PAUL JACKSON

PAUL JACKSON Radio

Music

General Info

Genre: Blues / Funk / Jazz
Location Tokyo, JP
Profile Views: 85891
Last Login: 12/9/2012
Member Since 10/10/2007
Website pauljacksonbass.com
Record Label Backdoor Records / DaFunk Records
Type of Label Indie
Bio
.. .......... Born in Oakland, California in 1947, Paul Jackson began playing bass at the age of nine. Considered by many of his teachers to be a musical prodigy, he performed with the Oakland Symphony by the age of fourteen where he expanded his musical interests to include performance levels on bassoon and piano..... His inspirations carried him into study with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The strong teaching foundation led him into teaching seminars for years with institutions such as A.N. Contemporary of Music (Tokyo), Pan School of Music (Tokyo), Musashino School of Music (Tokyo), Berkley School of Music (Boston), University of California Santa Cruz, San Jose State University, etc.Paul has been an adviser for Osaka School of Music since 2002..... Paul Jackson is known as a "Musician's Musician". As a founding member of the Headhunters under Herbie Hancock, Paul has shaped a sound that launched a new direction in contemporary music. The solid union between Hancock and Jackson has been especially evident in the many international tours they havemade together..... In 1979, Paul embarked on a solo recording venture releasing his own album, "Black Octopus" on Toshiba EMI Records. Jackson's composing has not gone without recognition as well, beginning with Grammy Award Nominations in 1974, 1975 and 1976 for song-writing "Chameleon" "Hang Up Your Hang-ups" and "Spider", respectively..... Like other highly talented, creatively motivated engineers of music, Paul has expanded his career to other mediums such as playing on the sound track of Paramount's "Death wish" "Dirty Harry". He was a music director for the touring company of "Don't Bother, I can't Cope", spent a year and a half with the Radio Free Europe and has appeared with the Oakland Symphony as well as Herbie Hancock on Midnight Special (ABC-TV)..... Time out to compose the score for film and other hefty projects was sandwiched in between appearing with the band's numerous jazz festivals such as the De Hagg, Pori, Spain Montreaux, Newport and Paris. All in all, Paul Jackson is a million mile flyer since his eighteenth birthday..... Since 1985, Paul moved his residence to Japan and continued to be active in many aspects of the Japanese music scene. Live concerts with nation-famous artists such as Char, Tsutomu Yamashita, Sadao Watanabe have been performed in between composing/arranging music for TV commercial films and movies. In 1987, Paul started one of his life-long projects, Jazz for Kids, which is a voluntary concert performed at Japanese schools with an aim to introduce American black history through music and slide presentation. More than 80 schools across Japan has been visited by Paul and his band, which has been introduced on NHK, the only Japanese governmental TV station. In the time when understanding of, and respect for fellow human beings are called for more and more, irrespective of differences in races and cultures, Paul is convinced that Jazz for Kids is needed more than ever..... Even after moving to Japan and residing in Tokyo, Paul has spent time for live concerts in the United States and in Europe. In 1998, the long-awaited re-union of the Headhunters was materialized with a release of "the Return of the Headhunters". The Headhunters with Herbie Hancock made a successful tour through the U.S.A. and Europe in summer and autumn of that year..... Since autumn of 2001, Paul moved from Tokyo to the western part of Japan and continues to be active in the music scene in Japan, the U.S.A. and Europe. The Blue Note tour across Japan with Mike Clark and Jack Walrath from the U.S.A. and Char in March, 2002 had a great success, re-confirming to Paul's fans and music critics of his enormous talent as producer, as well as bassist and vocalist..... In conjunction with the release of long-awaited next album by the Headhunters, Evolution Revolution from Basin Street Records, New Orleans, U.S.A. in April, 2003, the Headhunters' tour across the United States took place in August, 2003 with huge success....... ..GEAR :...... .. My old Fender Telecaster Bass custom... the stick : GERALDINE.. .. ........ photo by Bruce Steinberg (FOAS inside booklet).... .... .. The Jackson-Hayashi "AMY" ESP Model.. .. .......... .... .. EBS Amps & Cabinets.. .. .. .......... .. ........ .. CHECK MY VIDEOS ON BASS PLAYER TV : .... ...... .... .. .. ...... ....
