Willis “Gator Tail” Jackson.

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Doesn’t his name say it all?

Willis Jackson single handedly pulled me away from the avant garde and towards the soulful, bluesy expression of jazz that was popular in the African-American neighborhoods of mid-century America. He didn’t try to, he didn’t mean to, he didn’t want to, it was just that he was so damn good.

In 1977, less a producer than a ‘recording supervisor’ (my credit on Single Action) I arrived at our first session together (In The Alley), and my first session for Muse Records, with virtually no information on what we were recording or who was playing. Willis was tough and a little paranoid and had no idea what to make of the skinny suburban white guy from the record company. He didn’t want to talk to me unless he had too and so I barely knew what was happening minute to minute during the six hour session. Until that day I’d never heard any of his music (it wasn’t cool enough within the jazzbo circles I traveled in) and when I looked into the studio I thought I’d been time warped into the 1950s: five African Americans 20 years older than me in conked processes and starched white shirts and ties. They hit the first tune and Willis looked up at me and asked if they had enough to fill the record, knowing full well he didn’t; he started packing his horn up to psyche me out. By the end of five tunes I told him we were eight minutes short; he revved up a blues and kept it going until I faded it to make the length.

By the end of the six hour session I’d stopped making fun (in my head) of the tenor saxophone/organ based soul jazz, and realized why it spoke to so many millions of people. It wasn’t an intellectual exercise but a human one. They were playing songs that people knew and loved, with a feeling that anyone could understand. I was late to the party, but it wouldn’t be over for me even 30 years later.

(You can hear the entire albums by clicking here.)

My discography.

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When I thought I might make a living as a record producer I kept obsessive track of my sessions, hoping they’d add up to a career. When I morphed into a television producer, I forgot just about everything. I’ve tried to recreate my record life here, but I’ll update it as I remember more. (Just click the linkable titles, and you’ll be able to play the entire records.)

Key:
[artist]
[album title]
[my credit]
[record company]

1971 

Gunter Hampel, Jeanne Lee, Perry Robinson
Spirits
Engineer
Birth Records


1972

Mississippi Fred McDowell
Live in New York
Producer, Engineer
Oblivion Records



Johnny Woods
Mississippi Harmonica
Producer
Oblivion Records


Gunter Hampel and his Galaxy Dream Band
Angel
Engineer
Birth Records

1973 

Marc Cohen, John Abercrombie, Clint Houston, Jeff Williams
Friends
Producer, Engineer
Oblivion Records

1974 

Charles Walker & the New York City Blues Band
Blues From The Apple
Producer, Engineer
Oblivion Records

Clifford Thornton
Gardens of Harlem
Associate Producer
JCOA Records

Cecil Taylor
Spring of Two Blue-J’s
Producer, Engineer
Unit Core Records

1975

Joe Lee WIlson
Livin’ High Off Nickels and Dimes
Producer
Oblivion Records

1976

Linc Chamberland
A Place Within
Producer
Muse Records



Carlos Garnett
Cosmos Nucleus
Engineer
Muse Records

Gunter Hampel
Enfant Terrible
Engineer
Birth Records

Red Rodney
Red, White, and Blues
Associate producer
Muse Records


Honest Tom Pomposello
Producer, Engineer
Oblivion Records

Dom Salvador
My Family
Producer
Muse Records

Willis Jackson
In The Alley
Recording Supervisor
Muse Records


Eric Kloss & Barry Miles
Together
Production Supervisor/Assistant Producer
Muse Records


1977

Hank Jones
Bop Redux
Producer
Muse Records


Willis Jackson
The Gator Horn
Producer
Muse Records



Joe Chambers (& Larry Young)
Double Exposure
Producer
Muse Records


Don Patterson
Movin’ Up
Producer
Muse Records


Richard Davis
Harvest
Producer
Muse Records


1978

Hank Jones
Groovin’ High
Producer
Muse Records


Willis Jackson & Pat Martino
Single Action
Producer
Muse Records


Jaki Byard
Family Man
Producer
Muse Records


Walter Bishop, Jr.
Hot House
Producer
Muse Records


Eric Kloss
Now
Producer
Muse Records


1979

Junior Cook
Good Cookin’
Producer
Muse Records


David S. Ware
Birth Of A Being
Engineer
hat HUT Records


1980
Bill Hardman
Politely
Producer
Muse Records


Harold Ousely
Sweet Double Hipness
Producer
Muse Records

John Lee Hooker
Sittin’ Here Thinkin’
Reissue prep & editing
Muse Records


2003

Rudy & the ChalkZone Gang
Original Soundtrack
Executive Producer