Jazz Articles about D.D. Jackson

D.D. Jackson: I Call

by John Chacona
October 15, 2024

"I Call," is a poem about the immigrant's dilemma of identifying with two places but fully inhabiting neither, using the refrain, “a place that doesn't exist" to name this condition. Yet Quebec-born Toronto poet Choucri Paul Zemokhol's family came to Canada from the Middle East, a place that, even in the interval since the poem's publication in 2009, doesn't exist, metaphorically or in fact. On Poetry Project (Self Produced, 2024) D.D. Jackson's setting begins in a swirl of piano before ...

D. D. Jackson, Asher Gamedze & Caroline Davis

by Maurice Hogue
October 7, 2024

A big “welcome back" to pianist D.D. Jackson who's not been heard much on recordings for the last several years. He returned to his native Canada to make Poetry Project, inspired by a commission received during the pandemic to compose music for a poem written by former poet laureate George Elliott Clarke. That led to Clarke creating a curated list of other Canadian poetry for D.D. to set to music. Also featured in this episode, South African drummer Asher Gamedze's ...

D.D. Jackson: Unreleased Live Performances

by Mark Sabbatini
September 9, 2004

D.D. Jackson Unreleased live performances ddjackson.com

D.D. Jackson is truly one of jazz's good guys, which just makes it harder saying anything negative about this collection of unreleased live songs available as free downloads at his web site.

But while he gets high marks for performance, the imperfections--due mostly to sound quality often resembling a mediocre audience bootleg tape--can't be ignored.

Jackson is an elite modern pianist whose range ...

D.D. Jackson: Suite For New York

by Nic Jones
October 15, 2003

The musical evocation of New York is nothing new. Julius Hemphill and Laura Nyro have done it before, and for all of the dissimilarities between their works their powers of evocation leave Jackson with a lot to live up to. He does so here with aplomb, producing music with no modest personality of its own. His is the only work of the three to appear in the wake of the events of 9/11, though these events have little overt influence ...

D.D. Jackson: Sigame

by AAJ Staff
December 1, 2001

Pianist D.D. Jackson has covered a lot of ground in his seven records as a leader. During this process of evolution, he moved from the powerfully warm sound of his first disc, Peace-Song (a true masterpiece), through signature efforts in solo, duo, trio, and sextet settings. Jackson's piano playing draws heavily upon blues, soul, and gospel roots while exercising a strong sense of modern adventurism. A student of the late Don Pullen, Jackson retains elements of Pullen's characteristic style: for ...

D.D. Jackson: Sigame

by Jim Santella
December 1, 2001

D.D. Jackson's piano trio opens his latest album with a down-home flavor. Laid back and wholesome, the piece forms an instant association with Ray Charles. Jackson's improvisation, however, moves off into a different, desired direction. More adventurous than most, the pianist stretches his blues tinge across the keyboard in favor of dynamic inflection. All the compositions are Jackson's. His impressionism runs from one continent to another throughout history, and retains a highly romantic mood. It's an acoustic session. As the ...

D.D. Jackson: Sigame

by Jim Santella
December 1, 2001

D.D. Jackson's piano trio opens his latest album with a down-home flavor. Laid back and wholesome, the piece forms an instant association with Ray Charles. Jackson's improvisation, however, moves off into a different, desired direction. More adventurous than most, the pianist stretches his blues tinge across the keyboard in favor of dynamic inflection. All the compositions are Jackson's. His impressionism runs from one continent to another throughout history, and retains a highly romantic mood. It's an acoustic session. As the ...