Willis "Gator" Jackson (April 25, 1932 – October 25, 1987) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues tenor saxophonist. Born in Miami, Florida, Jackson joined Duke Ellington alumnus Cootie Williams's band in 1949 as a teenager, after being discovered by Eddie Vinson. During the 1950s Jackson participated in R&B and jazz recordings, primarily as a session musician. He also toured as leader of the backing band of singer Ruth Brown, whom he married. Jackson joined Prestige Records in 1959, making a string of jazz albums that proved to an influence on the burgeoning soul jazz movement.

Read more about Willis Jackson on Last.fm.


User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.