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Jackson got his start as a musician back in 1929, playing with the great barrelhouse pianist Albert Ammons, and over the decades he played with Jimmie Noone, Roy Eldridge, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Benny Carter, James P. Johnson, and many others too numerous to mention. His career was nearly 80 years long, but he didn’t make many records under his own name in that time–his last, I Is What I Is, was released in 2005 by Pinnacle. Still, thanks to his easy flexibility, which allowed him to bridge the gaps between traditional jazz, swing, and bebop, Jackson was a steady presence on the local scene–particularly at venues like Andy’s, Dick’s Last Resort, Joe’s Be-Bop Cafe, the Green Mill, and Pops for Champagne–and he was reportedly in good form when playing at his 95th birthday celebration last November.
Today’s playlist:
