Willis Jackson • Legends of Acid Jazz

Review by Scott Yanow

Willis "Gator" Jackson's initial reputation was made as a honking and screaming tenor saxophonist with Cootie Williams' late-'40s orchestra and on his own R&B-ish recordings. By 1959, Jackson had de-emphasized some of his more extroverted sounds (although they occasionally popped up) and had reemerged as a solid swinger influenced by Gene Ammons and (on ballads) Ben Webster. This CD reissue from 1998 brings back in full two of Jackson's 1959-60 LPs: Blue Gator and Cookin' Sherry. Some of the music (which often falls into the soul-jazz genre) is reminiscent of the funky groove music that would become popular in the late '60s. Jackson sounds fine and is joined throughout by guitarist Bill Jennings, organist Jack McDuff, one of three bassists, one of two drummers, and sometimes Buck Clarke on conga. The accessible music alternates between warm ballads and jump tunes.

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Reseña de Scott Yanow

La reputación inicial de Willis "Gator" Jackson se forjó como saxofonista tenor que tocaba la bocina y gritaba con la orquesta de Cootie Williams a finales de los 40 y en sus propias grabaciones de R&B. Para 1959, Jackson había dejado de hacer hincapié en algunos de sus sonidos más extrovertidos (aunque ocasionalmente aparecían) y había resurgido como un sólido swinger influenciado por Gene Ammons y (en las baladas) Ben Webster. Esta reedición del CD de 1998 trae de vuelta dos de los LPs de Jackson de 1959-60: Blue Gator y Cookin' Sherry. Parte de la música (que a menudo cae en el género del soul-jazz) recuerda a la música funky groove que se haría popular a finales de los 60. Jackson suena bien y se le une en todo momento el guitarrista Bill Jennings, el organista Jack McDuff, uno de los tres bajistas, uno de los dos bateristas, y a veces Buck Clarke en la conga. La música accesible alterna entre baladas cálidas y melodías de salto.

 

 

 

Tracklist:

1 Blue Gator     9:12
2 Try A Little Tenderness     5:57
3 Gator's Tail     3:39
4 This Nearly Was Mine     4:31
5 East Breeze     10:01
6 She's Funny That Way     5:10
7 Mellow Blues     9:01
8 Sportin'     4:47
9 When I Fall In Love     4:02
10 Cookin' Sherry     8:14
11 Where Are You?     5:41
12 Contrasts     5:46

Recorded At – Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Credits:
     Tenor Saxophone – Willis Jackson
    Bass – Milt Hinton (tracks: 4, 8, 11), Tommy Potter (tracks: 3, 6), Wendell Marshall (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12)
    Congas – Buck Clarke (tracks: 4, 8, 11)
    Drums – Alvin Johnson (tracks: 3 to 6, 11, 12), Bill Elliot (tracks: 1, 2, 7 to 10)
    Guitar – Bill Jennings
    Organ – Jack McDuff

    Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
    Remastered By – Joe Tarantino
    Supervised By – Esmond Edwards

Notes
#1-6 originally released as "Blue Gator" (Prestige 7183); #7-12 as "Cookin' Sherry" (Prestige 7211).
# 3 and 6 recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ; May 25, 1959. Other selections recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on November 9, 1959 (#5, 9); February 26, 1960 (#4, 8, 11); and August 16, 1960 (#1, 2, 7, 10, 12).

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