Willis " Gator " Jackson (April 25, 1932 – October 25, 1987) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
2-547: Blue Gator is the third album led by saxophonist Willis Jackson featuring organist Jack McDuff and guitarist Bill Jennings which was recorded in 1959 and 1960 and released on the Prestige label. All compositions by Willis Jackson except where noted. Note This 1960s jazz album-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Willis Jackson (saxophonist) Born in Miami, Florida , and educated at
4-683: The University of Miami , Jackson joined Cootie Williams 's band in 1948 as a teenager, and was part of it on and off until 1955. Under his own name (Willis Jackson and His Orchestra) he recorded various rhythm-and-blues instrumentals for Atlantic Records . His most famous record for Atlantic is "Gator's Groove" (1952), with "Estrellita" as the B-side. Jackson toured as leader of the backing band for singer Ruth Brown . Publicly they were married, but privately they never married but lived together from 1950 to 1955. Jackson joined Prestige Records in 1959, making
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