Members
Bassist, Vocalist, Composer & Arranger
Influences
Sounds Like
..SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY...... ..Album Credits :...... ..UNDER HIS NAME :...... - Black Octopus (1979 Toshiba EMI/Platform).. - Mike Clark & Paul Jackson The Funk Stops Here (1992 Enja).. - Clark/Jackson/Wagnon Conjunction (2001 Buckyball).. - Strandberg Project feat. Paul Jackson (2005 Schoots).. - Funk On A Stick (2005 Backdoor).... ..WITH THE HEADHUNTERS :...... - Survival Of The Fittest (1975 Arista).. - Straight From The Gate (1977 Arista).. - Return Of The Headhunters (1998 Verve).. - Evolution Revolution (2003 Basin Street Records).. - Rebecca Barry & The Headhunters (2005 LMF).... ..WITH HERBIE HANCOCK :...... - Headhunters (1973 Columbia).. - Thrust (1974 Columbia).. - Death Wish (1974 Sony).. - Man-Child (1975 Columbia).. - Flood (1975 Sony).. - Secrets (1976 Columbia).. - V.S.O.P. (1976 Columbia).. - Sunlight (1978 Columbia).. - Direct Step (1979 Sony).. - Kimiko Kasai Butterfly (1979 Sony).. - Mr. Hands (1980 Columbia).... ..OTHERS :...... - Stanley Turrentine Everybody Come On Out (Fantasy).. - Santana Festival (CBS).. - Eddie Henderson Sunburst (Capitol).. - Azteca Azteca (CBS).. - Sonny Rollins Easy Living (Prestige).. - Harvey Mason Marching In The Street (Arista).. - Tsutomu Yamashita Go (Arista).. - The Pointer Sisters Steppin' (1975 Blue Thumb Records).. - Hiroshi Shinkawa Primalroots (Aosis).. - East Bay Rythm A Little Love Will Help (7Bridges).... ..Associate Credits :...... Herbie Hancock / George Benson / Freddie Hubbard / Oscar Peterson / Sonny Rollins / Miles Davis / Tony Williams / Steve Gadd / Harvey Mason / Billy Cobham / Alfonso Mouzon / Carlos Santana / John McLaughlin / Al Di Meola / Neil Shawn / George Duke / Al Jarreau / Wayne Shorter / Errol Garner / Chick Corea / Lenny White / Tsutomu Yamashita / Stevie Wonder / John Scofield / Sheira E. / Arito / Flora Purim / Buster Williams / Lee Ritenour / Larry Coryell / Jaco Pastorius / The Pointer Sisters / Tower of Power / Shawn Philips / Patty Labell / Terumasa Hino / Larry Graham / Jan Hammer Jimmy Smith / Stanley Clarke / Stanley Turrentine / Ray Parker, Jr. / James Gaddson / Pete Escovedo / David Garibaldi / Takehiro Honda / Char / Takayuki Inoue......... Paul Jackson in friendly live at Au Limo Japan.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ポール・ジャクソンLIVE in 杭瀬　 (バラード） PAUL JACKSON.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... Live@Hadows Osaka, Japan Sept 30 2008 - Part 1.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Hadows Osaka, Japan Sept 30 2008 - Part 2.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Live@Hadows Osaka, Japan Sept 30 2008 - The Groove.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Azteca: La Piedra Del Sol.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Mike Clark & Paul Jackson - Rythm Combination part 1.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Mike Clark & Paul Jackson - Rythm Combination part 2.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Paul Jackson & Mike Clark - Rhythm Combination - Hotel Domingo.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters - Live Chicago 1974.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters - Soundstage 1975 San Fransisco.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Herbie Hancock - Hang Up Your Hang-ups - 1979.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Herbie Hancock - Your Bet Your Love Live 1979.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... The Return Of The Headhunters - Chameleon Live 1998.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Paul Jackson/James Levi - Having Fun :o).. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... PAUL JACKSON LIVE IN FUSSA.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... paul jackson live in japan.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... paul jackson live in japan.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... Wornell Jones tries out a Paul Jackson Bass!.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... ....

