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Jones
Leonard Jones, born 1943 in Chicago, Illinois, grew up in a rich musical environment on the westside of the city that has had an everlasting impression on his career. His family lived above Vi�'s Lounge where many blues artist, such as Muddy Waters, Howlin�' Wolf and Bo Diddley, etc., regularly appeared in the 1950�'s. The famous Zansibar Lounge* was also located in the neighborhood just two blocks away.
At age seventeen Jones volunteered for the U.S. Army and after being stationed in Germany, he purchased his first double bass, and received rudimentary instruction from a bassist in the Army band that was also stationed on the same barracks. After being discharged in 1963, he returned to Chicago and began private studies with Mr. Rudolf Fahsbender, bassist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, later, at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, with same. During this period he became acquinted with Muhal Richard Abrams with whom he studied Music theory and participated as a member of the Experimental Band, under Abrams leadership. In June 1965, he became a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, shortly after its inception.
In 1969, Jones returned to Germany, where he worked as a musician and from 1970 ��" 1972, studied photography on the Hoch Schule für Bildende Kunst (art academy). In the summer of 1974 he returned to Chicago, worked with AACM groups and other local groups. He left again in 1977, as a member of Muhal Richard Abrams�' Quintet to live and work in New York, until 1980 when he returned to Germany. In the 80�'s and 90�'s he has toured in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, performing on Festivals, etc., with Mal Waldron, Sun Ra, Dave Burrell, Lou Blackburn, Hank Crawford and David Newman, Sunny Simmons and others. Jones has also been involved since the 90�'s with Rhythm and Blues and Gospel music constellations and ,as well as, theater productions.
Over the last years he has turned his attention to a revived interest in photography and has developed an interest for the construction of internet websites (see AACM New York Chapter site).
Leonard E. Jones lives in Ratingen, a town next to Dusseldorf, Germany.
* see: Chicago Breakdown, Mike Rowe, Drake Publishers, Inc.; 1975
German/ Deutsch
Leonard E. Jones wurde 1943 in Chicago, Illinois, geboren. Er wuchs in einer reichhaltigen musikalischen Umgebung im Westen der Stadt auf, die seine musikalische Laufbahn prägte. Seine Familie wohnte über Vi�'s Lounge, wo regelmäßig viele Bluesmusiker wie Muddy Waters, Howlin�' Wolf oder Bo Diddley auftraten. Nicht weit davon entfernt gab es außerdem den berühmten Club Zanzibar.
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Quincy Jones in Paris, 1957-1960
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
It is impossible to fully appreciate the delight of the late Quincy Jones without doing a deep dive into his years in Paris. From 1957 to 1960, Jones studied composition and theory there with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen, performed at the Paris Olympia, toured Europe and became music director at Barclay Records. The French label founded by Eddie Barclay not only released albums on its Barclay label but also had a licensing agreement with Mercury to release Barclay product ...
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Quincy Jones (1933-2024)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Quincy Jones, whose name became synonymous with excellence in music and whose contributions to jazz opened a new age of swinging elegance influenced by French pop and modern classical, died on November 3. He was 91. Rather than write again about Jones's many accomplishments, I feel it's more illustrative to listen to his career in 14 clips. Please note that this merely scratches the surface: Here's Jones's composition Work of Art recorded by the Art Farmer Septet in July 1953, ...
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Bernell Jones II CD Release Event On August 2nd At Heaven Can Wait
Source:
Scott Thompson Public Relations
Originally from Memphis, TN, Bernell Jones II is an NYC-based multi-instrumentalist experienced in multiple forms of Black American Music. At age ten, Bernell first picked up his primary instrument, the saxophone. Bernell dropped his new single “Don't Know Why" featuring vocalist Jazzmine James on May 28th. This new release entitled Typewriter is expressed in R&B, funk and fusion. “I am 26 years old at the time of the release of my first ambitious project, Typewriter. At this age, I have ...
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Perfection: Quincy Jones - Funk Junction
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
On December 7, 1954, Quincy Jones was conducting a band playing his arrangements backing vocalese artist King Pleasure. During the session for Prestige, two Jones instrumentals were slipped in—"You're Crying" and “Funk Junction." The additions were either needed to complete the album because there weren't enough King Pleasure tracks—or there was time remaining on the session and Jones figured he'd use the spare minutes to squeeze out B-sides for King Pleasure's A-sidees for jukeboxes. Or both assumptions may have be ...
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Backgrounder: Quincy Jones - Twilight Time
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Early in March, I posted a Backgrounder on a 1957 album arranged by Quincy Jones in Paris. In the U.S., the LP was released by United Artists and was called Americans in Paris. In France, it came out on Barclay and was known as Et Voila! The album was recorded with Eddie Barclay, the owner of the Barclay label and its music director at the time who hired most of the French musicians in the band. He soon would offer ...
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Alfredo Dias Gomes Releases 'Tributo A Elvin Jones,' In Honor Of The Legendary Jazz Drummer
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Alfredo Dias Gomes
Accompanied by a respected team of musicians (Jessé Sadoc, trumpet and flugelhorn; David Feldman, piano; Jefferson Lescowich, acoustic bass), Rio de Janeiro drummer Alfredo Dias Gomes released Tributo a Elvin Jones. Recorded in his home studio with sound engineer Thiago Kropf, the album arrived on digital platforms (Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon and YouTube Music) on March 1st. “The fascination with Elvin Jones’ style is longstanding,” says Gomes. “The first time I saw him play was on a VHS video ...
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Backgrounder: Quincy Jones - Americans in Paris
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
In 1957, Quincy Jones moved to Paris to study composition and theory with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen. In his spare time, the producer, composer, arranger, bandleader and conductor became music director at Barclay, a French record company owned by Eddie Barclay, a composer-arranger and contractor. Barclay also was the licensee for Mercury in France. Jones's first album for the label was Et Voila!, which was released on United Artists in the U.S. as Americans in Paris. In addition to ...
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Drummer Bob Holz Releases New Album 'Holz-Stathis: Collaborative' Featuring John McLaughlin, Jean-Luc Ponty, Darryl Jones And Randy Brecker
Source:
Glass Onyon PR - William James
Jazz fusion drummer and composer Bob Holz released his sixth album Holz-Stathis: Collaborative. on MVD Audio. Joining Holz on the album are John McLaughlin, Jean-Luc Ponty, Darryl Jones, Randy Brecker, Elliott Yamin, Alex Acuna, Airto Moreira, Brandon Fields, Ralphe Armstrong, Billy Steinway, Dean Brown, Ric Fierabracci, Jamie Glaser, Ada Rovatti, {{Karen Briggs, Diana Purim, Ben Shepherd and Frank Stepanek. The album features twelve new original tunes penned by Holz, Steinway and Brown. Rob Stathis is the Executive Producer. The album ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Elvin Jones
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Elvin Jones' birthday today!
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer. He was born in Pontiac, Michigan, the youngest child in a family of ten. His father worked for General Motors. Two of Jones' brothers were also jazz musicians: Hank (piano), and Thad (trumpet/flugelhorn). Elvin began playing professionally in the 1940s, working with the Army Special Services program, Operation Happiness, and in 1949 had a short-lived gig in Detroit's Grand River Street club. Eventually he ...
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Backgrounder: Jones/Lewis - Consummation
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Recorded over four sessions in January 1970 and released later that year, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra's Consummation was one of the finest big band albums of the decade. A hit album and Grammy nominee, the LP's eight tracks were composed and arranged by Thad Jones. At the Grammy's the album lost out to Miles Davis's Bitches Brew. The combined personnel over the four sessions included Thad Jones (fluhrn); Snooky Young, Danny Moore, Al Porcino and Marvin Stamm (tp); Eddie ...
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