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Alan Jones

Born in Longview, Washington in 1962. Alan was raised in Portland, Oregon where at the age of 6 he began playing the drums and guitar. In the fertile artistic climate of 1970's Portland he spent his early years listening outside of jazz club windows to such musical greats as Jim Pepper, Mel Brown, and Count Dutch. In fact, it was the organist from Amsterdam, Count Dutch, who after hearing the 16 year old at a jam session hired Alan to work with him on the road. It was a collaboration that was his first training ground and lasted until Dutch's untimely death three years later. Moving to Boston in 1980 he graduated from Berklee College of Music and spent 2 summers at the Banff Center for the Fine Arts in Canada.

New York City in 1984 when Alan arrived was, as always, a busy and exciting city for a young jazz musician. Alan quickly began organizing jam sessions at the Brooklyn apartment building he shared with Jim Pepper and bassist Ben Wolf. Through his association with Pepper, Alan came into contact with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry Elvin Jones, Ed Blackwell, Jaco Pastorius, and many others. By 1987 Alan had made a number of recordings and was working up and down the coast as well as in the city. Following were 4 years of extensive touring throughout the U.S. with The David Friesen Trio and in Canada with Kenny Wheeler.

Alan next moved to Europe, splitting his home between Vienna and Paris. He has since enjoyed outstanding success appearing in Europe's leading jazz festivals and touring in England, France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Italy, The Czech Republic, etc.

Alan happily composes soundtracks for film, dance and theater as well as writing for his own Jazz ensemble THE ALAN JONES SEXTET. He is very much in demand as a clinician and private instructor while continuing an active world-wide recording and touring schedule.

Nicole McCabe: Introducing Nicole McCabe

Read "Introducing Nicole McCabe" reviewed by Paul Rauch

by Paul Rauch
January 10, 2021

If you were a young and talented jazz musician in Portland, Oregon, you would make yourself highly visible on the local scene to gain invaluable experience playing with the best the city had to offer. In addition to your more formal studies, you would extend your musical outreach from post-bop modernism to the avant-garde. Most importantly, you would constantly be rubbing musical shoulders with the elders who have mentored you to the point of having professional aspirations. This ...

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Performance / Tour

Alan Jones/Rob Scheps Trio in 20th Anniversary : Portland,Oregon

Source: All About Jazz
May 29, 2004

Primary Instrument

Drums

Location

Portland

Credentials/Background

With the opening of the Alan Jones Academy of Music (AJAM), jazz students can now receive the personalized instruction of a private lesson combined with the experience of being in a “real world” jazz band. Each student will attend a small ensemble class that is comprised only of the members of their band. Band members will receive individual coaching from Alan - with assignments designed just for them - while also receiving instruction in group interaction and teamwork, developing a distinctive individual and group sound, building a music repertoire, getting gigs, navigating the “business” of music, preparing for performances/auditions/contests, and more. And each band will perform its repertoire at the world-class jazz club The Cave. Ensemble groups meet with Alan each week for a 2-hour training session. Tuition is $60 per week, and is to be paid in advance at the beginning of each month. Private coaching sessions with Alan, as needed, are available at the rate of $75/hr. www.ajampdx.com

Clinic/Workshop Information

Primary Instrument

Drums

Location

Portland

Credentials/Background

Clinic/Workshop Information

Accepting students: Drum set, all levels and styles: Clear and systematic development from beginner to professional…and well beyond. Focus on Musicality, Technique, Working within the rhythm section, Form, Time, Phrasing Jazz improvisation studies, all instruments, all levels: Solo construction, the use of melody and harmony as improvisational tools, Rhythm/time feel, Tone/sound production, incorporating the lessons of the past masters into your own playing. The attitude and spirit of improvisation Jazz Vocal studies: Sound, Phrasing, Time feel/Swing feel, Repertoire, Melody, Vocal improvisation Band/combo coaching: All levels and musical styles work on Group Sound and Interaction, Repertoire, playing together as a band, the "Business" of music…getting work, Preparing for performances/auditions/contests Workshops/seminars: Intermediate and Advanced Drumming Seminars Beginning-Advanced group improvisation Workshops Intermediate-Advanced Rhythm section Seminars Beginning-Intermediate Jazz Vocal Workshop (Europe) Intermediate-Advanced Vocal Improvisation Workshop (Europe)

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