Jazz / Soul-Jazz; Hard Bop
Recorded: May 25, 1959, Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey
Willis Jackson Quintet
Willis Jackson - tenor saxophone
Bill Jennings - guitar
Jack McDuff - organ
Tommy Potter - bass
Alvin Johnson - drums
What Bob Weinstock heard in the band that Willis Jackson brought to Prestige in May 1959 was one that would fit the soul-jazz formula that had clicked with Lockjaw Davis and Shirley Scott. It also produced two other leaders in Bill Jennings and Jack McDuff.
Jackson was, in many ways, the personification of soul-jazz saxophone--skilled in the basics (blues, ballads), yet sophisticated enough to deal with current trends and subtle arrangements. His big sound and loose, relaxed swing still sound good these many years later.
Includes liner notes by Jack Walker. |
