Jackson, Oliver (Jr.; aka Bops; Junior)
Jackson, Oliver (Jr.; aka Bops; Junior)
Jackson, Oliver (Jr.; aka Bops; Junior), jazz drummer; b. Detroit, April 28, 1933; d. N.Y., May 29, 1994. His brother was a bass player, and other family members also were musicians. He studied music at Wayne State Coll. in his hometown with Merle Auley; at the same time, he worked with other local players, including Thad Jones, Paul Chambers, and Tommy Flanagan. From 1948-53, he worked as a duo with Eddie Locke as Bop and Locke. In 1954, he moved to N.Y. and joined Yusef Lateefs band (1954–56); he subsequently freelanced with various leaders, including stints with Teddy Wilson (1957–58), Charlie Shavers (1959–61), Lionel Hampton (1962–64), and a long period in a quartet (as well as larger bands) led by Earl Hines (1964–70). In 1969, he formed the JPJ Quartet with Budd Johnson, Bill Pemberton, and Dill Jones, which performed widely in schools thanks to corporate sponsorship. In the mid-1970s, he worked with Sy Oliver’snine-piece outfit (1975–80). From the early 1980s, he freelanced and led his own small groups.
Discography
Billie’s Bounce (1984). Y. Lateef: The Sounds of Yusef (1957); Other Sounds (1957); Cry Tender (1959). K. Burrell: The Tender Gender (1966). E. Hines: Blues and Things (1967). Newport Jazz Festival All-Stars: The Newport Jazz Festival All Stars (1984). Gene Ammons: Bad Bossa Nova (1962). Dexter Gordon: At Montreux with Jr. Mance (1981).
—John Chilton/Lewis Porter