Kevin Jones is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

percussionist A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

and

band leader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...

. Jones's music is influenced by that of

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

and

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

Career

Jones grew up in

Englewood, New Jersey Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which at the 2020 United States census had a population of 29,308. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from por ...

. He is the brother of the musician Patrick Stanfield Jones. As a teenager he studied under percussionists

Babatunde Lea Babatunde Lea ( ) is an American percussionist who plays Afro-Cuban jazz and worldbeat. He took his name from Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji. Biography Michael Lea was raised in Englewood, New Jersey, while regularly commuting to 116th an ...

Marvin "Bugalu" Smith Marvin "Bugalu" Smith (born 1948) is an American jazz percussionist best known for his work with the Sun Ra and The Sun Ra Arkestra. Life Smith was born in Englewood, New Jersey. The son of a carpenter, Smith had three other siblings. He began ...

, Congolese drummers Titos Sompa and Coster Massamba,

Charli Persip Charles Lawrence Persip (July 26, 1929 – August 23, 2020), known as Charli Persip and formerly as Charlie Persip (he changed the spelling of his name to Charli in the late 1960s), was an American jazz drummer. Biography Born in Morristown, N ...

and

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...

. Jones began playing percussion professionally at the age of 13 with a group called Spoonbread, who were signed to

All Platinum Records All Platinum Records was a record company started in 1967 by singer/writer/producer Sylvia Robinson and her husband, businessman Joe Robinson, who had previously worked in the recording industry. All Platinum and its subsidiary labels, includin ...

of Englewood, NJ. In 1978, aged 18, he played in a sextet led by Charles McPherson on the album ''

Free Bop! ''Free Bop!'' is an album by saxophonist Charles McPherson which was recorded in 1978 and released on the Xanadu label. He studied music at the

University of Massachusetts The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medica ...

and

Jazzmobile Jazzmobile, Inc. is based in New York City, and was founded in 1964 by Daphne Arnstein, an arts patron and founder of the Harlem Cultural Council and Dr. William "Billy" Taylor. It is a multifaceted, outreach organization committed to bringing "A ...

simultaneously until 1979, when his Professor, saxophonist

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

, took him on tour to Europe, where he recorded his second album. Just months later he was hired by The Isley Brothers and toured and later recorded a host of records with them. Jones has performed with, among others,

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackson ...

Winard Harper Hiram Winard Harper (born June 4, 1962) is an American jazz drummer. Career Harper played in the 1980s with Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, and with Betty Carter for four years. While working with Carter he met Wycliffe Gordon, with whom Harper w ...

Ray Copeland Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

Talib Kibwe T. K. Blue (also known as Talib Kibwe, born Eugene Rhynie, February 7, 1953)TK Blue Artist Profile
Motéma Mu ...

, Babatunde Lea,

James Weidman James Edward Weidman Jr. , (born July 14, 1953, in Youngstown, Ohio) is an American jazz pianist. Weidman's father was a saxophonist who led his own band. He began playing piano when he was eight years old and eventually became electric organist ...

, Clifford Adams, and

Malaki Ma Congo Drum and Dance Ensemble ''Meleke'' ( ar, ملكي, "royal", "kingly"; he, אבן ירושלמית), also transliterated ''melekeh'' or ''malaki'', is a lithologic type of white, coarsely-crystalline, thickly bedded-limestone found in the Judaean Mountains in Israel a ...

''Tenth World''

Jones and the pianist

Kelvin Sholar Kelvin Lamar Sholar (born May 22, 1973) is an American pianist, bandleader, Music producer, producer and composer. Sholar has performed piano, keyboards and electronics on several international television shows and radio shows, written for films, h ...

formed the band Tenth World in 1999. The band members included Jamieo Brown (drums, percussion),

Brian Horton Brian "Nobby" Horton (born 4 February 1949) is an English former footballer and manager. He spent 16 years as a professional player and 22 years as a manager, making 689 appearances and managing 1,098 matches. In addition to this he spent four ...

(saxophone and flute), George Makinto (flute, percussion, African percussion), Kevin Louis (trumpet), and Luisito Quintero (

timbales Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfico ...

, percussion, drums). Bill Milkowski writing in ''

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of growth ...

'' described Jones's first album as leader, ''Tenth World'', produced by

, as combining "the spirit of Africa with modern jazz on his impressive debut." Milkowski wrote of the group's second album, ''Live!'', "Percussionist Bujo Kevin Jones underscores this vibrant sextet with an authentic Afro-Cuban pulse".

