Willis Jackson - Soul Grabber (1967) [vinyl>flac]

One of our favorite albums ever by Willis Jackson - and in fact one of our favorite soul jazz sides of the 60s! There's a mad groove here that's quite different than any of Jackson's earlier work - freer, looser, and more experimental - handled with a sound that's almost fuller in the arrangements, but which also gives the soloists more room to groove around. Willis himself plays the amazing ‘Gator’ horn on "Alfie" - a long funny-looking variation on the tenor, and a horn that has an almost George Braith or Roland Kirk-like sound. The rest of the group features some great guitar by Wally Richardson and smoking organ by Carl Wilson - plus electric bass at the bottom from Bob Bushnell, a key component to the harder-hitting quality of the grooves. The set features a fantastic version of Baden Powell's "Song of Ossanha", plus great covers of "Sunny", "Girl Talk", and "Ode to Billy Joe" - and the tracks "Soul Grabber", "Alfie", "I Dig Rock & Roll Music", and "Rhode Island Red". © Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Prestige Records, PRST 7551, 1968

Recorded 20^th October, 1967 (#A1,A4,B4,B5) in New York City;

25^th October, 1967 (#A2,A3,A5-B3) at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Willis “Gator” Jackson - Tenor Sax, Gator Horn (#B3)

Wilbur “Dud” Bascomb - Trumpet

Sammy Lowe - Trumpet

Heywood Henry - Baritone Saxophone (#A1,A4,B4,B5)

Carl Wilson - Organ

Lloyd Davis - Guitar

Wally Richardson - Guitar

Bob Bushnell - Electric Bass

Lawrence Wrice - Drums

Tracks:

A1. The Song Of Ossanha {Baden Powell, Vinícius de Moraes} (2:39)

A2. Sunny {Bobby Hebb} (6:35)

A3. Girl Talk {Neal Hefti, Bobby Troup} (5:26)

A4. Ode To Billie Joe {Bobbie Gentry} (2:55)

A5. Sometimes I'm Happy {Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar, Clifford Grey} (5:13)

B1. Soul Grabber {Willis "Gator" Jackson} (1:58)

B2. Rhode Island Red {Willis "Gator" Jackson} (3:33)

B3. Alfie {Hal David, Burt Bacharach} (8:22)

B4. I Dig Rock & Roll Music {Noel Paul Stookey, James Mason, Dave Dixon} (2:49)

B5. These Blues Are Made For Walking {Willis "Gator" Jackson} (5:49)

Credits:

Producer - Cal Lampley

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Design, Liner Photo - Don Schlitten

Art - Irving Riggs

Liner Notes - Chris Albertson (Feb. 1968)

Note: “The Song Of Ossanha” also listed as “The Song Of Ossahna”

Willis Jackson - The Gator Horn (1977) [vinyl>flac]

Virtually all of tenor saxophonist Willis "Gator" Jackson's albums for Muse in the 1970s (and fortunately, there are many of them) are well worth picking up. Jackson's basic tenor always contained plenty of soul, the potential of exploding, and an attractive warm sound. For this fine set, Gator alternates between romps (some of which are funky) and ballads ("You've Changed" and "This Is Always"). Excellent support is contributed by organist Carl Wilson, guitarist Boogaloo Joe Jones, bassist Dud Bascomb, drummer Yusef Ali, and Buddy Caldwell on conga. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

Muse Records, MR 5146, 1979

Recorded 8^th March, 1977 in Rosebud Studio, New York City

Musicians:

Willis Jackson - Tenor Saxophone (#A1-A3), Saxophone [Gator Horn] (#B1-B3)

Ivan 'Boogaloo' Joe Jones - Guitar

Carl Wilson - Organ

Dud Bascomb Jr. - Bass

Yusef Ali - Drums

Buddy Caldwell - Congas

Tracks:

A1. Ungawa {Willis Jackson} (8:32)

A2. You've Changed {Bill Carey, Carl Fischer} (4:44)

A3. Hello, Good Luck {Peter Griffin} (7:32)

B1. The Gator Horn {Willis Jackson} (5:05)

B2. This Is Always {Mack Gordon, Harry Warren} (5:29)

B3. Gooseneck {Willis Jackson} (8:15)

Credits:

Producer - Frederick Seibert

Engineer - Richard Alderson

Assistant Engineer - Eric Bowman

Album Design - Ron Warwell

Cover Photo - Hugh Bell

Liner Notes - Clifford Jay Safane

For about a decade (1968-78) the avant-garde in jazz sparked a fashion of solo recordings, particularly with not so obvious solo instruments like saxophones. Wanna be that I was, I loved it, and thought it would be cool for Willis to try it on our second session together. He thought I was crazy but figured if I was willing to take his warm up and do the work to edit it into something reasonable he’d get off the session a little early and still get paid. ~ Fred Seibert.

