Ronald Shannon Jackson -

Ronald Shannon Jackson (Jan. 12, 1940 — Oct. 19, 2013) was an American jazz-funk drummer on the New York avant-garde scene. He emerged as a free-jazz sideman for Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and James Blood Ulmer.

As a bandleader, Jackson led the No Wave-inspired Decoding Society on the 1980–83 albums Eye on You, Nasty, Mandance, and Barbeque Dog. Between 1986 and 1989, Jackson cut multiple discs with Last Exit, a free-jazz supergroup with Sonny Sharrock, Peter Brötzmann, and Material mastermind Bill Laswell.

Background

Ronald Shannon Jackson was born on January 12, 1940, in Fort Worth, Texas. His father operated a jukebox business and record shop on the city’s Black music circuit; his mother played piano and organ in church. He studied piano as a child and shifted toward drums through school bands, local jam sessions, and neighborhood performances.

Jackson attended I.M. Terrell High School and played professionally as a teenager with Dallas saxophonist James Clay, an associate of Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman. He later attended Lincoln University in Missouri and Texas Southern University in Houston.

Jackson reached New York in the mid-Sixties and worked with pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, saxophonists Jackie McLean and Byard Lancaster, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, and bassist Charles Mingus. He entered the ESP-Disk orbit through the 1966 Charles Tyler Ensemble album and joined Albert Ayler for 1966–67 concerts documented on the later Live at Slug’s Saloon releases.

Between 1973 and 1976, Jackson interacted with guitarist Bern Nix and bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma on sessions for the Coleman albums Dancing in Your Head and Body Meta. He also backed Cecil Taylor on the pianist’s 1978 Unit recordings 3 Phasis and One Too Many Salty Swift and Not Goodbye.

Jackson formed the Decoding Society in 1979 after the Coleman, Taylor, and James Blood Ulmer circles converged around harmolodic composition, electric instrumentation, and multi-directional rhythm. The first Decoding Society lineup placed Jackson, Nix, and Lancaster with violinist Billy Bang, percussionist Erasto Vasconcelos, bassist Melvin Gibbs, guitarist Vernon Reid, and reedist Charles Brackeen.

Eye on You

Ronald Shannon Jackson released his debut leader album, Eye on You, in 1980 on About Time.

The album contains eleven Jackson compositions performed by the first Decoding Society with Bang and Vasconcelos beside a double-guitar front of Nix and Reid, with Gibbs on electric bass and reed work by Lancaster and Brackeen. Jackson adds flute to the drum chair on the session.

“Sortie” careens through a march overlay and Eastern-African inflection, with alto and tenor heads in tight collision. “Nightwhistlers” whistles city-echoed blues phrases through a moving urban line. “Apache Love Cry” braids a carnival figure against a bleaker second guitar path.

“Shaman” pivots from a Southern blues meter in 6/5 into Jackson’s drum solo and a waltz-like turn. “Dancers of Joy” jolts through clashing alto-tenor head figures. “Theme for a Prince” threads two melodies through a compact Brackeen break. “Eye on You” splinters into simultaneous improvisation.

A1. “Sortie” (3:51)
A2. “Nightwhistlers” (3:28)
A3. “Apache Love Cry” (6:15)
A4. “Shaman” (4:09)
A5. “Eastern Voices, Western Dreams” (4:17)

B1. “Dancers of Joy” (2:59)
B2. “Arising” (4:25)
B3. “Orange Birthday” (2:36)
B4. “Theme for a Prince” (3:22)
B5. “Eye on You” (5:50)
B6. “Ballet de Omphalos” (4:34)

Eye on You appeared as About Time AT-1003. Verified credits list drums and flute Ronald Shannon Jackson, violin Billy Bang, percussion Erasto Vasconcelos, electric bass Melvin Gibbs, electric guitar Bern Nix, electric and acoustic guitar Vernon Reid, alto and soprano saxophone Byard Lancaster, and tenor and soprano saxophone Charles Brackeen.

Jackson remained active as a sideman during the same period. He played on James Blood Ulmer’s 1980 album Are You Glad to Be in America? and appeared with the Music Revelation Ensemble on the 1980 Moers album No Wave.

Nasty

Ronald Shannon Jackson released his second leader album, Nasty, in 1981 on Moers Music.

