Ali Jackson Jr. (born April 3, 1976) is an American drummer, musician, composer, arranger, educator, and percussionist. Son of

Ali Jackson (jazz bassist) Ali Muhammad Jackson (died 1987), also known as Ali Jackson, was a jazz bassist, composer, ethnomusicologist, actor, poet and artist. Musical Education: Tadd Dameron - Music Theory Charlie Parker - Music Theory Nasir Hafiz Jo Jones, sr. Live ...

. Ali Jr. started playing drums at the age of 2. Ali’s natural ability and passion for music bloomed and by the age of 11 his aptitude flourished as a result of a steady stream of lessons and mentoring from an all-star lineup of music legends, including

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...

Milt Hinton Milton John Hinton (June 23, 1910 – December 19, 2000) was an American double bassist and photographer. Regarded as the Dean of American jazz bass players, his nicknames included "Sporty" from his years in Chicago, "Fump" from his time on the ...

, Dr.

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop m ...

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative inter ...

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

and

James Mtume James Forman (January 3, 1946January 9, 2022), known professionally as Mtume or James Mtume, was an American jazz and R&B musician, songwriter, record producer, activist, and radio personality. He came to prominence as a jazz musician, working ...

. During one lesson when he was 12, Ali met

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awar ...

and impressed the trumpet virtuoso and future collaborator with his maturity and his advanced knowledge of the piano and music theory — skills rare among drummers. Ali graduated as a music major with high honors from Detroit’s prestigious

Cass Technical High School Cass Technical High School (simply referred to as Cass Tech) is a public high school in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States.

, a program with a rich legacy of consistently producing the country’s top musicians. As a student at the New School University for Contemporary Music in New York City, he was privileged to study with Max Roach and

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

. He attended college on a full academic scholarship, earning an undergraduate degree in music composition. In 1994 Ali was selected as the guest soloist for the Beacons of Jazz program honoring legendary jazz drummer Max Roach. The Thelonious Monk Institute and Jazz Aspen selected him to participate in the first annual Jazz Aspen for gifted and talented musicians. Ali was also the first recipient of the state of Michigan’s prestigious Artserv Emerging Artist award in 1998, a program with a rich legacy of consistently producing the country’s top musicians. Jackson is from Detroit. A reviewer for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' in 2009 wrote that "Jackson generates a subtle but irresistible force when he plays, making even the smallest gestures advance his agenda of locomotion."

Personal

Ali is the father of professional soccer player Aziel Jackson.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

* ''Groove at Jazz en Tete'' (Blue Geodesics, 2000) * '' Gold Sounds'' with James Carter,

Cyrus Chestnut Cyrus Chestnut (born January 17, 1963) is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer. In 2006, Josh Tyrangiel, music critic for ''Time'', wrote: "What makes Chestnut the best jazz pianist of his generation is a willingness to abandon notes ...

Reginald Veal Reginald Veal (born November 5, 1963) is an American jazz bassist and multi-instrumentalist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Veal grew up in New Orleans where he began piano lessons at a very early age. After receiving a bass guitar as a gift from hi ...

(Brown Brothers, 2005) * ''Big Brown Get Down Vol.1'' (BigWenzee Music, 2007) * ''Wheelz Keep Rollin' '' (BigWenzee Music, 2008) * ''Yes!'' (2012) with Yes! Trio (

Aaron Goldberg Aaron Goldberg (born April 30, 1974), is an American jazz pianist. Described by ''The New York Times'' as a "post-bop pianist of exemplary taste and range," Goldberg has released five albums as a solo artist and has performed and collaborated wi ...

Omer Avital Omer Avital (born May 13, 1971, Givatayim, Israel) is an Israeli-American jazz bassist, composer and bandleader. Early life Avital was born in the town of Givatayim to Moroccan and Yemeni parents. At age 11, he began his formal training, s ...

) * '' Amalgamations'' ( Sunnyside, 2014) * ''Groove Du Jour'' (2019) with Yes! Trio * ''Big Brown Get Down Vol. 2'' (BigWenzee Music, 2021)

As sideman

With

Buster Williams Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. Williams is known for his membership in pianist Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, working with guitarist Larry Coryell from the 1980s to present, working in th ...

* ''Joined at the Hip'' (2002) With

Craig Handy Craig Mitchell Handy (born September 25, 1962) is an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Oakland, California, he attended North Texas State University from 1981 to 1984, and following this played with Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, Ab ...

