Milt Buckner

• Name — Milt Buckner • Birth Name — Milton Brent Buckner • Born — 10 July 1915 • Birthplace — St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. • Died — 27 July 1977 • Place of death — Chicago, Illinois, U.S. • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician • Instrument — Piano, Hammond B3 organ • Years Active — 1930s–1975

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 Ted were sent to Detroit where they were adopted by members of the Earl Walton band: trombonist John Tobias, drummer George Robinson fostered Milt and reedplayer Fred Kewley (Fred Cecil Kewley; 1889–1953) fostered Ted. Buckner studied piano for three years from the age 10, then at 15 began writing arrangements for the band, he and his brother going on to become active in the Detroit jazz world in the 1930s. Buckner first played in Detroit with the McKinney's 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. Buckner was part of a Variety Revue of 1950 organized by Lionel Hampton at the Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on June 25, 1950. He led a short-lived big band of his own for two years, but then returned to Hampton's in 1950. In 1952, he formed his own trio and pioneered the use of the electric Hammond organ. He often played in Europe in the late 1960s. His last studio session took place in Paris on July 4, 1977. Milt Buckner is also known for the use of his song "The Beast" in the film Mulholland Drive and in the title menu of the video game Battlefield: Bad Company. Buckner died of a heart attack in July 1977, in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 62.

With Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown • Sings Louis Jordan (Black & Blue 33.053, 1973) • Cold Strange (Black & Blue 33.096, 1973 [rel. 1976]) With Arnett Cobb • Again with Milt Buckner (Black & Blue 33.052, 1973) • Midnight Slows, Vol. 3 (with Floyd "Candy" Johnson too!) (Black & Blue 33.055, 1973) • Midnight Slows, Vol. 6 (Black & Blue 33.093, 1976) • The Wild Man From Texas (Black & Blue 33.099, 1976) With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis • Leapin' on Lenox (Black & Blue 33.072, 1974) With Roy Gaines • Superman (Black & Blue, 33.088, 1975) With Tiny Grimes • Chasin with Milt (Black & Blue 33.017, 1968) With Illinois Jacquet • Go Power! (Cadet LPS-773, 1966) • The King! (Prestige PR-7597, 1968) • The Soul Explosion (Prestige PR-7629, 1969) • Genius at Work! (Black Lion BL-146, 1971) • Illinois Jacquet with Milt and Jo (Black & Blue 33.070, 1974) • Jacquet's Street (Black & Blue 33.112, 1976) With Floyd "Candy" Johnson • Candy's Mood (with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown too!) (Black & Blue 33.058, 1973) With Guy Lafitte • Midnight Slows, Vol. 7 (Black & Blue 33.115, 1977) With Jay McShann • Jumpin' the Blues (Black & Blue 33.039, 1970 [rel. 1972]) • Kansas City Memories (Black & Blue 33.057, 1973) With Buddy Morrow • Night Train Goes to Hollywood (Mercury MG-20702/SR-60702, 1962) With Andre Persiany • Pianistically Yours (Black & Blue 33.176, 1975–1976 [rel. 1982]) With Hal Singer • Milt And Hal (with Tiny Grimes too!) (Black & Blue 33.016, 1968) With Buddy Tate • When I'm Blue (Black & Blue 33.014, 1967) • Crazy Rhythm (Black & Blue 33.018, 1968) • Midnight Slows, Vol. 1 (Black & Blue 33.026, 1971) • Midnight Slows, Vol. 4 (Black & Blue 33.068, 1974) • Midnight Slows, Vol. 5 (Black & Blue 33.075, 1974) With Marcel Zanini • Blues and Bounce! (Black & Blue 33.110, 1976)

* • BBC Radio 2 • Bio- and discography • Discography on jazzdocumentation.ch