Vibraphonist Milt Jackson appeared on a number of Blue Note sessions throughout the bebop era in the late 1940s and early 1950s including a 1952 date under his leadership which featured the original line-up of the Modern Jazz Quartet with John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums, plus Lou Donaldson on alto saxophone. That year Blue Note released the 10” LP Wizard of the Vibes which included Jackson’s memorable theme “Bag’s Groove.” In 1956, Blue Note transitioned to the 12” LP and began the fabled 1500 Series, releasing the expanded LP Milt Jackson and The Thelonious Monk Quintet—BLP 1509—with added tracks from 1948 and 1951 dates led by Monk, including a quartet date with John Simmons on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums, as well as a quintet date with Sahib Shihab on alto saxophone, Al McKibbon on bass, and Art Blakey on drums.
