Jerry Dodgion

Jerry Dodgion
Born(1932-08-29)August 29, 1932
Richmond, California, U.S.
DiedFebruary 17, 2023(2023-02-17) (aged 90)
Queens, New York, U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Saxophone, flute

Jerry Dodgion (August 29, 1932 – February 17, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist and flautist.

Dodgion was born in Richmond, California. He played alto sax in middle school and began working locally in the San Francisco area in the 1950s. He played in bands with Rudy Salvini, John Coppola/Chuck Travis and Gerald Wilson and worked with the Vernon Alley Quartet, who accompanied Billie Holiday in 1955. He played with Gerald Wilson from 1953 to 1955, Benny Carter in the 1950s, Red Norvo from 1958 to 1961, Benny Goodman (for his 1962 tour of the Soviet Union), Oliver Nelson, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis (from 1965-1979), Herbie Hancock, Duke Pearson, Blue Mitchell, Count Basie, and Marian McPartland. Dodgion was married to drummer/singer Dottie Dodgion for 20 years.

Dodgion had a long career as a sideman, recording up to 2004 only two dates as leader or co-leader: two tracks in 1955 for Fantasy Records with Sonny Clark on piano and an album in 1958 for World Pacific with Charlie Mariano. Dodgion's first true release as a bandleader was issued in 2004 with an ensemble called The Joy of Sax, featuring saxophonists Frank Wess, Brad Leali, Dan Block and Jay Brandford, pianist Mike LeDonne, bassist Dennis Irwin and percussionist Joe Farnsworth.

Dodgion died from complications of an infection in Queens, New York, on February 17, 2023, at the age of 90.[1]

Discography

As leader

  • Modern Music From San Francisco (Fantasy, 1955) – 2 tracks on shared album; 2 more tracks featuring Dodgion led by Vince Guaraldi
  • Beauties Of 1918/Something for Both Ears (World Pacific, 1957 [1958]) – co-led with Charlie Mariano

As sideman

With Louis Armstrong

With the Count Basie Orchestra

With Randy Brecker

  • Score (Solid State, 1969)

With Donald Byrd

With Betty Carter

With Ron Carter

With Al Cohn

With Tadd Dameron

With Richard Davis

With Lou Donaldson

With Benny Green

With Bobby Hackett

With Johnny Hammond

With Herbie Hancock

With Antônio Carlos Jobim

With J. J. Johnson

With Etta Jones

With Quincy Jones

With The Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra

With Yusef Lateef

With Herbie Mann

With Marian McPartland

  • Portrait of Marian McPartland (Concord, 1980)

With Blue Mitchell

With Wes Montgomery

With Oliver Nelson

With David "Fathead" Newman

With Chico O'Farrill

With Jimmy Owens

With Duke Pearson

With Lalo Schifrin

With Shirley Scott

With Jack Sheldon

With Dinah Shore and Red Norvo

With Jimmy Smith

With Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery

With Dakota Staton

With Sonny Stitt

With Cal Tjader

With Stanley Turrentine

With Grover Washington, Jr.

With Gerald Wilson

With Kai Winding

With Phil Woods

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ Jerry Dodgion, saxophonist and flutist who embodied the versatile grace of a sideman, is dead at 90. WRTI 90.1. Retrieved on February 21, 2023.
General references