HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Jonah Jones

Birth of Modern Jazz: Jonah Jones

Jonah Jones

Born on 31 December 1909 in Louisville, Kentucky, trumpet player Jonah Jones began his career playing on Mississippi riverboats until 1928 when he joined the Horace Henderson Orchestra. In 1932 he joined violinist Stuff Smith's Onyx Club Boys, both he and Smith recording for the first time in 1936 for Vocalion. Their first track on January 17, 'With All My Heart', went unissued. Their next session on February 11 saw releases of such as 'I'se a Muggin'' (Vocalion 3169) and 'I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music' (Vocalion 3170). Per 'You'se a Viper' further below, a viper is slang for one who uses marijuana. Cannabis was also called Mezz in jazz circles after clarinetist, Mezz Mezzrow, who sold the substance lawfully until the drug was made illegal upon the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937.

'I'se a Muggin' Jonah Jones w Stuff Smith and His Onyx Club Boys

Also Stuff Smith's first session to issue

11 Feb 1936 in NYC Matrix 18654-1 Vocalion 3169

Trumpet / vocal: Jonah Jones Vocal: Stuff Smith

Piano: Raymond Smith Guitar: Bobby Bennett

Bass: Mack Walker Drums: John Washington

Composition: Stuff Smith

Terminology: Dance Forums / Jazz Lives

'You'se a Viper' aka 'If You're a Viper' Jonah Jones w Stuff Smith and His Onyx Club Boys

Viper: one who uses cannabis

13 March 1936 in NYC Matrix 18820-1 Vocalion 3201

Trumpet / vocal: Jonah Jones Violin: Stuff Smith

Piano: James Sherman Drums: Cozy Cole

Composition: Stuff Smith

Terminology:

Molly Cate Green's Dictionary of Slang Old del Mundo Lily Rothman

'Here Comes the Man with the Jive' Jonah Jones w Stuff Smith and His Onyx Club Boys

21 Aug 1936 in NYC Matrix 19733-1 Vocalion 3316

Trumpet: Jonah Jones Violin / vocal: Stuff Smith

Composition: Stuff Smith

Among the many big names with whom Jones made records was Benny Carter, first recording together in Teddy Wilson's Orchestra on 29 July 1938 toward such as 'I'm Confessin'' and 'I Surrender Dear'. He later backed Carter's band in 1940, 1941 and 1943. Nearly twenty years later Jones would put away tracks with the Casa Loma Orchestra conducted by Carter including 'Echoes of Harlem', 'Boy Meets Horn', et al.

'A-Tisket A-Tasket' Jonah Jones (trumpet) w Teddy Wilson (piano) and His Orchestra

29 July 1938 in NYC Matrix B23308-1 Brunswick 8199

Alto sax: Benny Carter Tenor sax: Ben Webster

Bass: John Kirby Drums: Cozy Cole Vocal: Nan Wynn

Composition: Traditional nursery rhyme put to music in 1938 by Al Feldman and Ella Fitzgerald

Jones worked with Cab Calloway consistently for nearly ten years during the forties. Jones replaced Mario Bauza in Calloway's operation on 5 March 1941 and remained with him into the early fifties. He would reunite with Calloway in 1973 at Carnegie Hall.

'Ogeechee River Lullaby' Jonah Jones (trumpet) w Cab Calloway (vocal) and His Orchestra

27 July 1942 in Hollywood Matrix HCO-885-1,2 Columbia 36662

Trumpet: Russell Smith / Shad Collins / Lammar Wright

Trombone: Tyree Glenn (vibes) / Quentin Jackson / Keg Johnson

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Irving Brown / Hilton Jefferson / Andrew Brown / Walter Thomas / Al Gibson

Piano: Benny Payne Guitar: Danny Barker

Bass: Milt Hinton Drums: Cozy Cole

Composition: Jack Palmer / Leo Wood / Guy Wood

Jones' first session in his own name arrived with a Sextet on 20 September 1944 with titles like 'Lust for Licks' and 'Just Like a Butterfly'. The next month he put down numerous titles with his Swingin' Band, also with Tyree Glenn at trombone and vibes. Glenn would help Jones record a few albums before going their own ways, later reuniting in 1973 with Calloway at Carnegie Hall (above).

