Willis Jackson
Encyclopedia
Willis "Gator" Jackson (April 25, 1932 – October 25, 1987) was an American
jazz
tenor saxophonist
. Born in Miami, Florida
, Jackson joined Duke Ellington
alumnus Cootie Williams
's band in 1949 as a teenager, after being discovered by Eddie Vinson
. During the 1950s he participated in R&B
and jazz
recordings
, primarily as a session musician
. He also toured as leader of the backing band of singer Ruth Brown
, whom he married. Jackson joined Prestige Records
in 1959, making a string of jazz album
s which proved to an influence on the burgeoning soul jazz
movement. During this era, Jack McDuff
and Pat Martino
became famous through association with Jackson. Jackson's main influences were Lester Young
and Illinois Jacquet
.
Jamaican ska
innovator Prince Buster
has cited Jackson's song "Later for the Gator" as one of the first ska songs.
Jackson died in New York
one week after heart surgery, in October 1987, at the age of 55.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
tenor saxophonist
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
. Born in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Jackson joined Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
alumnus Cootie Williams
Cootie Williams
Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter.-Biography:...
's band in 1949 as a teenager, after being discovered by Eddie Vinson
Eddie Vinson
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed Cleanhead after an incident in which his hair was accidentally destroyed by lye contained in a hair straightening product.-Biography:Vinson was born in Houston, Texas...
. During the 1950s he participated in R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, primarily as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
. He also toured as leader of the backing band of singer Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
, whom he married. Jackson joined Prestige Records
Prestige Records
Prestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company was located at 203 South Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several...
in 1959, making a string of jazz album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s which proved to an influence on the burgeoning soul jazz
Soul jazz
Soul jazz is a development of jazz incorporating strong influences from blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues in music for small groups, often an organ trio featuring a Hammond organ.- Overview :Soul jazz is often associated with hard bop. Mark C...
movement. During this era, Jack McDuff
Jack McDuff
"Brother" Jack McDuff was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s, often performing with an organ trio.-Career:...
and Pat Martino
Pat Martino
Pat Martino is an Italian-American jazz guitarist and composer within the post bop, fusion, mainstream jazz, soul jazz and hard bop idioms.-Biography:...
became famous through association with Jackson. Jackson's main influences were Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
and Illinois Jacquet
Illinois Jacquet
Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo....
.
Jamaican ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
innovator Prince Buster
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell, O.D. , better known as Prince Buster, and also known by his Muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali, is a musician from Kingston, Jamaica. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of ska and rocksteady music...
has cited Jackson's song "Later for the Gator" as one of the first ska songs.
Jackson died in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
one week after heart surgery, in October 1987, at the age of 55.
Album discography
- Please Mr. Jackson (Prestige), 1959
- Keep on a Blowin (Prestige), 1959
- Blue Gator (Prestige), 1959
- Cookin' Sherry (Prestige), 1959
- Together Again (with Jack McDuffJack McDuff"Brother" Jack McDuff was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s, often performing with an organ trio.-Career:...
) (Prestige), 1960 - Really Groovin' (Prestige), 1961
- In My Solitude (Moodsville), 1961
- Together Again, Again (with Jack McDuffJack McDuff"Brother" Jack McDuff was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s, often performing with an organ trio.-Career:...
) (Prestige), 1961 - Thunderbird (Prestige), 1962
- Shuckin (Prestige), 1962
- Neapolitan Nights (Prestige), 1962
- Loose (Prestige), 1963
- More Gravy (Prestige), 1963
- Boss Shoutin (Prestige), 1964
- Gator Tails (Verve), 1964
- Live - Jackson's Action's (Prestige), 1964
- Willis Jackson (Verve), 1964
- Smokin' with Willis (Cadet), 1965
- Soul Grabber (Prestige), 1967
- Star Bag (Prestige), 1968
- Swivel Hips (Prestige), 1968
- Gator's Groove (Prestige), 1968
- Mellow Blues (Upfront), 1970
- Recording Session (Big Chance), 1970
- Gatorade (Prestige), 1971
- West Africa (Muse), 1973
- Headed and Gutted (Muse), 1974
- The Way We Were (Atlantic), 1975
- Funky Reggae (Trip), 1976
- In The Alley (Muse), 1976
- Plays with Feeling (Cotillion), 1976
- The Gator Horn (Muse), 1977
- Bar Wars (Muse), 1977
- Single Action (Muse), 1978
- Lockin' Horns (with Von FreemanVon FreemanEarle Lavon Freeman Sr. is an American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist. He is the father of jazz saxophonist Chico Freeman.-Biography:...
) (Muse), 1978 - In Chateauneuf du Pape (Black and blue), 1980
- Nothin' Butt (Muse), 1980
External links
- [ Willis Jackson biography at Allmusic]