Michael Gregory (jazz guitarist)

Michael Gregory Jackson (born August 28, 1953 in New Haven, Connecticut) is an American guitarist and composer working in jazz, R&B, avant-garde, rock, blues, and free jazz. Early in his career, he used his given name, Michael Gregory Jackson. In 1983, when he signed with Island Records, Michael dropped Jackson and recorded under Michael Gregory to prevent mix-ups with the name of pop singer Michael Jackson.[1] In 2013, he returned to using his full name.

For other people named Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation).

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 (Tiptoe, 1990 remix and re-release)
  • What to Where (Jive/Novus, 1987)
  • Towards the Sun (Golden, 1991)
  • Red (Orchard, 2000)
  • After Before (GOLDEN 2015)
  • Spirit Signal Strata (GOLDEN 2018)[2]
  • WHENUFINDITUWILLKNOW (GOLDEN 2019)

As sideman

With Oliver Lake

  • 1976 Holding Together
  • 1978 Life Dance of Is
  • 1978 Shine
  • 1979 Zaki
  • 1982 Plug It

With Wadada Leo Smith

With others

  • 1977 73°-S Kelvin Anthony Braxton, Wildflowers Series (Casablanca Records)
  • 1985 The Heat Nona Hendryx
  • 1983 Fits Like A Glove Pheeroan aKLaff (Gramavision Records)
  • 1988 Amina Amina Claudine Myers (Arista Novus Records)
  • 1988 Behind The Sun Clyde Criner (Arista Novus Records)
  • 2001 Women And Other Visions The Coyote Sisters (Wannadate Records)

References
  1. Wynn, Ron. "Michael Gregory". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. "Michael Gregory Jackson | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
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