A LIFE WELL LIVED

Born in the suburbs of North Carolina to unremarkable parents, Jackie’s childhood was one of tedium and frustration. His passion for music started when he came across an Alto saxophone that had been left in the lost & found at the local dog shelter where he worked part-time at the age of 15.

Self-taught, with a natural taste for improv, Jackie began to discover the musician inside himself as he grew older and was soon discovered scatting in a local park by small-time Jazz Label owner ‘Fingers McNoodle’ one fateful afternoon.

‘That scat was sumthin’ else man. Like nothin’ I ever heard before’ - Fingers, 1975

The two went on to form a close bond and Jackie began to spend a lot of time in the studio with Fingers and rolling cast of jazz legends. Often jumping in to lay down some notes in the studio and notably performing the Alto solo on the infamous Leanna Jacobs* release ‘Greasy Teaspoon’ in 1981. *RIP

Word soon got out that the hottest property in Jazz was looking to record his first album and Jackie met with a multitude of label honchos, looking to chain this maverick to a long-term contract.

Columbia Records were the eventual winners and Jackie went on to release the classic albums ‘Ma, I Got It Workin’ and ‘Simply Wombat’ over the next few years in between world record tours to delighted crowds. There was a brief hiatus in the early 2000s and Jackie’s self-proclaimed ‘period of abstinence’ saw him retreat from the public eye. Rumours circulating on Reddit subgroups have proven to be unfounded.

Then in 2011 word got out that the Maestro of The Reed was back in the studio recording again, and Jackie finally released ‘It Ain’t The Size Of The Horn’ to unbridled critical acclaim in 2012.

Rated by critics and public alike as one of the greatest improv Scat / Sax Combo recordings of all time, this release saw The Wombat at the very peak of his powers

‘F**k this is something else! - Jazz Times Review , 5 Stars

It was at this point that Jackie decided to bow out at the very crest of the wave of public adoration. With tributes pouring in from global monarchs and heads of state, he hung up his sax, and vowed never to scat in public again. Until now…