Willis Jackson (saxophonist)
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For other persons named Willis Jackson, see Willis Jackson (disambiguation).
Willis "Gator" Jackson (25 April 1932 - 25 October 1987) was an American jazz 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 fifties he participated on R&B and jazz recordings primarily as a session musician. Jackson joined Prestige Records in 1959 making a string of jazz albums which proved to an influence on the burgeoning soul jazz movement. During this era, Jack McDuff and Pat Martino became famous through association with Jackson. Jackson's main influences were Lester Young and Illinois Jacquet.
