Let’s face it, if it weren’t for fathers, most of us wouldn’t be around.
We’ve all had them, some of us are them, and some of us fathers have been called a “Mother.”
Having said all that, the sign of a healthy culture is the paternal authority, gently guiding, protecting and teaching his family. The Bible in the book of Malachi 4:6 even states that a society shows revival when “the heart of the fathers turn to their children and the hearts of the children return to their father.” It is the fragility of this dynamic in American society that causes so many of our current problems. But, instead of focusing on that aspect, let’s spotlight the good influence so many jazz fathers have been to their kids, passing on their trade to a second, and sometimes even third generation.
Here is a list of jazz fathers and their respective sons and daughters. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he’ll not depart far from it.
1) Ornette Coleman-Dewey Coleman: The free jazz icon got his son in the band as a young child, drumming away and raising a few eyebrows. Now it makes complete sense.
2) Jackie McLean-Renee McLean: The stepson shows that sometimes it’s more environmental than genetic.
3) Jimmy Rowles-Stacey Rowles: The elegiac pianist left us with a warm toned trumpeter
4) Dave Brubeck-Darius, Dan, 
Chris and Matthew Brubeck: Old dad performed a grand slam here, and the boys have put out some impressive material on their own.
5) Albert Ammons-Gene Ammons: The boogie woogie pianist produced one of the warmest sounding tenors of all time. Something was definitely in the family stew here
6) John Coltrane-Ravi Coltrane: The peculiar thing here is that the son essentially never knew his father, let alone having a first hand experience of his tutelage. Only after some soul and family searching did the young alto-soprano saxist come to terms with his lineage, and we’re better for it.
7) 
Ellis Marsalis-Wynton, Branford, Dewey, Delfeayo and Jason. This is a generational family from New Orleans that has kept the musical tradition and passed it on to millions of listeners.
8) Duke Ellington-Mercer Ellington: Son and trumpeter Mercer took over dad’s band for awhile and also wrote stuff like “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.” With a dad that toured with his orchestra 50+ weeks a year, being in the horn section was probably the only 
way to see him!
9) Don Redman-Dewey Redman-Joshua Redman: Here’s a three generation family. Alto saxist/arranger/bandleader Don was a bud of Satchmo, while son Dewey was in the avant-garde. Grandson Joshua splits the difference with advanced post bop and has become one of the most important tenor saxists of the day.
11) Dick Nash-Ted Nash: first call 1950s-60s Capitol Records guy gave us alto saxist Dick Nash, 
who spends most time with JALCO.
12) Bucky Pizzarelli-John Pizzarelli-Martin: Not only does the father get the sons in the business, but John even takes the same instrument (with one more string). Keep it in the family!
13) Miles Davis-Erin Davis: Son Erin not only keeps an eye on dad’s estate (just what DO you call the son of “The Prince of Darkness”?), but he also is in charge of issuing all of the cool “Bootleg” 
discs that have been coming out, with Davis in various groups and incarnations. Not only that, but the son also did some percussion work and wrote runes for the old man.
14) Johnny Otis-Shuggy Otis: Just goes to show that not all Greeks had their sons work in the kitchens at their diners. The Godfather of R&B had a son that was an impressive soul man in 
his own right. Yasou!
15) Larry Coryell-Julian Coryell: six strings run in the family with the progressive jazz guitarist going mainstream begetting a progressive jazz 
guitarist going mainstream.
16) Booker T Jones-Ted Jones. The leader of the famous Booker T and the MGs now has a smoking band with his son on 
lead guitar. As Jones likes to boast, “It’s nice to know that my son’s got my back!”
17) Gerald Wilson & Matt Wilson. Not only did the late Gerald Wilson leave behind a legacy of Ellington charts and music from his own big band, but his best production of all may be his son the guitarist.
18) John and Gerald Clayton. Big band leader and bassist John has given us the post bop pianist Gerald, who has become one of the leading voices of this generation
(Center). Yes, my dad got me into jazz with his 78s of Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. He taught me more about life than any man, and I think about my departed Greek dad every day. God bless him!