Jimmy Jones (Pianist)

Jimmy Jones ( born December 30, 1918 in Memphis, Tennessee when James Henry Jones, † April 29, 1982 in Burbank, Los Angeles) was an American jazz pianist and arranger of swing and modern jazz.

Life and work

Jimmy Jones first played guitar and then switched to the piano. He worked from 1936 in various orchestras in Chicago and attracted attention in the trio of Stuff Smith, where he served from 1943 to 1945. He then worked with Don Byas, Dizzy Gillespie in 1945, JC Heard 1945/47, Buck Clayton 1946 and Etta Jones. From 1947 he was accompanist of singer Sarah Vaughan. He worked until 1952 with her, after a long illness then 1954 until 1957. In 1954 he also worked at their legendary album with Clifford Brown with and accompanied them on their European tour in the fall of this year. During this time his collaboration with Brown, Helen Merrill and Gil Evans falls. In 1959 he accompanied Anita O'Day at her appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, 1959, Dakota Staton, Pat Suzuki and Morgana King.

After Jimmy Jones worked mostly as a freelance pianist and arranger in New York. He worked in the 1960s with Harry Belafonte, Billie Poole, Johnny Hodges, Budd Johnson, Nat Gonella and Clark Terry, with whom he 1960, the singer Chris Connor accompanied ( Where Flamingoes Fly), led the Ellington band and acted as a substitute pianist for Duke Ellington in his orchestra ( to accompany Ella Fitzgerald at their European tour ) and went in 1967 with Jazz at the Philharmonic on tour. In the 1970s, he contributed to the album Kenny Burrell Ellington Is Forever, on which he played two solo piano pieces. He also starred in Cannonball Adderley's last band before his death, with the 1974 album Pyramid was built.

Throughout his career, Jimmy Jones has in as a pianist in recordings of Harry Sweets Edison, Ben Webster, Big Joe Turner, Coleman Hawkins, Frank Wess, Milt Jackson, Sidney Bechet, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Thad Jones and arranger than those referred to Wes Montgomery, Nancy Wilson, Shirley Horn, Joe Williams, Billy Taylor and Chris Connor participated. The mid-fifties he took in Paris on some trio recordings, which document his game as an example. Jones was as a pianist, arranger and bandleader highly sought after, although he can be heard on many boards on which he participates, barely, or with only a few notes. As Duke Ellington and Count Basie he mastered the great art of the piano to " direct ", ie, with few distinctive notes to influence the mood of a piece. In spite of his limited instrumental technique certainly include the solo piano music of Jimmy Jones, along with those of Ellis Larkins and many of Tommy Flanagan, the most lyrical and perceptive of what has been recorded under the heading " Traditional Jazz Piano".

Auswahldiskographie

As a leader

• " Jimmy Jones ' Big Eight": Rex Stewart And the Ellingtonias ( Riverside, OJC, 1946) with Harry Carney, Lawrence Brown, Otto Hardwick, Ted Nash, Billy Taylor, Shelly Manne
• " Jimmy Jones ' Big Four ': Giants of Small Band Swing, Vol 1 & 2 ( Riverside, OJC, 1946) with Budd Johnson, Al Hall, Denzil Best

Sarah Vaughan

• The Divine Sarah Vaughan: The Columbia Years 1949-1953 (Columbia )
• Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown ( Verve, 1954)
• Swinging Easy ( Verve, 1954-57 )

Other recordings as a sideman

• Kenny Burrell: Ellington Is Forever Vol 1 & 2 ( Fantasy, 1975)
• Don Byas: 1945, Vol 2 ( Classics )
• Buck Clayton: The Classic Swing of Buck Clyaton ( OJC, 1946)
• Nat Gonella: Ellingtonia Moods And Blues (RCA, 1960)
• Coleman Hawkins: 1946-1947 ( Classics )
• Johnny Hodges: Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges ( Impulse!, 1964)
• Budd Johnson Budd Johnson And The Four Brass Giants ( OJC, 1960)
• Thad Jones Mad Thad ( Fresh Sound, 1956)
• Helen Merrill: With Clifford Brown & Gil Evans ( Emarcy, 1954-56 )
• King Pleasure King Pleasure Sings ( OJC, 1952-1954 )
• Stuff Smith: 1939-1944 ( Classics )
• Clark Terry: Top And Bottom Brass ( OJC, 1959)
• Ben Webster: 1944-1946 ( Classics )