back to me
Till our love is safe and sound
Until our love is secure and unwavering
And old midnight comes around
When midnight arrives once more
Feelin' sad
I start to feel down
Really gets bad
My sadness becomes even worse
Round, Round, Round Midnight
Incessant thoughts of you haunt me around midnight
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, 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