Willis 'Gator' Jackson - Gentle Gator (1962/2008)

2017-08-23T14:14:48Z

Willis 'Gator' Jackson - Gentle Gator (1962/2008)


1    Solitude (DeLange / Ellington / Mills)
2    Estrellita (Ponce)
3    Girl of My Dreams (Clapp)
4    It Never Entered My Mind (Hart / Rodgers)
5    Al-Di-La (Donida)
6    Careless Love (Handy / Koenig / Williams)
7    I Remember Clifford (Golson)
8    Again (Cochran / Newman)
9    Amor (Mendez / Ruiz)
10   Nancy (With the Laughing Face) (Silvers / VanHeusen)
11   Home (Clarkson / VanSteeden)
12   They Didn't Believe Me (Kern / Rourke) 

Willis "Gator" Jackson 	Sax (Tenor)
Juan Amalbert 	Congas
Kenny Burrell 	Guitar
Eddie Calhoun 	Bass
Bobby Donaldson 	Drums
Tommy Flanagan 	Piano
Roy Haynes 	Drums
Gus Johnson 	Drums
Gildo Mahones 	Piano
Wendell Marshall 	Bass
Montego Joe 	Congas, Percussion
Peck Morrison 	Bass
Jimmy Neely 	Piano
Jose Paulo 	Percussion
Bucky Pizzarelli 	Guitar
Emmanuel K. Rahim 	Percussion
Mickey Roker 	Drums
George Tucker 	Bass
Richard Wyands 	Piano

Tenor-saxophonist Willis Jackson is best-known as a passionate and screaming tenorman who puts a lot of emotion in his playing. This CD reissue is a change of pace for it consists of ballads taken from four of "Gator's" Prestige and Moodsville albums of 1961-62. Jackson plays tastefully and sticks close to the melodies, sounding in good form on such songs as "Estrellita," "Girl of My Dreams," "Home" and "They Didn't Believe Me." However due to the sampler nature of the collection, the sameness of mood and the overly restrained solos, this CD is of lesser interest. ---Scott Yanow, AllMusic Review

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Willis Jackson Feat. Groove Holmes - Ya Understand Me? (1980)

2017-07-27T13:53:06Z

Willis Jackson Feat. Groove Holmes - Ya Understand Me? (1980)


1. Ya Understand Me?
2. Body And Soul
3. My One And Only Love
4. The Head Tune
5. More

Willis Jackson - tenor sax
Richard 'Groove' Holmes - organ
Steve Giordano - guitar
Roger Lee Humphrey – drums

Willis “Gator” Jackson – saxophone (1932 – 1987)

Willis “Gator” Jackson originally established himself as a honking R&B tenor saxophonist before modifying his style and becoming a success in hard bop/soul-jazz.

Jackson was born in Florida, where he played as a teen-ager with the celebrated trumpeter Fats Navarro and other future jazz stars. He turned down offers of employment from Lionel Hampton and Andy Kirk in order to complete a college education at Florida A&M. Jackson initially played locally until he got his big break and joined Cootie Williams in 1948.

Jackson was showcased honking and screaming throughout the two-sided recording “Gator Tail” which earned him the nickname of “Gator” and led to him making his first records as a leader in 1950.

Willis Jackson was a popular attraction in the R&B field throughout the first half of the 1950s before rock and roll took over. He was married to Ruth Brown and appeared on many of her recordings of the era. Besides backing Ruth on many of her hits, he became a regular Atlantic session musician and also recorded under his own name. But by 1959 he had wisely altered his approach, eliminating some of the more excessive shrieks but still playing in a highly expressive style that fit in well with organ combos and in soul-jazz settings.

During 1959-1968, Jackson recorded constantly for Prestige, making a couple of dozen albums. Among the sets that are currently available are “Please Mr. Jackson,” “Legends of Acid Jazz,” “Keep on a Blowin,” “Gentle Gator,” “At Large,” “Gravy,” “Soul Night Live, with Pat Martino,” and “Nuther’n Like Thuther’n.” Several of these CDs feature guitarist Pat Martino when he was a talented teenager.

In the late 70s he led a tenor-organ combo featuring Carl Wilson (organ), and Pat Martino (guitar). He enjoyed a long and fruitful association with the organist Jack McDuff.

In his last years Jackson was heard frequently at various Harlem nightspots and at the West End Cafe near Columbia University, where he traded solos with George Kelly, an early friend from Miami, in a band called Two Tenor Boogie.

Willis Jackson continued playing in prime form up to the time of his 1987 death. Willis Jackson left an imposing legacy of recordings covering all of his active period from 1950 up through the ‘80’s. Many are still available and are prime examples of high energy soul jazz played by one of its masters. --- James Nadal, musicians.allaboutjazz.com

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