'Lust for Licks' Jonah Jones (trumpet) Sextet

20 Sep 1944 in NYC Matrix HL53-2 Keynote K614

Trombone: Tyree Glenn (vibes) Alto sax: Hilton Jefferson

Piano / arrangement: Buster Harding

Bass: Milt Hinton Drums: J.C. Heard

Composition: Jonah Jones

'Just Like a Butterfly (That's Caught In the Rain)' Jonah Jones (trumpet) Sextet

20 Sep 1944 in NYC Matrix HL54-3 Keynote K614

Trombone: Tyree Glenn (vibes) Alto sax: Hilton Jefferson

Piano / arrangement: Buster Harding

Bass: Milt Hinton Drums: J.C. Heard

Composition: Harry Woods / Mort Dixon

'Broadway Holdover' Jonah Jones (trumpet) w Milt Hinton (bass) and His Orchestra

6 July 1945 in NYC Matrix HL101-1 See the CD Mercury 830925-2

Trombone: Tyree Glenn Clarinet: Al Gibso

Piano: Dave Rivera Drums: J.C. Heard

Composition: Jonah Jones

'Calloway Boogie' Jonah Jones w Cab Calloway Film

Snader Telescription 1950

Composition: Calloway ?

'I Can't Give You Anything But Love' Jonah Jones w Cab Calloway Film

Snader Telescription 1951

Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields 1928

Paghat the Ratgirl

'Confessin'' Jonah Jones (trumpet) w the Alix Combelle Orchestra

3 June 1954 in Paris Matrix 54V4847

See the album 'J.J. Special' on Versailles 90 S 270

Tenor sax: Combelle Piano: Jean-Claude Pelletier

Guitar: Jean Bonal Bass: Alix Bret Drums: Pierre Lemarchand

Composition

'Pete's Delta Bound' Jonah Jones (trumpet) w Sammy Price and His All-Stars

20 March 1955 in NYC

See the album 'After Hours' on World Wide Records MGS-20016 (1959)

Trombone: Vic Dickenson Alto sax: Pete Brown

Piano: Sam Price Bass: Milt Hinton Drums: Cozy Cole

Jones began leading his highly regarded Quartet in the fifties, beginning with the album, 'At the Embers', gone down on 14 February 1956. Leading that ensemble for the remainder of his career, Jones' quartet won the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album ('I Dig Chicks'). Jones filled his quartet with rotating members over the years. A crew of Buddy Tate at alto sax, Earl Hines on piano and Cozy Cole at drums joined Jones in 1977 for a rendition of 'Back on the Street'.

'It's All Right With Me' Album by the Jonah Jones (trumpet / vocal) Quartet

From the studio recording 'At the Embers' in Feb 1956 in NYC

See Groove LG 1001

Piano: George Rhodes Bass: John Brown Drums: Harold Austin

Composition: Cole Porter

'Just a Gigolo' Jonah Jones (trumpet / vocal) Quartet

From the LP 'Jumpin' With Jonah' on Capitol ST-1039 recorded 22/26 April 1958 in NYC

Piano: Hank Jones Bass: John Brown Drums: Harold Austin

Composition: Irving Caesar / Julius Brammer / Leonello Casucci

'Jumpin' with Jonah' Jonah Jones (trumpet / vocal) Quartet

From the LP 'Jumpin' With Jonah' on Capitol ST-1039 recorded 22/26 April 1958 in NYC

Piano: Hank Jones Bass: John Brown Drums: Harold Austin

Composition: Jonah Jones / Sammy Watts

'Three Coins in the Fountain' Jonah Jones (trumpet / vocal) Quartet

From the LP 'Swingin' at the Cinema' on Capitol Records ST-1083 recorded July 1958 in NYC

Piano: Hank Jones Bass: John Brown Drums: Harold Austin

Composition: Jule Styne / Sammy Cahn

Jones also jammed with the King of Thailand, an amateur saxophone player, in 1960 at Benny Goodman's residence. In 1961 he played for Prince Ranier and Princess Grace in Monaco.

'Save Your Sorrow for Tomorrow' Jonah Jones (trumpet / vocal) Quartet

From the LP 'On the Sunny Side of the Street' on Decca DL 4688 recorded 1965 in NYC

Piano: Hank Jones Bass: John Brown Drums: Osie Johnson

Composition: B.G. DeSylva / Al Sherman

'Squeeze Me' Jonah Jones (trumpet) Quartet

20 May 1966 in NYC [Lord]

See the album 'Sweet with a Beat' on Decca DL 74800

Piano: Dave Martin Bass: John Brown Drums: Danny Farrar [Lord]

Music: Fats Waller 1925 Lyrics: Probably Andy Razaf credited to Clarence Williams

The seventies saw Jonah releasing the albums 'Back on the Street' in 1972 and 'Confessin'' in 1978. In 1983 he joined Doc Cheatham in backing Alberta Hunter's album, 'Looking for the Silver Lining'. Tom Lord traces Jonah recording with his Quartet to as late as 1986 in New York City toward the album, 'The Feeling Doesn't Go Away', joined by Larry Luger on guitar and Ivan Rolle on bass guitar among others.