Back in May of 2011, I posted the other side of this record by the late, great Milt Buckner.
One of the fathers of the funky organ sound and one of the inspirations for George Shearing's "locked hands" style of playing. Buckner played with McKinney's Cotton Pickers in the 1930s, then spent most of the 1940s with Lionel Hampton's big band. He struck out on his own, leading an unsuccessful big band that folded in 1949. He rejoined Hamp briefly, then left again to lead a trio. He recorded several classic albums for Capitol in the mid-1950s. Buckner pioneered the use of the electric organ as a substitute for a brass section, which proved an effective economy measure as the big band era ended. He began touring in Europe in the early 1960s, and gradually shifted most of his appearances there. In the early 1970s, he teamed with another Hampton alumnus, tenor sax man Illinois Jacquet, and they recorded a number of albums for European labels.
Milt Buckner (10 July 1915 – 27 July 1977) was an American jazz pianist and organist, originally from St. Louis, Missouri. He was orphaned as a child, but an uncle in Detroit (trombone player John Tobias) taught him to play. Buckner pioneered the parallel chords style which influenced Red Garland, George Shearing, Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson.
He first played in Detroit with the McKinney Cotton Pickers and then with Cab Calloway. In 1941 he joined Lionel Hampton's big band ,and for the next seven years served as its pianist and staff arranger. He led a short-lived band of his own for two years, but then returned to Hampton's in 1950. In 1952, he formed his own group. He often played in Europe in the late 60's. Buckner pioneered the use of the electric organ. He died in Chicago, Illinois at the age of sixty-two.
Buckner's brother, Ted Buckner, was a noted jazz saxophonist. His band often played at The Huddle Eastland in West Covina back in it's heyday.
Here is After Hours from 1960 on Argo which was a Chess Records imprint label.
