Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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JONES, Jo

(b Jonathan Jones, 7 Oct. '11, Chicago; d 3 Sep. '85, NYC) Drummer; one of the most important in history. He studied music for years, also played piano, reeds and trumpet; went to Kansas City '33, worked with Count Basie '35--6, rejoined shortly and stayed until '48 except while in the US Army. He minimized the use of the bass drum and kept time on the top cymbal, freeing the drum kit to do more than simply mark time: Kenny Clarke, Max Roach and others developed this in the bop era of the '40s. He was not the only Swing Era drummer to practise the new, lighter concentration on the cymbal, and in later years constant beating of the cymbal by other drummers was often irritating (sometimes because badly recorded); but he did it with such finesse, humour and good taste (rarely taking solos) that he was the most influential of his generation: the rhythm section of the Basie band in its classic years swung like a light, well-oiled machine, and he lifted every session he played on. He made record dates with Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton, many others '37--8, with the Benny Goodman sextet '41, later on LPs with Buck Clayton, Sonny Stitt, Ruby Braff, Paul Quinichette, Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Rushing, Illinois Jacquet, Nat Pierce, many others. Toured Europe with Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson '57; with JATP that year; led own trios in NYC '57--60, taught and ran a music shop. LPs as leader incl. Jo Jones Special on Vanguard '55, an absolute delight, reissued with another Vanguard LP as The Essential Jo Jones on French Vogue; two-disc set The Drums on Jazz Odyssey, on which he played, talked about his life and music; a sextet session with Harry Edison '60 and a trio session with Ray Bryant on Evidence CDs; The Main Man on Pablo; Our Man Papa Jo on Denon c'82, perhaps his last session, with Hank Jones, Major Holley on bass (b Major Quincy Holley Jr, aka 'Mule', 10 July '24, Detroit; d 25 Oct. '90, Maplewood NJ), Jimmy Oliver, sax.