Jimmy Jones

An unusual piano stylist (who sometimes played complex block chords) and a masterful accompanist for singers, Jimmy Jones had his first important job playing and recording with Stuff Smith (1943-1945). After working with J.C. Heard (1946-1947), he was Sarah Vaughan’s pianist (1947-1952 and 1954-1958) with a two-year illness separating his two long stints. Jones recorded often throughout the 1950s, including “How Hi the Fi” (1954) with Buck Clayton. He worked with Duke Ellington on the 1963 show My People, accompanied Ella Fitzgerald (1967-1968), and wrote for the studios. In addition to obscure dates as a leader for Session, HRS, Wax, Swing, and GNP, and sessions with Stuff Smith, J.C. Heard, Sarah Vaughan, and Fitzgerald, Jimmy Jones appeared as a sideman on recordings led by many swing all-stars, including Don Byas, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Clark Terry, and Paul Gonsalves. ~ Scott Yanow