The album retains the early Decoding Society electric format and adds a second bass source. Brackeen, Lee Rozie, Lancaster, Reid, Gibbs, Bruce Johnson, and Khan Jamal join Jackson across five extended pieces. Nasty contains five Jackson originals.

“Small World” lunges through unison horn figures. “Black Widow” piles dense layers around vibraphone motion and Jackson’s kit-led line. “Sweet Natalie” drones beneath woodwind turns and a single guitar path.

“Nasty” splinters the ensemble into light fragments and denser entries. “When We Return” stretches from slow motion to faster propulsion as Reid and the two bassists take the lead while horns hold support.

A1. “Small World” (3:20)
A2. “Black Widow” (10:18)
A3. “Sweet Natalie” (5:01)

B1. “Nasty” (5:55)
B2. “When We Return” (11:39)

Sessions occurred from March 23 through March 27, 1981, at The Hit Factory in New York with producer Burkhard Hennen. The personnel credits list drums Ronald Shannon Jackson, vibraphone Khan Jamal, electric bassists Melvin Gibbs and Bruce Johnson, electric guitar Vernon Reid, alto and baritone saxophone and flute Byard Lancaster, and soprano and tenor saxophones Charles Brackeen and Lee Rozie.

Street Priest

Ronald Shannon Jackson released the Moers album Street Priest after June 1981 sessions with the Decoding Society.

The album pares the ensemble to Jackson with Reid, Massey, Rozie, Johnson, and Gibbs. Street Priest places the dual-bass rhythm unit beneath guitar and saxophone lines across six Jackson compositions.

“Street Priest” stretches a live-band method through several simultaneous soloists over a hard, steady beat. “Sperm Walk” gives Rozie and Massey separate horn breaks inside the freer Moers layout. “City Witch” knots Gibbs/Johnson pairings with alto and soprano voices.

“Sandflower” clears space for Gibbs’s electric bass solo. “Hemlock for Cordials” drives Rozie and Massey through tenor breaks. “Chudo Be” lets Massey and Rozie trade upper-horn statements across the long take.

A1. “Street Priest” (6:17)
A2. “Sperm Walk” (8:07)
A3. “City Witch” (5:51)

B1. “Sandflower” (4:41)
B2. “Hemlock for Cordials” (7:05)
B3. “Chudo Be” (8:06)

Sessions occurred from June 13 through June 16, 1981, at Studio Nord in Bremen.

Mandance

Ronald Shannon Jackson released his fourth Decoding Society album, Mandance, in June 1982 on Antilles.

The album contains nine Jackson compositions and establishes the Antilles-era Decoding Society with trumpeter Henry Scott, reed player Zane Massey, guitarist Vernon Reid, and electric bassists Gibbs and Johnson. David Gordon and Lee Rozie appear on select titles.

“Man Dance” shuffles one hand against floor-four motion before Zane Massey’s alto opens a jazz interlude. “Iola” lopes on a gentle heartbeat rhythm, with banjo picking and an avant-barnyard bass solo. “Spanking” charges from a big-band-styled entrance into a cab-ride beat, a unison riff, Reid’s traffic-cutting solo, and descending horns.

“Catman” slinks through a circular head, Henry Scott’s trumpet break, and Massey’s alto bucking back into the theme. “The Art of Levitation” tosses a concert-theme tag into comic release. “Belly Button” collides urban-classical codes with a Saturday-night fish-fry interlude.

“Giraffe” pitches an Egyptian-tinged line under Massey’s soprano solo. “When Souls Speak” slows into a wordless after-work dialogue. “Alice in the Congo” floats Reverend Johnson’s fretless solo through a clouded horn-roll before Reid’s lightning figure and the full-band roll.

A1. “Man Dance” (4:33)
A2. “Iola” (5:25)
A3. “Spanking” (3:08)
A4. “Catman” (6:42)
A5. “The Art of Levitation” (1:24)

B1. “Belly Button” (4:45)
B2. “Giraffe” (3:10)
B3. “When Souls Speak” (5:49)
B4. “Alice in the Congo” (6:10)

Sessions occurred with producer David Breskin and engineers Neal Teeman and Akili Walker. Mandance features an illustration by Katsu Yoshida and back-cover photography by Deborah Feingold. Yoshida’s art appears on contemporary covers for Japanese rockers Sonhouse and Spanish guitarist Paco De Lucia.

