Javon Anthony Jackson (born June 16, 1965) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He played in Art Blakey‘s Jazz Messengers from 1987 until Blakey’s death in 1990 and has played with the Harper Brothers, Benny Green, Freddie Hubbard, and Elvin Jones.

In his solo career, his music has been a mix of hard bop with soul and funk influences. He became chair of the University of Hartford‘s Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz in 2013

Jackson was born on June 16, 1965, in Carthage, Missouri, and brought up in Denver. His mother played the piano, and his father played trumpet, but Jackson began playing alto saxophone aged 10. At the age of 16, he changed to tenor saxophone and in his teens, he was taught by pianist Billy Wallace. He was briefly enrolled at the University of Denver, before spending part of 1985–86 at the Berklee College of Music, which he abandoned to join drummer Art Blakey‘s band.

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