Quick Facts
Biography
Alvin "AJ" Jackson is a jazz bassist.
His first performances were in a high school band with his younger brother, Milt Jackson, Willie Anderson, Lucky Thompson, Art Mardigan, and George Sirhagen, c. 1939-40.
About 1947, he was playing with Tommy Flanagan’s trio with Kenny Burrell, before briefly joining the house band led by Billy Mitchell at Detroit's Blue Bird Inn, before leading it himself in 1955.
The Billy Mitchell-led house band comprised Flanagan, Tate Houston and Milt Jackson, who had just returned from touring with Woody Herman.
While Alvin Jackson was leading the house band at the Blue Bird in 1955 the line-up comprised Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Bernard McKinney, Barry Harris, and drummers Art Mardigan or Frank Gant.
In September 1959, with house drummer Frank Gant, he backed Thelonious Monk and Charlie Rouse at Detroit's Club 12, in September 1959.
Discography
- As sideman
- 1948: Milt Jackson & his All Stars - Milt Jackson with John Lewis, Alvin Jackson, Kenny Clarke, and Chano Pozo
- 1955: Byrd Jazz - Donald Byrd
- 1959: Pieces of Eighty-Eight - Evans Bradshaw
- 1964: Vibrations (recorded 1960-1)