Jackie Washington
Encyclopedia
Jackie Washington was a Canadian
blues
musician.
Born and raised in Hamilton
, Ontario
, Washington became Canada's first black disk jockey in 1948, at CHML in Hamilton.
Washington came from a large family of musicians, including his brothers Reg (Hammond B3) and Dickie (drums) (now both deceased). Washington played with saxophonist Freddie Purser for many years during the 1970s and 1980s at the Windsor and Royal taverns in Hamilton. In 1980 Washington played the part of the janitor in the film adaptation of the play: Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave
". He also appeared in the 2005 television documentary: I Want To Be Happy: The Jackie Washington Story.
His first release as a solo blues artist was Blues and Sentimental in June 1976. In addition to his own albums, Washington appeared on recordings by Duke Ellington
, Lionel Hampton
, Joni Mitchell
and Gordon Lightfoot
. He had also been a regular performer at many Canadian folk
and blues festivals
, several of which have named awards in his honour. Washington was well known for having a repertoire of some 1300 blues, folk and jazz songs.
He was nominated for a Juno Award
in 1993 for Best Roots & Traditional Album, along with Ken Whiteley and Mose Scarlett, for their album Where Old Friends Meet. In 1995 Washington was inducted into Hamilton's Gallery of Distinction. In 2002 he was inducted into the Canadian Jazz & Blues Hall of Fame. He was also honoured through the establishment of the Jackie Washington Rotary Park in Hamilton in 2004.
Where Old Friends Meet (Borealis
, 1991) (with Mose Scarlett and Ken Whiteley)
Jackie Washington and Friends in Concert on December 4, 1994 (Sound of Jazz Concerts, 1994)
Keeping Out of Mischief (Borealis, 1995, reviews)
Three by Three (Borealis, 1995; foregoing is one of the 3 CDs in this set) (with Mose Scarlett and Ken Whiteley)
Midnight Choo Choo (Borealis, 1998, reviews)
We'll Meet Again (Borealis, 1999) (with Mose Scarlett and Ken Whiteley)
Sitting on a Rainbow (Borealis, 2003) (with Mose Scarlett and Ken Whiteley)
Blues and Sentimental (Knight II, 1976, review)
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician.
Born and raised in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Washington became Canada's first black disk jockey in 1948, at CHML in Hamilton.
Washington came from a large family of musicians, including his brothers Reg (Hammond B3) and Dickie (drums) (now both deceased). Washington played with saxophonist Freddie Purser for many years during the 1970s and 1980s at the Windsor and Royal taverns in Hamilton. In 1980 Washington played the part of the janitor in the film adaptation of the play: Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave
Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave
"Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave" is a color movie from Canada that runs 86 minutes. It was released by Simcom Limited and made by the production company the Film Consortium Of Canada....
". He also appeared in the 2005 television documentary: I Want To Be Happy: The Jackie Washington Story.
His first release as a solo blues artist was Blues and Sentimental in June 1976. In addition to his own albums, Washington appeared on recordings by Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
and Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr. is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music, and has been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s...
. He had also been a regular performer at many Canadian folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and blues festivals
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
, several of which have named awards in his honour. Washington was well known for having a repertoire of some 1300 blues, folk and jazz songs.
He was nominated for a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
in 1993 for Best Roots & Traditional Album, along with Ken Whiteley and Mose Scarlett, for their album Where Old Friends Meet. In 1995 Washington was inducted into Hamilton's Gallery of Distinction. In 2002 he was inducted into the Canadian Jazz & Blues Hall of Fame. He was also honoured through the establishment of the Jackie Washington Rotary Park in Hamilton in 2004.
Discography
Borealis Records
Borealis Records is a Canadian record label, founded in 1996 by four Canadian musicians. It is notable as being focused exclusively on the recording and development Canadian folk and roots music artists.- History :...
, 1991) (with Mose Scarlett and Ken Whiteley)
Songs in other projects
- Mariposa Folk FestivalMariposa Folk FestivalThe Mariposa Folk Festival was founded in 1961 in Orillia, Ontario. It was held in Orillia for three years before being banned because of disturbances by festival-goers. After being held in various places in Ontario for a few decades, it returned to Orillia in 2000. Ruth Jones, her husband Dr...
1976, "In My Solitude" (Mariposa, 1976)
Awards
- 1984 Hamilton Arts Award
- 1986 The Jackie Washington Award: Northern Lights Festival BorealNorthern Lights Festival BoréalNorthern Lights Festival Boréal is an annual folk festival in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's oldest music festival, in continuous operation since 1972...
(NLFB), Sudbury, Ontario, Canada - 1991 Lifetime Achievement Award, Ontario Arts CouncilOntario Arts CouncilThe Ontario Arts Council is a publicly-funded Canadian organization in the province of Ontario whose purpose is to promote and assist the development of the arts for the enjoyment and benefit of all Ontarians...
- 1995 inducted into the Gallery of Distinction, Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, OntarioHamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Canada - 1998 Blues With A Feeling Award: Maple Blues AwardsMaple Blues AwardsThe Maple Blues Awards are Canada’s blues awards, "honouring the finest in Canadian blues". They are the only comprehensive national best in blues awards program. The program's goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outstanding achievement...
(The Toronto Blues Society'sToronto Blues SocietyThe Toronto Blues Society is a provincially funded Art Service Organization based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1985, a Board of Directors governs the Society.BACKGROUND...
Lifetime Achievement Award) - 2001 Estelle Klein Lifetime Achievement Award, Ontario Council of Folk Festivals
- 2002 inducted into the Canadian Jazz & Blues Hall of Fame
- 2003 honorary Doctorate in Humanities, McMaster UniversityMcMaster UniversityMcMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
, Hamilton, Ontario
External links
- Jackie Washington page at Borealis Records
- Illustrated Jackie Washington discography (contains info on the recordings of "both" Jackie Washingtons). Retrieved 25-10-2008.
- Jackie Washington at Allmovie
- [ Jackie Washington at Allmusic]