In March 1982, Jackson underpinned Bill Laswell on sessions for the Material bassist’s 1983 Elektra album Baselines.

Barbeque Dog

Ronald Shannon Jackson released his next Decoding Society album, Barbeque Dog, in 1983 on Antilles.

The album contains seven Jackson compositions and one Vernon Reid title, “Say What You Will.” Scott, Massey, Reid, Gibbs, and Johnson remain from Mandance, with Jackson credited on drums, flute, bass flute, Bertoia sound sculpture, and voice. The arrangements place brass and reeds beside Reid’s guitar synthesizer and the Gibbs-Johnson electric bass team.

“Trials of an Honest John” heaves through high-pressure ensemble surges. “Mystery at Dawn” quiets around Jackson’s flutes and Reid’s delicate banjo solo.

A1. “Barbeque Dog” (4:21)
A2. “Trials of an Honest John” (3:23)
A3. “Yugo Boy” (3:09)
A4. “Say What You Will” (3:14) – Reid
A5. “Mystery at Dawn” (4:38)

B1. “Gossip” (5:48)
B2. “When Cherry Trees Bloom in Winter, You Can Smell Last Summer” (5:28)
B3. “Harlem Opera” (9:02)

Sessions occurred in March 1983 at Jam Studio in London with co-producers David Breskin and Ronald Shannon Jackson.

Barbeque Dog appeared in a masked cover designed by Eiko Ishioka, a graphic illustrator and costume designer credited with East Wind visuals for Reggie Lucas, Ryo Kawasaki, Sadao Watanabe, and Shunzo Ohno.

Pulse

Ronald Shannon Jackson released the solo leader album Pulse in 1984 on Celluloid.

The album shifts from Decoding Society ensemble work to Jackson’s solo drum, voice, and percussion settings. Poet Michael Harper appears on two tracks, and Onaje Allan Gumbs appears on piano.

“Puttin’ on Dog” recites Sterling A. Brown over a New Orleans-flavored kit pattern. “Last Affair: Bessie’s Blues Song” sets Michael S. Harper’s recitation against Jackson’s accompaniment. “Richard III, Raven” grunts through Shakespeare and Poe fragments over explosive rolls and fills. “Slim in Atlanta” recites Brown’s text over a street-jive figure. “Geronimo, On the Run” shapes another short solo around focused motivic turns.

“Those Winter Sundays” places Harper’s dry recitation over brushes and toms. “Hottentot Woman” compresses a motivic solo into short, blunt turns. “Tears for the Earthbound” tightens a brief solo around motivic cells. “Lullabye for Mother” narrows to Onaje Allan Gumbs’s solo piano sentiment. “Circus of Civilized Fools” barrels through a solo-drum sequence that suspends and retards time while press rolls and foot blows mark the turns.

1. “Puttin’ on the Dog” (4:12)
2. “Last Affair: Bessie’s Last Affair” (2:01)
3. “Richard III, Raven” (11:30)
4. “Slim in Atlanta” (2:29)
5. “Geronimo’s Run” (3:20)
6. “Those Winter Sundays” (0:56)
7. “Hottentot Woman” (2:17)
8. “Tears for the Earth Bound” (2:46)
9. “Lullaby for the Mothers” (2:08)
10. “Circus of Civilized Fools” (7:27)

Sessions occurred in January 1984 at Jam Studio in London and Right Track Studio with producer David Breskin and producer-engineer Ron Saint Germain. Breskin worked successively with Vernon Reid on the guitarists 1985 Bill Frisell collaboration, Smash & Scatteration. Reid found subsequent fame in the hard-rock quartet Living Colour.

Decode Yourself

Ronald Shannon Jackson released his third Antilles/Island-era Decoding Society album, Decode Yourself, in 1985 on Island.

The album contains eight Jackson compositions and a short reading of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Bebop.” The lineup brings Akbar Ali into the violin chair and adds trombonist Robin Eubanks, saxophonist Eric Person, and synthesist Onaje Allan Gumbs to a returning core with Gibbs, Johnson, and Reid, who juggles steel, guitar-synth, and banjo.

