Ali Jackson Jr. (born April 3, 1976) is an American drummer, musician, composer, arranger, educator, and percussionist. Son of Ali Jackson (jazz bassist). Ali Jr. started playing drums at the age of 2. Ali graduated as a music major with high honors from Detroit’s prestigious Cass Technical High School, a program with a rich legacy of consistently producing the country’s top musicians. Jackson is from Detroit. A reviewer for The New York Times in 2009 wrote that "Jackson generates a subtle but irresistible force when he plays, making even the smallest gestures advance his agenda of locomotion."