Michael Gregory (jazz guitarist)
Michael Gregory Jackson (born August 28, 1953 in New Haven, Connecticut) is an American jazz and R&B guitarist. Early in his career, he used the name Michael Gregory to prevent mix-ups with the name of pop singer Michael Jackson.[1] In 2013, he returned to using his full name.
During the 1970s and '80s, he worked with avant-garde jazz musicians Oliver Lake,[1] Pheeroan akLaff, and Baikida Carroll.
He worked with playwright Ntozake Shange, poet Jessica Hagedorn, and poet Thulani Davis at the Public Theater, New York City. Following this he began working more in rock, jazz fusion, and R&B. He worked with Walter Becker of Steely Dan. In 1983 Nile Rodgers produced his album Situation-X for Island Records.
In 2013 he formed Michael Gregory Jackson's Clarity Quartet and Michael Gregory Jackson's Clarity TRiO. His groups have included Anthony Davis, Bob Moses, David Murray, Jerome Harris, Julius Hemphill, Mark Helias, Mark Trayle, Marty Ehrlich, Wadada Leo Smith, and Will Calhoun.
Discography
As leader
- Clarity, Circle, Triangle, Square (ESP-Disk, 1976)
- Karmonic Suite (Improvising Artists, 1978)
- Gifts (Arista/Novus, 1979)
- Heart and Center (Arista/Novus, 1979)
- Cowboys, Cartoons and Assorted Candy (Enja, 1982)
- Situation X (Island, 1983)
- The Way We Used to Do (Enja, 1982)
- What to Where (Jive/Novus, 1987)
- Towards the Sun (Golden, 1991)
- Red (Orchard, 2000)
- High Up Where the Breezes Blow
As sideman
With Art Ensemble Syd
- Liberty (EME, 2013)
With Wadada Leo Smith
- Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform, 2009)
- Heart's Reflections (Cuneiform, 2011)
- Najwa (TUM, 2017)
With Oliver Lake
- Zaki
- Shine
- Life Dance of Is
- Holding Together (Black Saint, 1976)
- Wild Flower Loft Jazz Sessions
With Anthony Braxton
- Wild Flower Loft Jazz Sessions
With Nona Hendryx
- The Heat
With Pheeroan aKlaff
- Fits Like a Glove
With Amina Claudine Myers
- Amina
With Clyde Criner
- Behind the Sun
With the Coyote Sisters
- Women and Other Visions
With Viva Monroe
- Rock 'n' Roll Party
With Seth Glier
- Sojourn
With Paul Muldoon & RACKETT
- Resistance
With Stephen Allen
- Making the Move: Music to Poems by Paul Muldoon
References
- 1 2 Wynn, Ron. "Michael Gregory". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2017.