“Bebop” races through a fast unison tag. “Decoding” rumbles under Reid’s long line, Ali-and-horn moans, and a Sun Ra-derived group chant. “Thieves Market” taps strict four against interlocked ostinatos while Person’s soprano, Ali’s violin, and Gumbs’s figures cut through side dissonances. “Behind Plastic Faces” warps a childlike tune and punctuates each phrase with an electric thud before Person’s alto rides Reid’s comping.

“Software Shuffle” gallops through celeste-like DX-7 figures toward a cyclone-like crest. “Snake Alley” runs on Laswell’s programmed beat. “Undressing” slides from Reid’s sensual opening into a jangling crest. “Tricky Vic” romps through restlessly interlocked figures.

A1. “Bebop” (0:49) – Gillespie
A2. “Decoding” (4:15)
A3. “Thieves Market” (3:56)
A4. “Behind Plastic Faces” (4:55)
A5. “Software Shuffle” (2:35)

B1. “Snake Alley” (3:44)
B2. “Undressing” (7:56)
B3. “Love Words for a Queen” (6:29)
B4. “Tricky Vic” (3:55)

Sessions occurred in 1985 at Electric Lady in New York with Bill Laswell, who worked in sequence with Ginger Baker, the Golden Palominos, and Public Image Ltd.

Live at the Caravan of Dreams

In 1986, Live at the Caravan of Dreams appeared on Caravan of Dreams Productions.

The album documents a 1985 Fort Worth performance by the Decoding Society with Nigerian artist Twins Seven Seven. Person, Ali, Cary DeNigris, and Reginald Washington form the instrumental lineup beside Jackson, with Twins Seven Seven on vocals, percussion, and talking drum.

A1. “The Ancient Voice of ‘E'” (9:45)
A2. “Dream Caravan” (8:54)

B1. “Iré (‘Eray’)” (9:04)
B2. “Boiling Cabbage” (11:18)

The concert occurred at Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth with producer Kathelin Hoffman. Knit Classics reissued the album as Beast in the Spider Bush: Live at the Caravan of Dreams.

Also in 1986, Jackson and Laswell formed Last Exit with guitarist Sonny Sharrock and saxophonist Peter Brötzmann. He also appeared on James Blood Ulmer’s 1987 album America — Do You Remember the Love?.

When Colors Play

Ronald Shannon Jackson released When Colors Play in June 1987 on Caravan of Dreams Productions.

The album documents Decoding Society live material from Caravan of Dreams after Jackson’s West Africa trip. Person and Massey front the horn line, while guitarists DeNigris and Masujaa join bassist John Moody and Jackson.

“Dance of the Spirit Catcher” surges through a heavily amplified formation as Denigris and Masujaa flank the ensemble with paired guitar figures. “When Colors Play” locks into a straighter beat and drives the long run through horn entries and solo bursts.

1. “Dance of the Spirit Catcher” (8:05)
2. “Ella Mae” (3:58)
3. “When Colors Play” (6:51)
4. “Black Blues” (6:40)
5. “Sweet Orange” (11:16)
6. “Green Coronas” (5:52)
7. “Purple Tongues” (12:37)

Sessions occurred live at Caravan of Dreams during September 1986 in Fort Worth. The 1999 Cymbata issue presents the album as a seven-title EP-length program.

Jackson formed Power Tools in 1987 with guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Melvin Gibbs. The trio released Strange Meeting on Antilles. Last Exit also extended its live discography through the late-Eighties releases The Noise of Trouble, Cassette Recordings ’87, and Iron Path.

Texas

Ronald Shannon Jackson released Texas in 1988 on Caravan of Dreams Productions.

The album features the late-Eighties Decoding Society lineup with Person, Massey, DeNigris, Masujaa, John Moody, and Jackson. Bill Laswell produced the album, which contains eight Jackson compositions on the CD issue.

1. “Nothing Beats a Failure But a Try” (6:02)
2. “Holyman” (5:27)
3. “Panhandling” (5:41)
4. “Charming the Beast” (3:20)
5. “Evoking” (8:13)
6. “Shotgun Wedding” (5:46)
7. “Psychic Greeting” (5:54)
8. “Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing” (3:26)

Sessions occurred from April 9 through April 11, 1987, at January Sound in Dallas with producer Bill Laswell, engineer Robert Wechsler, and assistant engineer Daniela De Stefanis.

Jackson appeared with John Zorn on Spillane and worked in Laswell-linked projects SXL and Mooko during the late Eighties.

