Milton Brent Buckner (July 10, 1915 – July 27, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and organist, who in the early 1950s popularized the Hammond organ. He pioneered the parallel chords style that influenced Red Garland, George Shearing, Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson.
Milton Brent Buckner was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His
parents encouraged him to learn to play piano, but they both died when he was
nine years old. Milt and his younger brother were sent to Detroit where they
were adopted by members of the Earl Walton band: trombonist John Tobias,
drummer George Robinson (Milt) and reed player Fred Kewley (Ted). Buckner
studied piano for three years from the age 10, then at 15 began writing
arrangements for the band.
While studying at the Detroit Institute of Arts he performed
with Mose Burke & the Dixie Whangdoodles and the Harlem Aristocrats. After
drummer and bandleader Don Cox hired him in 1932, Buckner began to develop a
uniquely percussive technique employing parallel tonal patterns, later referred
to as "block chords," a style now associated with Oscar Peterson and
George Shearing. During the '30s Buckner also worked in groups led by Jimmy
Raschelle, Lanky Bowman, and Howard Bunts.
His first big break came in 1941 when he became Lionel
Hampton's staff arranger and assistant director. His predilection for rocking
rhythms and boogie-woogie fit nicely with Hamp's approach to entertainment.
Buckner worked with Hampton during the years 1941-1948.
Buckner's earliest recordings survive as a set of piano
solos etched into Presto transcription acetates cut In 1945 Buckner made
records with Wynonie Harris, including Harris' smash hit, "Hey!
Ba-Ba-Re-Bop." In 1946 he made the first of a series of recordings with a
group variously billed as the Beale Street Boys, the Beale Street Gang, and the
Hot Shots. Over the next three years Buckner led a series of dates for the
Savoy label. In 1949 he made records with a big band for MGM,  |
| Hampton & Buckner 1951 |
It was around this time that Buckner first switched from
piano to organ. He trundled it out again in Houston TX during the spring of
1952 while backing vocalist Sonny Parker with Gladys Hampton's Blue Boys for
Peacock records. Milt recorded for the Scooter, Regent and Brunswick labels,
and jammed with saxophonist Charlie Parker in 1953 at the bandbox in New York
City. He sat piano for the Imperials (with Willie Dixon playing bass) on a
Great Lakes session that took place in Detroit during the spring of 1954.
Here's "The Beast" from above EP
Milt Buckner was a Capitol recording artist from April 1955
through July 1957. He taped his first Argo LP in New York in December 1959 with
guitarist Kenny Burrell and bassist Joe Benjamin. More Argo sessions came
together in Chicago in 1960 and 1961, and he had dealings with the Bethlehem
label in
Cincinnati in 1962 and 1963. In March 1966 a performance with
saxophonist Illinois Jacquet was taped live at Lennie's on the turnpike in West Peabody, MA and subsequently released on the Cadet label.
saxophonist Illinois Jacquet was taped live at Lennie's on the turnpike in West Peabody, MA and subsequently released on the Cadet label.
Like many U.S. jazz musicians who struggled at home and did
better abroad, Milt Buckner clearly preferred the cultural and vocational
climate in Europe. Over the 11 years that remained in his life, he only
returned to North America for brief concert and club bookings -- five times to
the U.S. and twice to Canada.
Buckner's last studio session took place in Paris on July 4, 1977. Three weeks later, on Wednesday July 27, he collapsed and died after setting up his Hammond organ in preparation for a performance with Illinois Jacquet at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. He was 62 years old.
(Edited from Wikipedia & AllMusic)
