Doug Jackson

Doug Jackson

    Official Biography (courtesy of Doug Jackson) 

    The second landing of the Mothership has finally arrived. Sir DJ de Horn, the first trumpeter of funk on the Mothership has come to spread the funk across the galaxy. With the help of Dr. Woopadapalus, the tallest drummer in the world, Skip Reeves and Denver's KUVO  "A Funk Above the Rest", the funk is alive and well. Tune in every Saturday night from 9 - 11 pm MST. This CD, "Stowaway on the Mothership" is a masterpiece. This CD shows Jackson's ability to spread the funk but also puts the funk into jazz, Latin jazz, blues and rock.

    Jackson's archives include his first CD "First Breath" which consists of original smooth jazz compositions and cover tunes like "Back to the Lovin Again" and "Povo" by Freddie Hubbard; "You Are Everything" by The Stylistics; and "Hannibal" by Miles Davis. Jackson also has a tune of inspiration out called "Peace and Love". Look for both of these on CDBaby soon.

    Douglas Jackson has been performing, learning, and honing his skills for as long as he's been alive; a luxury afforded to those fortunate enough to come from musical families. Growing up in Colorado, his stand-out, visionary talents became apparent early in his life. He was the Denver East High School Outstanding Music Award recipient in 1973. After High School, Jackson went on to perform and/or record professionally with such legendary musicians as Solomon Burke (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Award recipient), Joe Bonner (who played with such stand-outs as Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and the late, great Max Roach).

    Although Jackson had already achieved the kind of notoriety and status that most musicians can only dream about, he enrolled at Knoxville College in 91 and studied full-time through 92 (Music Performance). Jackson then went on to win acceptance into the prestigious Berklee College of Music (Boston) in 92 where he attended through 94. Berklee being the alma mater to such famous alumni as Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Branford Marsalis (to name a few), Jackson learned with, played with, and further grew with the best, brightest and most talented musicians in the world.

    Later in 94, Jackson toured the Middle East where he performed for the troops for the USO / Department of Defense. Upon returning to the states, Jackson put together a 6-piece, critically-acclaimed jazz show band called The Untouched, which he fronted and gigged with for two years.

    In 96, Jackson moved to Detroit where he performed with (among others) renowned sax player James Payton as a guest artist of James Payton and Impact 7. The band performed to big crowds at popular events, such as the Coachmans Blues Festival and the Deli in the Alley showcase, hosted by Wayne State University. The great poet, Wardel Montgomery Jr., from Detroit used Jackson's recordings as the sound track for his poetry video.  As always, Jackson continued to passionately write, polish and perform his own material.

    Jackson moved to New York's Southern Tier in 98 where he continued to work on honing his craft and offer private instruction. In 99, Jackson recorded First Breath: his first independent full-length album. The work was arranged by jazz all-star and long-time friend Joe Bonner, who also played piano on the recordings. The album was a triumphant success and a living testament to the diverse talents, genres, moods and stylings in Jackson's arsenal.

    Jackson returned to Denver later that year and was interviewed by radio celebrity Rodney Franks on KUVO. Franks also premiered Jackson's new CD "First Breath" during the interview. The Denver Weekly News ran a front page article on Jackson.  Shortly thereafter, Jackson was asked by CAM Productions in Denver to perform: that show was another triumphant success. In addition, Jackson performed two huge shows at Denver's famous Cleo Parker Robinson's Dance Theater in June of 2000.

    Currently Jackson continues to perform many high-profile gigs in and around New York's Southern Tier.  His current endeavors include a concert/lecture series called "Funk as a Way of Life".  This lecture series is designed to motivate, educate, and stimulate the promotion of instrumental music at the High School level.  This lecture also introduces the new genre of music - FUAZZ - where the funk meets the jazz.  The lecture is all about music, what it is, where it comes from and how it affects us every day. It teaches students that music is a motivator to instill self-respect.  This is a new and innovative way to educate this generation of musicians how to feel the music they play.  This in turn stimulates self-reliance and self-respect.

    Available Music

    Reviews