Milt Buckner

Milt Buckner, the “St. Louis Fireball,” is normally acknowledged with having popularized the Hammond body organ through the early 1950s. Initial presented in 1934, the device was instantly seized upon by Thomas “Fatty acids” Waller, whose syncopated tube body organ information of 1926-1929 type the primal bedrock from the jazz body organ tradition. Even though Hammond was also utilized regularly by Waller’s friend Count number Basie, Buckner rekindled curiosity about the body organ some seven years after Waller’s demise as his exuberant, boogie-based method of the device added exciting brand-new textures towards the burgeoning R&B picture, inspiring a complete new era of organists and eventually endearing him to mainstream jazz viewers all over the place. Buckner, who also performed vibraphone and valve trombone, appreciated unprecedented success through the last stage of his profession, which contains mostly European travels that started in 1966 and finished abruptly along with his loss of life in 1977 at age 62. Milton Brent Buckner was created in St. Louis on July 19, 1915. His small sibling Ted, who shouldn’t be confused making use of their faraway relative, Texas blessed trumpeter Teddy Buckner, was destined to become saxophonist using the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra (where he in fact documented with Teddy in 1939) and an R&B and Motown sessionman. Milt’s parents, who inspired him to understand to try out piano, both passed away when he was nine yrs . old. Both orphans were delivered to Detroit where these were followed by members from the Earl Walton Orchestra; Milt examined piano from age group ten to thirteen along with his uncle John Tobias (Walton’s trombonist), and started writing agreements for the music group at age fifteen. While their studies at the Detroit Institute of Arts he performed with Mose Burke & the Dixie Whangdoodles as well as the Harlem Aristocrats. After drummer and bandleader Don Cox employed him in 1932, Buckner begun to develop a exclusively percussive technique using parallel tonal patterns, afterwards known as “stop chords,” a method now connected with Oscar Peterson and George Shearing. Through the ’30s Buckner also proved helpful in groupings led by Jimmy Raschelle, Lanky Bowman, and Howard Bunts. His initial big break emerged in 1941 when he became Lionel Hampton’s personnel arranger and helper movie director. His predilection for rocking rhythms and boogie-woogie suit beautifully with Hamp’s method of entertainment. Buckner caused Hampton through the years 1941-1948 and 1950-1952. Buckner’s first recordings endure as a couple of piano solos etched into Presto transcription acetates cut over the last time of August 1941. His following appearance within a studio room was as an associate of a little group led by Lionel Hampton support youthful Dinah Washington on her behalf documenting debut in Dec 1943; these feisty, blues structured performances were distributed around the general public on Harry Lim’s Keynote label. In 1945 Buckner produced information with saxophonist Herbie Areas, Ellington crooner Supplement Jeffries and R&B shouter Wynonie Harris, including Harris’ smash strike, a cover of Lionel Hampton and Curley Hamner’s extremely effective “Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop.” In 1946 he produced the to begin some recordings with an organization variously billed because the Beale Road Young boys, the Beale Road Gang, as well as the Popular Shots. On the next 3 years Buckner led some times for the Savoy label. In 1949 he produced records having a big music group for MGM, sat in with an Eddie Condon Floorshow with drummer Friend Affluent and tap-dancer Baby Laurence on NBC Television, and carried out Teddy Stewart’s Orchestra behind Dinah Washington on the day for Mercury information. In 1950 Buckner documented using the Three Flames for MGM, with vocalist Florence Wright for Country wide, with Wynonie Harris for Vogue information, with Rufus Thomas (“Mr. Golf swing”) for the Bullet label in Memphis, along with vocalist Mabel Scott and saxophonists Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Friend Tate and Crazy Expenses Moore for Ruler. It was through the Moore program that Buckner initial turned from piano to body organ. He trundled it out once again in Houston TX through the springtime of 1952 while support vocalist Sonny Parker with Gladys Hampton’s Blue Children for Peacock information. Milt documented for the Mobility scooter, Regent and Brunswick brands, and jammed with saxophonist Charlie Parker in 1953 on the bandbox in NEW YORK. He sat piano for the Imperials (with Willie Dixon playing bass) on an excellent Lakes program that occurred in Detroit through the springtime of 1954. Buckner also seen Philadelphia on the summer months to record several music with guitarist Big Ham Williams and drummer Sam Woodyard that have been released on 20th Hundred years information, a subsidiary from the Gotham label. Milt Buckner was a Capitol documenting artist from Apr 1955 through July 1957, posting the studio room with saxophonists Earle Warren and Sam Taylor, guitarists Everett Barksdale and Skeeter Greatest, bassist Milt Hinton and drummers Osie Johnson and Darkness Wilson. He taped his 1st Argo LP in NY in Dec 1959 with guitarist Kenny Burrell and bassist Joe Benjamin. Even more Argo sessions arrived collectively in Chicago in 1960 and 1961, and he previously dealings using the Bethlehem label in Cincinnati in 1962 and 1963. In March 1966 a efficiency with saxophonist Illinois Jacquet was taped live at Lennie’s for the turnpike in Western Peabody, MA and consequently released for the Cadet label. Like many U.S. jazz music artists who struggled in the home and do better overseas, Milt Buckner obviously preferred the social and vocational weather in Europe. On the 11 years that continued to be in his existence, he only came back to THE UNITED STATES for short concert and golf club bookings — five occasions towards the U.S. and double to Canada. From 1966 along with his 1st Parisian program together with Illinois Jacquet and trumpeter Roy Eldridge, Buckner’s discography shows a more steady working environment including skilled music artists and appreciative viewers. Milt Buckner’s last 10 years of professional activity is mainly assessed in recordings released around the Dark & Blue label, apart from several Prestige, Jazz Odyssey and Riff produces. Buckner produced music in Paris, Villingen, Boulogne, Cologne, Antwerpen, Lausanne, Biarritz, Barcelona, Toulouse, London, Herouville, Valauris, Besancon, Geneva, Salon, Yverdon, Great, Scheveningen and Leiden. His program mates included multi-instrumentalist Clarence “Gatemouth” Dark brown, trumpeters Buck Clayton, Joe Newman, Johnny Letman and Costs Coleman; trombonist Gene “Mighty Flea” Connors; saxophonists Ben Webster, Candy Johnson, Eddie Chamblee, Hal Vocalist, Lucky Thompson, Big Nick Nicholas, Marcel Zanini, Man Lafitte, Arnett Cobb, Pal Tate, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Illinois Jacquet; pianists André Persiany, Jean-Paul Amouroux and Jay McShann; guitarist Al Casey; bassists Milt Hinton, Main Holley and Roland Lobligeois in addition to vocalists Jodie Drake, Small Mary Anglade and Big Joe Turner. Buckner’s last studio room program occurred in Paris on July 4, 1977. Three weeks later on, on Thursday July 27, he collapsed and passed away after establishing his Hammond body organ in preparation to get a efficiency with Illinois Jacquet on the Jazz Display in Chicago.