*''

Reflections in Change ''Reflections in Change'' is the third album led by saxophonist Craig Handy which was recorded in 1999 and released on the Sirrocco Music label. Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow said "A fine hard bop tenor saxophonist, Craig Handy p ...

'' (Sirocco Music, 1999) * ''Flow'' (2000) With

Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is an American big band and jazz orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis. The Orchestra is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a performing arts organization in New York City. History In 1988 the Orchestra was formed a ...

* ''Congo Square'' (2007) * ''Portrait in Seven Shades'' composed by Ted Nash (2010) Grammy Winner * ''Vitoria Suite'' (2010) * ''Wynton Marsalis and

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Play the Blues'' (2011) * ''Live in Cuba'' (2015) * ''Big Band Holidays'' (2015) * ''The Abyssinian Mass" (2016)'' * ''The Music of John Lewis'' (2017) * ''Handful of Keys'' (2017) * ''Una Noche con Rubén Blades'' (2018) * ''Big Band Holidays'' (2019) * ''Sherman Irby's Inferno'' (2020) * ''The Music of Wayne Shorter feat.

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Davi ...

'' (2020) With

* ''The Magic Hour'' (2004) * '' From the Plantation to the Penitentiary'' (2007) * ''Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis Play the Music of Ray Charles'' (2009) * ''Two Men with Blues'' (2009) with

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

* ''He and She'' (2009) * ''From Billie Holiday to Edith Piaf: Live in Marciac'' (2010) with

Richard Galliano Richard Galliano (born 12 December 1950, Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes) is a French accordionist of Italian heritage. Allmusic biography/ref> Biography He was drawn to music at an early age, starting with the accordion at 4, influenced by his father ...

With

Joshua Redman Joshua Redman (born February 1, 1969) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is the son of jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman (1931–2006). Life and career Joshua Redman was born in Berkeley, California, to jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman ...

*'' Back East'' (2007) With

Kurt Rosenwinkel Kurt Rosenwinkel (born October 28, 1970) is an American jazz guitarist, keyboardist, composer, bandleader, producer, educator and record label owner. Biography A native of Philadelphia, Rosenwinkel attended the Philadelphia High School for the ...

*'' Deep Song'' (2005) With others * ''Last Chance for Common Sense'',

Rodney Kendrick Rodney Kendrick (born April 30, 1960) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and record producer. He has been described as a "hard swinging player and composer with a delightful Thelonious Monk, Monkish wit and drive". Career At twenty-one, Kendr ...

(1997) * ''I Got Next'',

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from New York City. He rose to prominence as part of ...

(1997) * ''Gunn Fu'',

Russell Gunn Russell Gunn (born October 20, 1971 in Chicago) is an American contemporary jazz trumpeter. He grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois playing trumpet. As a kid his musical interest was hip hop, with LL Cool J being his first music idol. His project ...

(1997) * ''Blues for the New Millennium'',

Marcus Roberts Marthaniel "Marcus" Roberts (born August 7, 1963) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and teacher. Early life Roberts was born in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. His mother was a gospel singer who had gone blind a ...

(1997) * '' Into the Blue'',

Emmanuel Pahud Emmanuel Pahud (born 27 January 1970) is a Franco-Swiss flautist. He was born in Geneva, Switzerland. His father is of French and Swiss background and his mother is French. The Berlin-based flutistPatrick LamEmmanuel Pahud – The showcase behi ...

and

Jacky Terrasson Jacky Terrasson (born November 27, 1965) is a French jazz pianist and composer. Background Terrasson's mother is African-American from Georgia, and his father is French. From his parents he heard classical music as a child. He began piano lesson ...

(2003) * ''Irreplaceable'',

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

(2004) * ''The Ancient Art of Giving'',

(2006) * ''Noir'',

Anat Cohen Anat Cohen ( he, ענת כהן, born 1975) is a New York City-based jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and bandleader from Tel Aviv, Israel. Biography Cohen began playing clarinet and saxophone. In 1996, she studied at the Berklee College of Mus ...

(2007) * '' Live at Yoshi's'' (2010),

Dee Dee Bridgewater Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American jazz singer and actress. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award-winning stage actress. For 23 years, she was the host of National ...

* ''Spirityouall'',

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...

(2013) * '' 53'',

(2019)

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Ali American jazz drummers Cass Technical High School alumni Living people 1976 births Musicians from Detroit Jazz musicians from Michigan Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 21st-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians