Michael Gregory Jackson
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, he dropped Jackson and recorded under Michael Gregory to prevent mix-ups with the name of pop singer Michael Jackson.
Also recorded as Michael Gregory
Michael Gregory Jackson
- Name
- Michael Gregory
- Birth Name
- Michael Gregory Jackson
- Born
- 28 August 1953
- Birthplace
- New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Musician
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- jazz
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
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, he dropped Jackson and recorded under Michael Gregory to prevent mix-ups with the name of pop singer Michael Jackson.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Michael Gregory Jackson. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q1927588
In this article
Biography
Biography
In 2013, he returned to using his full name Michael Gregory Jackson. Jackson spent the 1970s in western Massachusetts, earning praise from critics and free-jazz followers for his first two solo albums. During the 1970s and '80s, he worked with avant-garde jazz musicians Oliver Lake, Marion Brown 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.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Michael Gregory • Birth Name — Michael Gregory Jackson • Born — 28 August 1953 • Birthplace — New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. • Genre — * Jazz • R&B • avant-garde • rock • blues • free jazz • Occupation — * Musician • composer • Instrument — Guitar • Years Active — 1970s–present • Label — * Bija • Improvising Artists • Arista Novus • Enja • Island • Tiptoe • Golden • Ethnicity Against the Error • Current Member Of — * Clarity Quartet • Clarity TRiO • Website — https: www.michaelgregoryjackson.com 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, he dropped Jackson and recorded under Michael Gregory to prevent mix-ups with the name of pop singer Michael Jackson. In 2013, he returned to using his full name Michael Gregory Jackson. Jackson spent the 1970s in western Massachusetts, earning praise from critics and free-jazz followers for his first two solo albums. During the 1970s and '80s, he worked with avant-garde jazz musicians Oliver Lake, Marion Brown 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.
As leader
As leader
• Clarity (Bija, 1977) • Karmonic Suite (Improvising Artists, 1978) • Gifts (Arista Novus, 1979) • Heart & Center (Arista Novus, 1979) • Cowboys, Cartoons & Assorted Candy (Enja, 1982) • Situation X (Island, 1983) • What to Where (RCA Novus, 1988) • The Way We Used to Do (Tiptoe, 1990) • Red (Golden, 1998) • Towards the Sun (Golden, 2002) • After Before (Golden, 2015) • Endogeny & Exogamy (Ethnicity Against the Error, 2015) • Spirit Signal Strata (Golden, 2017) • Whenufindituwillknow (Golden, 2019)
As sideman
As sideman
With Oliver Lake • Holding Together (Black Saint, 1976) • Life Dance of Is (Arista Novus, 1978) • Shine! (Arista Novus, 1979) • Plug It (Gramavision, 1983) • Zaki (hat ART, 1992) With Wadada Leo Smith • Spiritual Dimensions (Cuneiform, 2009) • Heart's Reflections (Cuneiform, 2011) • Najwa (TUM, 2017) With others • Pheeroan akLaff, Fits Like a Glove (Gramavision, 1983) • Deanna Bogart, New Address (Viceroots, 1996) • Matthew Shipp, Matthew Shipp Plays the Music of Allen Lowe (Constant Sorrow, 2015)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,934 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Michael GrahamPerson
- Michael GrangerPerson
- Michael GrayPerson
- Michael GregorPerson
- Michael GulezianPerson
- Michael Guy ChislettPerson
- Michael H. KaterPerson
- Michael HaydnPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Michael Gregory Jackson?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.