Willis Jackson - In The Alley (1977) [vinyl>flac]

Smooth and mellow 70s funk from Willis Jackson - a record that still has him working with funky stalwarts from earlier years, but which has a more 70s-influenced kind of groove! There's actually a nice dose of older soul jazz lurking underneath a few of the tracks - making for a record that skirts both sides of Willis' career at the time nicely - and tracks are all longish, with enough room for good tenor work. Players include Sonny Phillips, Carl Wilson, Jimmy Ponder, and Buddy Caldwell - and titles include "Niamani", "Gator's Groove", "More", and "In The Alley". © Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Muse Records, MR 5100, 1977

Recorded At Dimensional Sounds Studio, New York City

Musicians:

Willis Jackson - Tenor Saxophone

Sonny Phillips - Piano

Carl Wilson - Organ

Jimmy Ponder - Guitar

Jimmy Lewis - Bass

Yusef Ali - Drums

Buddy Caldwell - Congas, Percussion

Tracks:

A1. Niamani {Sonny Phillips} (7:22)

A2. Gator's Groove {Yusef Ali} (7:06)

A3. Blues, Blues, Blues {Willis Jackson} (5:07)

B1. Young Man With The Horn {Ray Anthony} (5:54)

B2. More {Riziero Ortolani, Nino Oliviero, Norman Newell, Marcello Ciorciolini} (7:39)

B3. In The Alley {Willis Jackson} (9:07)

Credits:

Producer - Fred Seibert

Engineers - Malcolm Addey and Fred Seibert

Art Direction, Design, Photography - Hal Wilson

Willis Jackson with Von Freeman - Lockin’ Horns (1981) [re-rip]

This started out as Willis Jackson's spot on the 1978 Laren International Jazz Festival stage. He invited fellow tenorman Von Freeman aboard as a "guest" and Muse Records turned it into the double billed Lockin' Horns. Good for them, and good for Muse for giving us another chance to discover this gem.

On the surface, there couldn't be two more disparate players than Jackson and Freeman. Willis Jackson moved from the R&B circuit to the organ combos of the soul jazz circuit, which in the eyes of some is hardly a move at all. He possessed a huge, honking tenor sound, and was given to making the horn growl, wheeze, roar, and roll over at will. Freeman, on the other hand, is an almost pure bopper with one of the most distinctive, and at times delicate, sounds in the business. For many years, he was rarely heard away from his Chicago home, but in Chicago he was a member of one of the city's best known jazz dynasties, including his brothers George (guitar) and Buzz (drums), and his son, the illustrious Chico.

The disc opens with "Pow!"--a showcase for Jackson and his band, Carl Wilson (organ), Joe "Boogaloo" Jones (guitar), and Yusef Ali (drums). Together they were one of the most talented--and most under-rated--groups in the soul jazz genre, but they were all more than that. They could play in a variety of styles, and the promise of having the hard-bopping Freeman on board seemed to drive the band to another level. They push toward that level through the next two numbers, and when Freeman steps out of the wings for "Summertime," they're ready.

They take a run at "The Shadow Of Your Smile" next, and while it's just the kind of then-contemporary pop that was routine for soul jazz outfits, there's nothing routine about this cut. It's just a warm-up, though, for the tenor battle to come. The disc closes out with 8 minutes and 46 seconds of "Willis And Von," and I'm not even gonna try. You'll just have to hear it for yourself. ~ by Shaun Dale.

Muse Records, MR 5200, 1981

Recorded 11^th August, 1978 Live at the International Jazz Festival Laren, Holland

Musicians:

Willis Jackson - Tenor Saxophone

Von Freeman - Tenor Saxophone

Carl Wilson - Organ

Joe “Boogaloo” Jones - Guitar

Yusef Ali - Drums

Tracks:

1. Pow! {Willis Jackson} (10:09)

2. The Man I Love {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (7:10)

3. Troubled Times {William Stevenson, Willis Jackson, Wade Marcus} (6:34)

4. Summertime {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Dubose Heyward} (6:25)

5. The Shadow Of Your Smile {Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster} (8:28)

6. Willis & Von {Willis Jackson} (8:40)

Credits:

Producer - Bob Porter

Engineer - Malcolm Addey

Mastering Engineer - Joe Brescio (Master Cutting Room, NYC)

