Jerry Dodgion

One of the most in-demand sidemen in jazz, Jerry Dodgion is a saxophonist, flautist, composer, and arranger with over 50 years under his belt. Jerry was raised in the San Francisco area and took up the alto sax in his early adolescence. He began working in the early 1950s; by 1953 (at the age of 21), he was already working with trumpeter/band leader Gerald Wilson. Two years later, he joined Benny Carter's band in Las Vegas for the opening of the Moulin Rouge. In the late 1950s, he played with Frank Sinatra and became a regular member of vibist Red Norvo's quintet (1958-1961).

Since then, Jerry has worked with many of the biggest names in jazz, including Benny Goodman (including Benny's 1962 tour of the Soviet Union), Oliver Nelson, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis (1965-1979), Herbie Hancock, Duke Pearson, Count Basie, Marian McPartland, Tadd Dameron, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and many more. He has appeared on recordings with Stanley Turrentine, Louis Armstrong, Clark Terry, Charles Mingus, Chico O'Farril, among others. Jerry died after an illness in NYC.