Ballads & Blues (Milt Jackson album)

Ballads & Blues is an album by the American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson of performances recorded in 1956 and released on the Atlantic label.^[1]

Ballads & Blues
Studio album by Milt Jackson
Released	1956
Recorded	January 17 & 21, and February 14, 1956
Studio	New York City and Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey
Genre	Jazz
Length	42:02
Label	Atlantic 1242
Producer	Nesuhi Ertegun
Milt Jackson chronology
Jackson's Ville (1956) Ballads & Blues (1956) Fontessa (1956)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[3]

The AllMusic review awarded the album 4½ stars.^[2]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the album "near-perfect Jackson fare," and wrote: "The others mostly keep out of his way and let him blow, although Lucky Thompson is on the final three tracks and in excellent fettle."^[3]

Jazz Journal's Derek Ansell stated that the album "makes me want to trot out the tired old cliché – they don't make 'em like this anymore. The trouble is it's true, they really don't."^[4]

A reviewer for Billboard commented: "The fans should heartily welcome this 'blowing' session... An excellent set that should sell well."^[5]

Track listing

All compositions by Milt Jackson, except as indicated

1. "So in Love" (Cole Porter) - 3:14
2. "These Foolish Things" (Eric Maschwitz, Jack Strachey, Harry Link) - 4:25
3. "Solitude" (Duke Ellington) - 4:43
4. "The Song is Ended" (Irving Berlin) - 4:40
5. "They Didn't Believe Me" (Jerome Kern, Herbert Reynolds) - 3:45
6. "How High the Moon" (Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis) - 6:13
7. "Gerry's Blues" - 5:02
8. "Hello" - 3:47
9. "Bright Blues" - 6:13

Recorded in New York City on January 17 (tracks 6, 8 & 9) and January 21 (tracks 1, 3 & 5) and at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey on February 14 (tracks 2, 4 & 7), 1956

Personnel

• Milt Jackson – vibes
• Lucky Thompson – tenor saxophone (tracks 6, 8 & 9)
• John Lewis – piano (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9)
• Barry Galbraith (tracks 1, 3 & 5) or Barney Kessel (tracks 2, 4 & 7) or Skeeter Best (tracks 6, 8 & 9 – guitar
• Oscar Pettiford (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9) or Percy Heath (tracks 2, 4 & 7) – double bass
• Kenny Clarke (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9) or Lawrence Marable (tracks 2, 4 & 7) – drums
• Ralph Burns – arranger (tracks 1, 3 & 5)