Red Warrior

Ronald Shannon Jackson released Red Warrior in 1990 on Axiom.

The album contains seven Jackson compositions and replaces the reed-heavy Decoding Society format with a three-guitar ensemble. Jef Lee Johnson, Stevie Salas, and Jack DeSalvo form the guitar lineup, with bassists Ramon Pooser and Conrad Mathieu beside Jackson.

“Red Warrior” shuffles through New Orleans-coded motion, complex heads, and effects-riddled guitar lines. “Ashes” broods inside a blues-based setting. “Gate to Heaven” slides into a guitar showcase with extended solo space.

“In Every Face” lurches through rubato breaks as Jackson traverses the kit in polyrhythmic bursts. “Elders” sprawls through free-form guitar noise and heavy beat blocks. “What’s Not Said” closes on a blunt nursery-rhyme figure and showpiece solo space.

A1. “Ashes” (4:41)
A2. “Red Warrior” (4:45)
A3. “Gate to Heaven” (5:15)
A4. “In Every Face” (6:06)

B1. “Elders” (13:35)
B2. “What’s Not Said” (4:19)
B3. “Harmolodic Christmas” (4:58)

Jackson recorded Red Warrior at Sorcerer Sound, Krypton Studios, and Platinum Island Studio in New York with co-producer Bill Laswell and engineers Jason Corsaro and Robert Musso. Eiko Ishioka designed the cover amid recent credits with Miles Davis and Eddie Gomez.

Taboo

Ronald Shannon Jackson released Taboo in 1990 on Venture.

The album gathers mid-Eighties Decoding Society material across one side-long suite and four shorter pieces. Reid appears on guitar across the program, with Gibbs and Johnson on electric bass. Person, Massey, Rozie, Scott, David Gordon, Robin Eubanks, Akbar Ali, and Onaje Allan Gumbs appear on selected titles.

“Mental Holiday” weaves arranged harmony lines through sequential solo entries. “Ain’t Supposed to Be” anchors Melvin Gibbs’s muscular basslines under Reid’s raucous flights. “No Routines” clears space for Akbar Ali’s violin. “Forgive Me” swings fast through Robin Eubanks’s trombone break and Eric Person’s baritone run.

“Taboo” threads Middle Eastern-tinged horn lines over a bubbling bass figure. “Mothers and Sons” hovers around Zane Massey’s spacious improvisation. “Challenge to Manhood” shuffles hard beneath Henri Scott’s high-register trumpet. “Little Things That Count” brushes the band into a lighter swing.

1. “Mental Holiday” (18:54)
— a. “Vacating the Body”
— b. “Ain’t Supposed to Be”
— c. “No Routines”
— d. “Forgive Me”
— e. “Be Back Shortly”
2. “Taboo” (5:28)
3. “Mothers and Sons” (4:22)
4. “Challenge to Manhood” (3:15)
5. “Little Things That Count” (4:29)

Jackson and Laswell co-produced the album at studios in New York (Electric Lady, R.P.M.) and London (Jam Studio) with engineers Robert Musso and Ron Saint Germain. Yoko Yamabe designed the artwork for Randesign, with artist photography by Thi Linh Le.

Raven Roc

Ronald Shannon Jackson released Raven Roc in 1992 on DIW.

The album reduces the Decoding Society to a quartet with bassist Dom Richards and guitarists Jef Lee Johnson and David “Fuze” Fiuczynski. Jackson plays drums, flute, and schalmei, an ancient metal oboe. The album contains ten Jackson compositions.

1. “Sun Calling” (9:01)
2. “Hatched Spirit Blues” (7:07)
3. “Illegal” (3:54)
4. “Sexual Drum Dance” (8:22)
5. “Sunday Bells” (3:10)
6. “Raven Roc” (1:43)
7. “Truth and Grace” (5:12)
8. “Xmas Woman” (4:29)
9. “Magic Park” (4:23)
10. “This Groove Hea’R” (8:10)

Sessions occurred from February 22 through February 24, 1992, at Sorcerer Sound in New York with co-producers Ronald Shannon Jackson and Kazunori Sugiyama. Don Hünerberg engineered the album with assistant John Azelvandre. David Breskin designed the front cover, and Cheung Ching Ming supplied photography and hand coloring.

Discography: