Dodgion was born in Richmond, California. He played alto sax in middle school and began working locally in the San Francisco area in the 1950s. He played in bands with Rudy Salvini, John Coppola/Chuck Travis and Gerald Wilson and worked with the Vernon Alley Quartet, who accompanied Billie Holiday in 1955. He played with Gerald Wilson from 1953 to 1955, Benny Carter in the 1950s, Red Norvo from 1958 to 1961, Benny Goodman (for his 1962 tour of the Soviet Union), Oliver Nelson, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis (from 1965-1979), Herbie Hancock, Duke Pearson, Blue Mitchell, Count Basie, and Marian McPartland. Dodgion was married to drummer Dottie Dodgion for 20 years.
Dodgion had a long career as a sideman, recording up to 2004 only two dates as leader or co-leader: two tracks in 1955 for Fantasy Records with Sonny Clark on piano and an album in 1958 for World Pacific together with Charlie Mariano. Dodgion's first true release as a bandleader arrived in 2004 with an ensemble called The Joy of Sax, featuring saxophonists Frank Wess, Brad Leali, Dan Block and Jay Brandford, pianist Mike LeDonne, bassist Dennis Irwin and percussionist Joe Farnsworth.
Jerry dodgion interview
As sideman
With the Count Basie Orchestra
Hollywood...Basie's Way (Command, 1967)
High Voltage (MPS, 1970)
With Al Cohn
Jazz Mission to Moscow (Colpix, 1962)
With Richard Davis
Muses for Richard Davis (MPS, 1969)
With Lou Donaldson
Lush Life (Blue Note, 1967)
With Bobby Hackett
Creole Cookin' (Verve, 1967)
With Johnny Hammond
The Prophet (Kudu, 1972)
With Herbie Hancock
Speak Like a Child (Blue Note, 1968)
With Antônio Carlos Jobim
Stone Flower (CTI, 1970)
Tide (A&M, 1970)
With J. J. Johnson
J.J.! (RCA Victor, 1964)
With Etta Jones
From the Heart (Prestige, 1962)
With The Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra
All My Yesterdays (Resonance, 1966)
Presenting Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra (Solid State, 1966)
Presenting Joe Williams and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, the Jazz Orchestra (Solid State, 1966)
Live at the Village Vanguard (Solid State, 1967)
Monday Night (Solid State, 1968)
Central Park North (Solid State, 1969)
Basle, 1969 (TCB Music, 1969)
Consummation (Solid State/Blue Note, 1969)
Live in Tokyo (Denon Jazz, 1974)
Potpourri (Philadelphia International, 1974)
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica and the Jazz Orchestra (PAUSA, 1974)
Suite for Pops (A&M Horizon, 1975)
New Life (A&M Horizon, 1976)
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra With Rhoda Scott (Barclay, 1976)
Live in Munich (A&M Horizon, 1976)
It Only Happens Every Time (EMI/Inner City, 1977)
With Yusef Lateef
Part of the Search (Atlantic, 1973)
In a Temple Garden (CTI, 1979)
With Herbie Mann
My Kinda Groove (Atlantic, 1965)
Our Mann Flute (Atlantic, 1966)
With Blue Mitchell
Boss Horn (Blue Note, 1966)
With Oliver Nelson
Happenings with Hank Jones (Impulse!, 1966)
Encyclopedia of Jazz (Verve, 1966)
The Sound of Feeling (Verve, 1966)
The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)
With Chico O'Farrill
Nine Flags (Impulse!, 1966)
With Duke Pearson
The Right Touch (Blue Note, 1966)
Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band (Blue Note, 1967)
The Phantom (Blue Note, 1968)
I Don't Care Who Knows It (Blue Note, 1968)
Now Hear This (Blue Note, 1969)
It Could Only Happen with You (Blue Note, 1970)
With Lalo Schifrin
Black Widow (CTI, 1976)
With Shirley Scott
Roll 'Em: Shirley Scott Plays the Big Bands (Impulse!, 1966)
