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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZJACKSON, Willis(b 25 April '32, Miami; d 25 Oct. '87) Tenor sax, composer; aka 'Gator', 'Gatortail'. Like Jimmy Forrest and Hank Crawford a link between R&B and jazz; he invented the gator horn, a long saxophone with a ball-shaped bell with small opening, that sounds between alto and soprano. Pro at 14; studied music in college; with Cootie Williams '50-- 55, recording own 'Gator Tail', hence nickname. Single on Apollo '50 'Chuck's Chuckles', 'Dance Of The Lady Bug' incl. Booty Wood, trombone (later with Duke Ellington), Bill Doggett, Panama Francis (Call Of The Gators is a CD in Delmark's Apollo series); others on Atlantic, Deluxe, Atco '52--7 ('Back Door' and 'Later Gator' on Atco arr. by Quincy Jones, incl. Al Caiola, Kenny Burrell). He was married to Ruth Brown and accompanied her. Series of crowd-pleasers on Prestige: tracks issued on various LPs '59--60 with organist Jack McDuff; '61 tracks on both Prestige and Moodsville; then Together Again, Again '61 with McDuff, Thunderbird '62 with Freddie Roach on organ (b 11 May '31, Bronx, NY), Shuckin' '62 with Burrell, Tommy Flanagan, Roy Haynes, Latin percussion; Neapolitan Nights, Loose, Grease And Gravy, The Good Life, More Gravy, Boss Shoutin' '62--3; Jackson's Action, Live Action, Soul Night, Tell It all made live at the Allegro NYC '64; Soul Grabber, Star Bag, Swivel Hips, Gator's Groove, Gatorade '67-- 71. On other labels, Gator Tails '64 on Verve had a large orchestra; Smokin' With Willis '65 was a sextet LP on Cadet; a sextet LP on Upfront late '60s incl. George Benson and Dave 'Baby' Cortez. The Way We Were '75 on Atlantic and an LP on Cotillion '76 had vocalists and large orchestra. Later LPs on Muse: West Africa '73, Headed And Gutted '74, In The Alley '76, The Gator Horn '77, Bar Wars '77 with Charles Earland on organ, Single Action '78, Lockin' Horns '78 (live at Laren Jazz Festival with Von Freeman), Nothing Butt with Earland and Ya Understand Me? with Richard 'Groove' Holmes '80. Also In Chateauneuf Du Pape '80 on Black and Blue with Holmes. |