Album Design - Morty Yoss

Photography - Rico d'Rozario

Liner Notes - Neil Teeser

Willis Jackson - The Good Life (1963) [re-rip]

A sweet soul jazz burner from Willis Jackson - one that features his combo with Pat Martino on guitar and Carl Wilson on organ, as well as some great trumpet lines form Frank Robinson - shimmering nicely over the top of the tunes! The style here is a bit more laidback and late nite than some of Jackson's other cookers from the time - but there's still a really strong tenor/organ approach on the whole set, one that transforms familiar tunes wonderfully! Titles include "As Long As She Needs Me", "Troubled Times", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". © Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Cut at the same May 1963 session as Jackson's LP Grease 'n' Gravy, this too features an 18-year-old Pat Martino on guitar and Carl Wilson (not the Beach Boys guitarist) on organ. It's pleasing, if unsurprising, early-'60s organ soul-jazz with a good balance between brass, organ, and guitar, perhaps more useful as club groove music than home listening. They verge on cooking when the rhythm gets choked on "Troubled Times," the sole original, and the version of "Fly Me to the Moon" has some lively exuberance (and a Latin rhythm) not matched by the other tracks. Indeed, "Days of Wine and Roses" and "Walk Right In" are kinda hokey choices for the organ soul-jazz repertoire. If you have to choose between Grease 'n' Gravy and The Good Life, The Good Life is at a disadvantage, due to its greater reliance on covers of pop standards. ~ by Richie Unterberger, AMG.

I don’t necessarily agree that this is ordinary. Young Pat Martino’s solos are wonderful and both organ and trumpet blend beautifully. Overall a mixture of great Soul Jazz tunes. Enjoy!

Prestige Records, PRST 7296, 1963

Recorded 23rd (#A1-B1) & 24th (#B2,B3) May, 1963
at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Willis Jackson - Tenor Saxophone

Frank Robinson - Trumpet

Carl Wilson - Organ

Pat Martino - Guitar

Leonard Gaskin - Bass (#B2,B3)

Joe Hadrick - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. The Good Life {Sacha Distel, Jack Reardon} (5:03)

A2. Days Of Wine And Roses {Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer} (4:03)

A3. As Long As She Needs Me {Lionel Bart} (3:42)

A4. Fly Me To The Moon {Bart Howard} (2:55)

B1. Angel Eyes {Earl Brent, Matt Dennis} (4:13)

B2. Troubled Times {Willis Jackson, Wade Marcus, William "Mickey" Stevenson} (4:51)

B3. Walk Right In {Gus Cannon, Hosea Woods} (6:06)

Credits:

Producer - Ozzie Cadena

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Design - Don Schlitten

Cover Photo - Lawrence N. Shustak

Liner Notes - H. G. MacGill

Willis Jackson - Gatorade (1971) [vinyl>flac]

The music on this obscure LP was not released until 1982 and quickly disappeared. Tenor saxophonist Willis Jackson plays funky jazz that is very much of the period with organist Carl Wilson, guitarist Joe "Boogaloo" Jones, drummer Jerry Potter and Buddy Caldwell on conga. Jackson performs the current pop tunes "Hey Jude" and "The Long and Winding Road," plus a pair of blues (including his "Pow") and a couple of originals. Fun but not overly substantial music. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

This is yet another non substantial appraisal from our often dionysian Scott.

This is his twenty-fifth LP for Prestige. Willis's music has changed little through the years: his bluesy, hard swinging sound has served him (and his fame) quite well. The music played here is representative of Willis at his best. "Good Bread Alley" is danceable funk while "Ivy" is an attractive 32-bar, minor-key line. "Pow" and Gatorade" are blues. Look for a quote of "Anything Goes" in the former and some stop-time breaks à la Lester Young in the latter. ~ Extract from Liner Notes by Phil Schaap, WBGO-FM, Newark, N.J.

Prestige Records, MPP 2516, 1982

Recorded August, 1971 at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Willis Jackson - Tenor Saxophone

Carl Wilson - Organ

Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones - Guitar

Jerry Potter - Drums

Buddy Caldwell - Conga

Track Listing:

A1. Good Bread Alley {Teddy McRae, Charlie Singleton} (7:32)

A2. Hey Jude {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} (4:22)

A3. Ivy {Hoagy Carmichael} (5:56)

B1. Pow! {Willis Jackson} (6:05)

B2. The Long And Winding Road {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} (5:08)

B3. Gatorade {Willis Jackson} (7:48)

Credits:

Producer - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Remastering - Gary Hobish, 1982 (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley)

Art Direction - Phil Carroll

Photography - Al Johnson