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News:

Reserve your copy now.

Re-Release of the rare CD "Black Octopus" December 25th 2010!

The first solo album by Paul Jackson (created October 27, 1978) will be available again 32 years after the original release. This rare and collectable album sells on E-bay for $70 or from Amazon for $200. We will be offering it for about $50 plus $5 shipping and each CD will be signed by Paul. (Please allow 2 weeks for shipping.) Will will also offer this to our Facebook friends.

Track listing

1. Many Directions
2. Eight Ways of Love
3. Funk Times Three
4. Burning in the Heat (Of Your Love)
5. Tip Tow Thru the Ghetto
6. T-Bolt
7. Little Love'll Help, A
8. Umi Bozu
9. Bow Tie Dress

Details

* Contributing artists: Alphonse Mouzon, Bennie Maupin, Herbie Hancock, Ray Obiedo
* Producer: Paul Jackson
* Distributor: (Independently by Label)
* Recording type: Studio
* Recording mode: Stereo
* SPAR Code: n/a

Album notes

Personnel includes: Paul Jackson (vocals, bass); Herbie Hancock, Webster Lewis, Alphonse Mouzon, Bennie Maupin, Ray Obiedo.Something of a lost funk legend, Black Octopus was recorded by bassist Paul Jackson during a 1978 tour of Japan with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, but didn't see an American release until more than two decades later. Augmented with four bonus tracks, the album lives up to the reputation it developed in exile, its blend of "Chameleon"-like fusion, disco, R&B, and spacy jazz driven by Jackson's fatback basslines into rare groove nirvana. Surprisingly, most of the original Black Octopus also features his vocals, which bear a marked resemblance to Slave's Steve Arrington. Jackson acquits himself well as a frontman, nicely crooning his way through the sultry, laid-back disco of "Burning in the Heat (Of Your Love)" and even reciting a little poetry on the opening "Many Directions." But it's the vintage grooves here -- played by several other Hancock veterans, including Herbie himself, and loaded with crunchy Rhodes riffs, JB's-style horn charts, and in-the-pocket drumming -- that are the real star. Of the four additions, which nearly double the album's running time, the instrumental "T-Bolt" is probably closest to what would have been expected from a Jackson solo effort, its tasteful fusion a descendant of Hancock's '70s work. "Umi Bozu" is more adventurous, its clouds of synth underpinned by propulsive rhythm guitar, and "Bow Tie Dress" is flat-out weird, with Jackson mumbling lyrics over a jaunty electric piano. Yet if Black Octopus' musical tentacles occasionally reach beyond their grasp, the overall result is still an essential for any savvy DJ or fusion fan. ~ Dan LeRoy

Editorial reviews

...Bassist Jackson trips back to the 1970s with this funky, groovy and bottom-heavy reissue....The album is truly a product of its time...JazzTimes (03/01/2001)

Black Octopus (Audio CD) :

Having been unable to afford this album in its original, rare, japanese, vinyl format for a painful number of years, stumbling upon this reissue seemed like a dream come true. What can I say about Paul Jackson? This man is an incredible musician and composer (he co-wrote such classics as "Chameleon" and "Hang-up your hang-ups" along side Herbie Hancock). He is one of the few bass players who is capable of evoking an immediate emotional response from the listener. In other words, when Paul gets down, you sit up and listen! When first listening through "Black Octopus" Paul suddenly becomes much more than "Herbies bass player" and I believe this collection of songs helps to illuminate the many sides of this great musician which I was previously unaware of. "Many Directions" sees Paul reciting jazz poetry and playing upright bass (pretty avante garde for Paul), then in direct contrast the down right funk of "Eight ways of Love". This shows Paul throwing some Stevie Wonder-esque vocal acrobatics around and leaving the synth bass to Herbie Hancock. Not exactly what one would expect at this point but great fun all the same! I think "Funk times three" is what I expected the whole album to be like i.e. this track is most like the Headhunters. I've never been so pleased to be wrong! Next up is another unexpected delight, "Burning in the heat" a beautiful funk/disco ballad. Completing the album is the cool and surprisingly unfamiliar "Tiptoe thru the ghetto", I find it difficult to understand why we are all unaware of this and a couple of Pauls other songs which cry out "classic funk track". Anyway, better late than never. I should point out the other reasons why this album is great besides Pauls playing and writing. Namely, Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, Alphonse Mouzon, Webster Lewis and Ray Obiedo. These guys are some of the greatest jazz/funk musicians ever. Need I say more? Funk hungry, young musicians such as myself will love this album, as will anyone who likes their funk laid down by the best in the business. This is real thinking mans funk. But don't take my word for it. In the words of Alphonse Mouzon, "hell, all the takes are funky!".

Bio:

Born in Oakland, California in 1947, Paul Jackson began playing bass at the age of nine. Considered by many of his teachers to be a musical prodigy, he performed with the Oakland Symphony by the age of fourteen where he expanded his musical interests to include performance levels on bassoon and piano.

His inspirations carried him into study with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The strong teaching foundation led him into teaching seminars for years with institutions such as A.N. Contemporary of Music (Tokyo), Pan School of Music (Tokyo), Musashino School of Music (Tokyo), Berkley School of Music (Boston), University of California Santa Cruz, San Jose State University, etc.Paul has been an adviser for Osaka School of Music since 2002.

Paul Jackson is known as a "Musician's Musician". As a founding member of the Headhunters under Herbie Hancock, Paul has shaped a sound that launched a new direction in contemporary music. The solid union between Hancock and Jackson has been especially evident in the many international tours they havemade together.

In 1979, Paul embarked on a solo recording venture releasing his own album, "Black Octopus" on Toshiba EMI Records. Jackson's composing has not gone without recognition as well, beginning with Grammy Award Nominations in 1974, 1975 and 1976 for song-writing "Chameleon" "Hang Up Your Hang-ups" and "Spider", respectively.

Like other highly talented, creatively motivated engineers of music, Paul has expanded his career to other mediums such as playing on the sound track of Paramount's "Death wish" "Dirty Harry". He was a music director for the touring company of "Don't Bother, I can't Cope", spent a year and a half with the Radio Free Europe and has appeared with the Oakland Symphony as well as Herbie Hancock on Midnight Special (ABC-TV).

