John Jackson

[Bright Moments]

On page 127 of Nathan T. Davis' "Writings in Jazz" he mentions an alto player considered the "immediate successor" to Charlie Parker. This person was John Jackson, a member with parker of the Jay McShann band and the Billy Eckstine Band. Davis claims that he has heard solos of Parker and Jackson together "on which Jackson proved himself Parker's equal."

So what happenned to Mr. Jackson? Did he ever record as a leader? My AMG does not mention him at all!

[brownie]

Couple items on John Jackson (he never recorded under his name)...

From an interview with Jay McShann (http://www.tonyspage.com/jay_mcshann_visits.htm):

''"At one time, Bird came to me and said, 'Man, this John Jackson (the other alto player) is readin’ rings around me.' We had a lot of new music at the time. He says, 'I gotta go in the woodshed for a couple of days. And when I come out the woodshed, if I don't cut that stuff by sight, you can fine me.' Bird came out and Bird cut it better than anybody."

The Jay McShann sax section in 1941. John Jackson is supposed to be the alto player next to Parker.

[Brad]

From listening to some of the McShann sessions that featured both Bird and Jackson, it's hard to tell them apat. They sound similar. I know Phil Schaap has waxed poetic about Jackson. It might be that Jackson never got the break or ventured outside of the territorial bands.

[John L]

They play sequential solos on "Lonely Boy Blues" from 1942. You can say that Jackson pretty much holds his own with Parker there. On the other hand, from that track, you might not guess that either one of them would cause a revolution in jazz a few years down the road.

[Bright Moments]

thanks guys! and that picture brownie, wow!!!!

anybody else?

[Spontooneous]

Sometime, maybe around the late '40s, Jackson went back to Kansas City and stayed there. Died about 1982. I thought I had the obituary clipping somewhere, but can't find it right now.

Jackson was also in the Billy Eckstine big band, alongside Dexter and Gene and Leo Parker.

Edited May 16, 2006 by Spontooneous

[JamesJazz]

Jackson is on the 10/31/49 Walter Brown session, and the McShann b'cast c.1943.

[Spontooneous]

Here in rainy Kansas City, we held a Bird tribute at his grave today. Quite a few of the cats brought their horns. Ahmad Alaadeen, who usually plays tenor and soprano, was playing an old alto. I asked him about it, and he said it was Jackson's horn, a 1938 Conn. And knowing what we know about Bird and horns, he assumes Bird played on it too.

Edited August 27, 2006 by Spontooneous

[Bright Moments]

Here in rainy Kansas City, we held a Bird tribute at his grave today. Quite a few of the cats brought their horns. Ahmad Alaadeen, who usually plays tenor and soprano, was playing an old alto. I asked him about it, and he said it was Jackson's horn, a 1938 Conn. And knowing what we know about Bird and horns, he assumes Bird played on it too.

wow!

[mmilovan]

Jackson is on the 10/31/49 Walter Brown session, and the McShann b'cast c.1943.

Anyone heard those sessions - did he sound like Bird?

[Clunky]

Jackson is on the 10/31/49 Walter Brown session, and the McShann b'cast c.1943.

Anyone heard those sessions - did he sound like Bird?

The McShann broadcast from 1943 is on one side of a French RCA Lp I picked up the other day ( the otherside has McShann/Parker octets) I can see why the alto playing of Jackson was attributed to Parker, surely no one else that early had captured that much of Parkers sound. Some nice sides in surprisingly good sound given the sources. Side one has Parker/MCShann sessions ( 1940/1) caught on the hoof in adequate sound with early glimpses of Parker's genius.

[mmilovan]

That's beuatifull... perhaps John Jackson was the first of the army of players influenced by Bird. It is nice to know that.

Perhaps, Bird borrowd from John, also.