Jazz / Ballads, Soul-Jazz, Mainstream Jazz
Willis "Gator" Jackson - Sax (Tenor)
Pat Martino - Guitar
Carl Wilson - Organ
Esmond Edwards Photography
Frank Robinson Trumpet
Joe Hadrick Drums
Kirk Felton Digital Remastering
Ozzie Cadena Supervisor
Phil Carroll Artwork
Rudy Van Gelder Engineer
Tom Reed Liner Notes
When Willis Jackson and Pat Martino got together in the 1960s and the 1970s, the improvisers usually had a very strong rapport. Released in 1998, this collection gathers some of their work for Muse in the 1970s and draws on three albums: Headed and Gutted (1974), Bar Wars (1977), and Single Action (1978). Painting a well-rounded picture of Jackson's work with Martino, With Pat Martino ranges from exhilarating, high-speed bop burners like "The Goose Is Loose" and "Single Action" to the slow blues of "Bolita" and "Miss Ann," to soulful ballad statements such as "My One and Only Love" and Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet" (which hasn't received a lot of attention from the jazz world but works impressively well as a jazz ballad). Jackson had calmed down since his honker sessions of the late 1940s and early '50s, but he still had a very big, fat tone and a lot of energy -- no one's going to mistake With Pat Martino for cool jazz. The material on this CD isn't very ambitious, but it's certainly heartfelt and rewarding. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Willis "Gator" Jackson
Active Decades: '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s
Born: Apr 25, 1932 in Miami, FL
Died: Oct 25, 1987 in New York, NY
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Ballads, Hard Bop, Jump Blues, R&B, Soul-Jazz, Swing
An exciting tenor saxophonist whose honking and squeals (although influenced by Illinois Jacquet) were quite distinctive, Willis Jackson was also a strong improviser who sounded perfectly at home with organ groups. He played locally in Florida early on, until joining Cootie Williams (on and off during 1948-1955). His two-sided honking feature "Gator Tail" with "Cootie" (which earned Williams a lifelong nickname) was a hit in 1948, and he started recording as a leader in 1950. Jackson was married to singer Ruth Brown for eight years, and often appeared on her recordings during this era. His extensive series of Prestige recordings (1959-1964) made him a big attraction on the organ circuit. Although generally overlooked by critics, Willis Jackson continued working steadily in the 1970s and '80s. In 1977, he recorded one of the finest albums of his career for Muse, Bar Wars.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
