Known as “Gator” or “Gator Tail,” tenor saxophonist Willis Jackson kept the enthusiasm high and the notes sweet throughout his decades-spanning career. His energy and honking sound allowed him to remain relevant as popular music transitioned from the big band era into rock and roll and R&B, although jazz remained his primary style.

Born in Miami in 1932, Jackson turned down offers to join bands so he could finish a degree at Florida A&M, after which he teamed up with trumpet player and Ellington Orchestra veteran Cootie Williams. In 1949, Jackson was featured on Williams’ two-part hit 45 “Gator Tail”, which earned the teenager the nickname that would follow him the rest of his life. The moniker would appear throughout his catalog on songs like “Call of the Gators”, “Later for the Gator” and “Blue Gator”.

After the success of “Gator Tail”, Jackson began to cut his own songs. His singles and collections were released on the Chicago-based Delmark Records throughout the ‘40s and ‘50s, after which he inked a deal with Prestige Records that lasted late into the 1960s. As the years passed, he sometimes set aside the rowdiness that made his bandmates yell, “Blow, Jackson, blow!” in favor of a smoother but still upbeat variety of soul-jazz, often accompanied by an organ player, but the Gator side could still emerge. He also spent time as a bandleader with legendary singer Ruth Brown in the ‘50s, during which time the two had a romantic relationship. In the 1970s, he appeared as a guest on albums from Don McLean, George Benson, and Bo Diddley. Jackson continued to record and perform up until his death in 1987, as a result of heart surgery and complications from diabetes.

Willis Jackson

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