William Jones Jr. (October 20, 1929 – April 1991) was a jazz drummer. [1] He is known for playing and recording with Thelonious Monk, Lester Young, Elmo Hope, and Charles Mingus. [1]
Jones was born in New York on October 20, 1929. [1] He mainly taught himself to play the drums, [1] and played left handed. [2]: 164 He played and recorded with pianist Thelonious Monk in 1953, [1] including on the album Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. This recording, on November 13, was Jones' first. [2] He also appeared with Monk on the television program The Tonight Show, on June 10, 1955. [2]: 187 Jones was sideman for another pianist's recording in 1955 – Elmo Hope's Meditations; [3]: 723 and for Randy Weston's The Modern Art of Jazz by Randy Weston in the following year. [3]: 1491 In 1956 Jones had a two-week engagement with Monk in Philadelphia. [2]: 212 Jones also played with Kenny Dorham, J. J. Johnson, Charlie Parker, and Cecil Payne in the mid-1950s. [1]
In 1955–56 Jones was part of Charles Mingus' Jazz Workshop, [1] and was the drummer in the bassist's band that recorded Pithecanthropus Erectus, which helped develop a freer form of group improvisation. [3]: 1001 Jones was tenor saxophonist Lester Young's drummer from late 1956 to early 1959. [1] In 1961, Jones played on Sun Ra's The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra. [1] [4] After this, nothing is known about Jones, and his date of death was taken from social security records. [1] These associations – with the traditional Young and the avant-garde Sun Ra – illustrated Jones' versatility. [5]
Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
1953 | Thelonious Monk | Monk | Prestige |
1953 | Thelonious Monk | Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins | Prestige |
1955 | Elmo Hope | Meditations | Prestige |
1955 | Charles Mingus | Mingus at the Bohemia | Debut |
1956 | Randy Weston | The Modern Art of Jazz by Randy Weston | Dawn |
1956 | Charles Mingus | Pithecanthropus Erectus | Atlantic |
1961 | Sun Ra | The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra | Savoy |
William Jones Jr. (October 20, 1929 – April 1991) was a jazz drummer. [1] He is known for playing and recording with Thelonious Monk, Lester Young, Elmo Hope, and Charles Mingus. [1]
Jones was born in New York on October 20, 1929. [1] He mainly taught himself to play the drums, [1] and played left handed. [2]: 164 He played and recorded with pianist Thelonious Monk in 1953, [1] including on the album Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. This recording, on November 13, was Jones' first. [2] He also appeared with Monk on the television program The Tonight Show, on June 10, 1955. [2]: 187 Jones was sideman for another pianist's recording in 1955 – Elmo Hope's Meditations; [3]: 723 and for Randy Weston's The Modern Art of Jazz by Randy Weston in the following year. [3]: 1491 In 1956 Jones had a two-week engagement with Monk in Philadelphia. [2]: 212 Jones also played with Kenny Dorham, J. J. Johnson, Charlie Parker, and Cecil Payne in the mid-1950s. [1]
In 1955–56 Jones was part of Charles Mingus' Jazz Workshop, [1] and was the drummer in the bassist's band that recorded Pithecanthropus Erectus, which helped develop a freer form of group improvisation. [3]: 1001 Jones was tenor saxophonist Lester Young's drummer from late 1956 to early 1959. [1] In 1961, Jones played on Sun Ra's The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra. [1] [4] After this, nothing is known about Jones, and his date of death was taken from social security records. [1] These associations – with the traditional Young and the avant-garde Sun Ra – illustrated Jones' versatility. [5]
Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
1953 | Thelonious Monk | Monk | Prestige |
1953 | Thelonious Monk | Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins | Prestige |
1955 | Elmo Hope | Meditations | Prestige |
1955 | Charles Mingus | Mingus at the Bohemia | Debut |
1956 | Randy Weston | The Modern Art of Jazz by Randy Weston | Dawn |
1956 | Charles Mingus | Pithecanthropus Erectus | Atlantic |
1961 | Sun Ra | The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra | Savoy |