Cliff Jackson

Clifton Luther Jackson (Culpeper, 1902 - July 19, New York City, May 24, 1970) was an American stride-pianist and bandleader.

Jackson played in Atlantic City and around 1923 in New York in Lionel Howard's Musical Aces. He made some recordings under his own name and in 1927 took on withBob Fuller and Elmer Snowden. In the same year he started his own big band the Krazy Kats, with which he played regularly until 1932 in the Lenox Club in Harlem. He also took in 1930 with this band for Grey Gull. After the end of the group he worked much in nightclubs in New York and he accompanied singers as Viola McCoy, Lena Wilson, Sara Martin and Carrie Edwards, even at recordings. In 1934, he was in the studio with the Sepia Serenaders Group (including Snowden and Clarence Grimes) for recordings for Bluebird. The group played mainly Fats Wallerand Waller's Alligator Crwal-like material. In 1940/1941 he played with Sidney Bechet's recordings. From 1943 to 1951 he had much success as the House pianist from Cafe Society. In that time he made recordings under his own name for Black & White Records (includingdixielandnumbers, 1944/1945) and he also toured with Eddie Condon. He also played with Garvin Bushell (1950), j. c. Higginbotham (1960) and Joe Thomas. In 1966, he performed with his wife, the singer Maxine Sullivan.

Edwards has appeared on recordings of Viola McCoy, Hot Lips Page, Bunny Berigan, Tommy Ladnier, Sidney de Paris, Mildred Bailey, Coleman Hawkins and Dizzy Gillespie (three albums in 1961).

Jackson died from heart failure. ==Discography (selection)[ Edit] ==
 * Carolina Shout, Black Lion, 1962
 * Parlor Social Piano, Fat Cat Jazz, 1968
 * Crazy Rhythm, Jazz Colours, 2003
 * 1926-1934, Jazz Oracle, 2003
 * 1930-1945, Chronological Classics, 1998