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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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Recording

Alfredo Dias Gomes Releases 'Tributo A Elvin Jones,' In Honor Of The Legendary Jazz Drummer

Alfredo Dias Gomes Releases 'Tributo A Elvin Jones,' In Honor Of The Legendary Jazz Drummer

Source: 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 ...

1

Video / DVD

Backgrounder: Quincy Jones - Americans in Paris

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 ...

7

Recording

Drummer Bob Holz Releases New Album 'Holz-Stathis: Collaborative' Featuring John McLaughlin, Jean-Luc Ponty, Darryl Jones And Randy Brecker

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 ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Elvin Jones

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 ...

1

Recording

Backgrounder: Jones/Lewis - Consummation

Backgrounder: Jones/Lewis - Consummation

Source: 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 ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Hank Jones

Jazz Musician of the Day: Hank Jones

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Hank Jones' birthday today!

The oldest of the three Jones brothers (Hank, Thad and Elvin), Henry “Hank" Jones was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi and grew up in Pontiac, Michigan, where he studied piano at an early age and came under the influence of Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum. By the age of 13 Jones was performing locally in Michigan and Ohio. While playing with territory bands in Grand Rapids and Lansing ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Carmell Jones

Jazz Musician of the Day: Carmell Jones

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Carmell Jones' birthday today!

An excellent hard bop trumpeter, Carmell Jones would probably have been much better-known today if he had not moved to Europe in the mid-'60s at the height of his career. In 1960, after two years in the army and two years at the University of Kansas as a music education and trumpet major, Carmell left the midwest and became a studio musician in California. He recorded with artists such as Sammy ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Philly Joe Jones

Jazz Musician of the Day: Philly Joe Jones

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Philly Joe Jones' birthday today!

Philly Joe Jones was born with the name Joseph Rudolph Jones in the city of Philadelphia on July 15, 1923. His mother, a piano teacher taught him the basics in music. In his formative years he also studied the drums with drummers the likes of Cozy Cole and Charles Wilcoxon, receiving valuable advise from Art Blakey and a then younger Max Roach. He established himself as “Philly Joe" Jones, from ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Sean Jones

Jazz Musician of the Day: Sean Jones

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Sean Jones' birthday today!

For the remarkable composer/trumpeter/educator/activist Sean Jones, the pursuit of Jazz is a most serious endeavor. Not just in terms of mastering the art form, but in its fullest meaning and purpose socially, philosophically and spiritually. Deeply influenced by his immersion in Gospel music in the church as a youth, Sean had an epiphany at the age of 19 while he was a student at Youngstown State University. That awakening occurred- as ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Thad Jones

Jazz Musician of the Day: Thad Jones

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Thad Jones' birthday today!

Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923- August 21, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. He was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten (an older brother was pianist Hank Jones and a younger brother was drummer Elvin Jones). Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen. He served in U.S. Army bands during World War II (1943-46). After the ...

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