Jerry Dodgion

Jerry Dodgion (born August 29, 1932, Richmond, California) is an American jazz saxophonist and flautist.

Dodgion 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 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 together with Charlie Mariano. Dodgion's first true release as a bandleader arrived 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.

Discography

As sideman

With Count Basie

• Hollywood...Basie's Way (Command, 1967)
• High Voltage (MPS, 1970)

With Richard Davis

• Muses for Richard Davis (MPS, 1969)

With Johnny Hammond

• The Prophet (Kudu, 1972)

With Etta Jones

• From the Heart (Prestige, 1962)

With Yusef Lateef

• Part of the Search (Atlantic, 1973)
• In a Temple Garden (CTI, 1979)

With Herbie Mann

• My Kinda Groove (Atlantic, 1965)
• Our Mann Flute (Atlantic, 1966)

With Oliver Nelson

• Happenings with Hank Jones (Impulse!, 1966)
• Encyclopedia of Jazz (Verve, 1966)
• The Sound of Feeling (Verve, 1966)
• The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)

With Chico O'Farrill

• Nine Flags (Impulse!, 1966)

With Duke Pearson

• The Right Touch (Blue Note, 1966)
• Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band (Blue Note, 1967)
• The Phantom (Blue Note, 1968)
• I Don't Care Who Knows It (Blue Note, 1968)
• Now Hear This (Blue Note, 1969)
• It Could Only Happen with You (Blue Note, 1970)

With Lalo Schifrin

• Black Widow (CTI, 1976)

With Shirley Scott

• Roll 'Em: Shirley Scott Plays the Big Bands (Impulse!, 1966)

With Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery

• Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo (Verve, 1967)

With Sonny Stitt

• I Keep Comin' Back! (Roulette, 1966)

With Cal Tjader

• Soul Burst (Verve, 1966)

With Stanley Turrentine

• Don't Mess with Mister T. (CTI, 1973)

References

• Jerry Dodgion at Allmusic