Time out to compose the score for film and other hefty projects was sandwiched in between appearing with the band's numerous jazz festivals such as the De Hagg, Pori, Spain Montreaux, Newport and Paris. All in all, Paul Jackson is a million mile flyer since his eighteenth birthday.

Since 1985, Paul moved his residence to Japan and continued to be active in many aspects of the Japanese music scene. Live concerts with nation-famous artists such as Char, Tsutomu Yamashita, Sadao Watanabe have been performed in between composing/arranging music for TV commercial films and movies. In 1987, Paul started one of his life-long projects, Jazz for Kids, which is a voluntary concert performed at Japanese schools with an aim to introduce American black history through music and slide presentation. More than 80 schools across Japan has been visited by Paul and his band, which has been introduced on NHK, the only Japanese governmental TV station. In the time when understanding of, and respect for fellow human beings are called for more and more, irrespective of differences in races and cultures, Paul is convinced that Jazz for Kids is needed more than ever.

Even after moving to Japan and residing in Tokyo, Paul has spent time for live concerts in the United States and in Europe. In 1998, the long-awaited re-union of the Headhunters was materialized with a release of "the Return of the Headhunters". The Headhunters with Herbie Hancock made a successful tour through the U.S.A. and Europe in summer and autumn of that year.

Since autumn of 2001, Paul moved from Tokyo to the western part of Japan and continues to be active in the music scene in Japan, the U.S.A. and Europe. The Blue Note tour across Japan with Mike Clark and Jack Walrath from the U.S.A. and Char in March, 2002 had a great success, re-confirming to Paul's fans and music critics of his enormous talent as producer, as well as bassist and vocalist.

In conjunction with the release of long-awaited next album by the Headhunters, Evolution Revolution from Basin Street Records, New Orleans, U.S.A. in April, 2003, the Headhunters' tour across the United States took place in August, 2003 with huge success.

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Album Credits :

UNDER HIS NAME :

- Black Octopus (1979 Toshiba EMI/Platform)
- Mike Clark & Paul Jackson The Funk Stops Here (1992 Enja)
- Clark/Jackson/Wagnon Conjunction (2001 Buckyball)
- Strandberg Project feat. Paul Jackson (2005 Schoots)
- Funk On A Stick (2005 Backdoor)

WITH THE HEADHUNTERS :

- Survival Of The Fittest (1975 Arista)
- Straight From The Gate (1977 Arista)
- Return Of The Headhunters (1998 Verve)
- Evolution Revolution (2003 Basin Street Records)
- Rebecca Barry & The Headhunters (2005 LMF)

WITH HERBIE HANCOCK :

- Headhunters (1973 Columbia)
- Thrust (1974 Columbia)
- Death Wish (1974 Sony)
- Man-Child (1975 Columbia)
- Flood (1975 Sony)
- Secrets (1976 Columbia)
- V.S.O.P. (1976 Columbia)
- Sunlight (1978 Columbia)
- Direct Step (1979 Sony)
- Kimiko Kasai Butterfly (1979 Sony)
- Mr. Hands (1980 Columbia)

OTHERS :

- Stanley Turrentine Everybody Come On Out (Fantasy)
- Santana Festival (CBS)
- Eddie Henderson Sunburst (Capitol)
- Azteca Azteca (CBS)
- Sonny Rollins Easy Living (Prestige)
- Harvey Mason Marching In The Street (Arista)
- Tsutomu Yamashita Go (Arista)
- The Pointer Sisters Steppin' (1975 Blue Thumb Records)
- Hiroshi Shinkawa Primalroots (Aosis)
- East Bay Rythm A Little Love Will Help (7Bridges)

Associate Credits :

Herbie Hancock / George Benson / Freddie Hubbard / Oscar Peterson / Sonny Rollins / Miles Davis / Tony Williams / Steve Gadd / Harvey Mason / Billy Cobham / Alfonso Mouzon / Carlos Santana / John McLaughlin / Al Di Meola / Neil Shawn / George Duke / Al Jarreau / Wayne Shorter / Errol Garner / Chick Corea / Lenny White / Tsutomu Yamashita / Stevie Wonder / John Scofield / Sheira E. / Arito / Flora Purim / Buster Williams / Lee Ritenour / Larry Coryell / Jaco Pastorius / The Pointer Sisters / Tower of Power / Shawn Philips / Patty Labell / Terumasa Hino / Larry Graham / Jan Hammer Jimmy Smith / Stanley Clarke / Stanley Turrentine / Ray Parker, Jr. / James Gaddson / Pete Escovedo / David Garibaldi / Takehiro Honda / Char / Takayuki Inoue...

GEAR :

My old Fender Telecaster Bass custom... the stick : GERALDINE