Oliver Jackson; Dubbed Best Jazz Drummer

Oliver Jackson, 61, a jazz drummer who worked with Eddie Locke in the late 1940s as Bop and Locke, one of the early be-bop combos. In the 1950s he moved more into mainstream jazz with the bands of Buck Clayron, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton and Kenny Burrell and later with Earl Hines and Sy Oliver. Downbeat magazine adjudged him the world’s best jazz drummer in 1973. Most recently he had toured the world with Oscar Peterson and performed at jazz festivals throughout the United States. He was known for an understated elegance and a soft swing that made him a favorite with many jazz leaders. In New York City on May 29 of heart failure.