Ronald Shannon Jackson may be making his first appearance at the Kessler Theater, but he’s no stranger to North Texas, or to jazz fans. The heavyweight drummer and Fort Worth native has been around the world with his band, the Decoding Society, which was influenced by another Fort Worth luminary, Ornette Coleman. This is a rare North Texas appearance for Jackson and two Big Deal winners will receive a pair of general admission (standing room) tickets to his July 7 performance.
From the Kessler:
Jackson played professionally in Texas with James Clay when he was 15. He moved to New York in 1966, where he worked with Byard Lancaster, Charles Mingus, Betty Carter, Stanley Turrentine, Jackie McLean, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Dorham, and most significantly Albert Ayler (1966-1967), among others. He took time off of the scene and then joined Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time (1975-1979). Jackson also worked with Cecil Taylor (1978-1979) and James “Blood” Ulmer (1979-1980). The Decoding Society (formed in 1979), through the years, featured many talented and advanced improvisers, with the best-known ones being Vernon Reid, Zane Massey, Billy Bang, and Byard Lancaster. Jackson also played with the explosive group Last Exit (starting in 1986), and in the early ’90s with Power Tools. Jackson’s most recent tours include performances in Paris, Amsterdam, Cologne, Rome, Padua, Florence, and Vienna. We are glad to have him back home in North Texas for a rare performance. Melvin Gibbs will join on bass
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And it’s a musical bonanza in the Big Deal this week. You might also like to enter to win tickets to see A Hard Day’s Night, the Beatles Tribute Band, at the Granada Theater.
Enter below for a great evening of jazz:
UPDATE: We have our winners. Thanks for playing. Don’t forget to check out the Big Deals next week.
