Jerry Dodgion


Jerry Dodgion was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist.
Dodgion was born in Richmond, California. He 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, Oliver Nelson, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Duke Pearson, Blue Mitchell, Count Basie, and Marian McPartland. Dodgion was married to drummer/singer 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 with Charlie Mariano. Dodgion's first true release as a bandleader was issued 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.
Dodgion died from complications of an infection in Queens, New York, on February 17, 2023, at the age of 90.

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Louis Armstrong
With the Count Basie Orchestra
With Randy Brecker
With Donald Byrd
With Betty Carter
With Ron Carter
With Al Cohn
With Tadd Dameron
With Richard Davis
;With Lou Donaldson
With Benny Green
With Bobby Hackett
With Johnny Hammond
With Herbie Hancock
With Antônio Carlos Jobim
With J. J. Johnson
With Etta Jones
With Quincy Jones
With The Thad Jones/ [Mel Lewis Orchestra]
With Yusef Lateef
With Herbie Mann
With Marian McPartland
With Blue Mitchell
With Wes Montgomery
With Oliver Nelson
With David "Fathead" Newman
With Chico O'Farrill
With Jimmy Owens
With Duke Pearson
With Lalo Schifrin
With Shirley Scott
With Jack Sheldon
With Dinah Shore and Red Norvo
With Jimmy Smith
With Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery
With Dakota Staton
With Sonny Stitt
With Cal Tjader
With Stanley Turrentine
With Grover Washington, Jr.
With Gerald Wilson
With Kai Winding
With Phil Woods