One of the last survivors of the pre-Swing era, and one of only a handful of his contemporaries still playing into the 20th century, the tenor saxophonist/clarinetist/vocalist, Franz Jackson, was, quite literally, a living jazz treasure.

Jackson was one of the last musicians to have learned Chicago jazz from its originators. His career started at the age of 16 and continued through the 30’s...

One of the last survivors of the pre-Swing era, and one of only a handful of his contemporaries still playing into the 20th century, the tenor saxophonist/clarinetist/vocalist, Franz Jackson, was, quite literally, a living jazz treasure.

Jackson was one of the last musicians to have learned Chicago jazz from its originators. His career started at the age of 16 and continued through the 30’s and 40’s with such jazz luminaries Roy Eldridge, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway and James P. Johnson. In 1957, he formed his own successful band, the Original Jass All-Stars.

A hearty soloist in the Chicago tradition, he continued to appear regularly at venues and festivals in Chicago and other Midwest cities well into his 90’s.