''Who's That Lady?''

In 2014, Jones released the album ''Who's That Lady?'' through

Motéma Music Motéma Music is a jazz and world music record label in the United States. It was founded in 2003 in San Francisco Bay Area. This record label’s catalog spans genres, cultures, and generations and has received Grammy recognition for over twen ...

. The band included singers Derrick Dupree and Christelle Durandy, pianist Zen Zadravec, drummer Jerard Snell, guitarist Michael "Moon" Reuben and Bassist Charles Brown. In a generally positive review, "j.poet" wrote in ''Drum! Magazine'' that "Jones has a lifetime of performing a wide range of styles with some of the top names in the field, and brings all those elements together on ''Who's That Lady''".

Discography

As support musician

* ''

Free Bop! ''Free Bop!'' is an album by saxophonist Charles McPherson which was recorded in 1978 and released on the Xanadu label.Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

(Blue Marge Records) * ''

Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

'' -

(T-Neck Records/CBS, 1980) * ''The Isley Brothers Live'' - The Isley Brothers (T-Neck Records/CBS, 1980) * ''The Beat Of Love'' - Randy VanWarmer - (1982) * ''

Inside You ''Inside You'' is the 20th album by The Isley Brothers released on T-Neck Records on December 1, 1981. The album was remastered and expanded for inclusion in the 2015 released CD box set ''The RCA Victor & T-Neck Album Masters, 1959-1983''. R ...

'' - The Isley Brothers (T-Neck Records/CBS, 1981) * '' The Real Deal'' - The Isley Brothers (T-Neck Records/CBS, 1982) * '' Between the Sheets'' - The Isley Brothers (T-Neck/CBS, 1983) * ''

Broadway's Closer to Sunset Blvd ''Broadway's Closer to Sunset Blvd'' is the 1984 debut album of Isley-Jasper-Isley on CBS/Magic Sound Records. Marvin Isley announced the record as a separate project from the Isley Brothers rather than a permanent break up. "Look the Other Way" re ...

'' - Isley, Jasper, Isley (T-Neck/CBS, 1984) * ''

Caravan of Love "Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of the Isley Brothers' ''3 + 3'' lineup of the 1970s. Original Isley-Jasper-Isley version After breaking away from the family group, the group (nota ...

'' - Isley, Jasper, Isley (T-Neck/CBS, 1985) * '' Different Drummer'' - Isley, Jasper, Isley (T-Neck/CBS, 1987) * ''Soul-Jazz Collaboration'' - Chuck McPherson (Independent, 1998) * ''Listening Room'' - Clifford Adams (2000) * ''Spiritually Speaking'' Blaze (featuring Kevin Hedge/Josh Milan) (2002) * ''Soul Pools'' - Babatunde Lea (Motema Music 2003) * ''Rhythm Master'' - Vincent Ector (Blues Leaf, 2003) * ''Time For The Soul'' - Winard Harper Sextet (Savant Records, 2003) * ''Keepers Of The Flame'' - Charles Earland Tribute Band (Highnote, 2003) * ''Hip Cake Walk'' - Papa John DeFrancesco (Highnote, 2003) * ''Be Thankful'' - Omar featuring Angie Stone (2004) * ''Suite Unseen: Summoner Of The Ghost'' - Babatunde Lea (Motema Music, 2005) * ''Make It Happen'' - Winard Harper Sextet (Savant Records, 2006) * ''Synthesis'' - Norman Simmons (Savant Records, 2002) * ''Percussion Madness'' - Luisito Quintero (Vega Records, 2006) * ''Follow the North Star'' – T.K. Blue (JAJA Records, 2008) * ''Aftershower Funk'' - The Fantastic Souls (Kay Dee Records, 2010) * ''Soul To The People'' - The Fantastic Souls (Kay Dee Records, 2010)

As band leader

* ''SunRize'' - Sunrize (Boardwalk Records 1981) * ''Land Of Eternal Tranquil Light'' (Tenth World Music 2000) * ''Tenth World'' (Motéma Music, 2005) * ''Live!'' (Motéma Music, 2008)

* ''Who's That Lady?'' - (Motéma Music, 2014)

References

External links

Bujo Kevin Jones
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Kevin Living people American jazz percussionists American male jazz musicians Year of birth missing (living people) People from Englewood, New Jersey Afro-Cuban jazz percussionists Motéma Music artists