Keep on a Blowin

Keep on a Blowin

Willis "Gator" Jackson's powerhouse tenor saxophone was one of the essential sounds in American music of the '50s, wailing on numerous R&B recordings including those of his wife, singer Ruth Brown. Along with Gene Ammons and Sam "the Man" Taylor, he was at the forefront of a generation of big-toned, hard-driving tenor players, "honkers" and "bar walkers" whose ferocious energy bridged the worlds of big-band swing, small-group jazz, and early rock & roll. This CD combines two Prestige LPs recorded between 1959 and 1962, and it places Jackson at the heart of the soul-jazz movement. He could take a subtle approach, reminiscent of Coleman Hawkins's, to a ballad like "How Deep Is the Ocean," but the music is more often spirited, playful, and ebullient. "The Man I Love" is a tightly arranged collection of riffs and phrases with enough interpolations--including "American in Paris" and "Lullaby of Birdland"--to suggest sampling, while "Keep on a Blowin'" has infectious call and response between the leader's horn and the chanting band. Jackson's regular associates, including organists Jack McDuff and Freddie Roach, guitarist Bill Jennings, and <i>conguero</i> Ray Barretto, provide solid backup for some elemental music. <i>--Stuart Broomer</i>