Philly Joe Jones

A fiery drummer renowned for his masterful accompaniment, Philly Joe Jones rose to prominence through his pivotal role in the original classic Miles Davis Quintet. Following his Army service, he relocated to New York in 1947, took the house drummer position at Cafe Society, and performed alongside leading bop figures such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Fats Navarro. Regular engagements also linked him to Ben Webster, Joe Morris, Tiny Grimes, Lionel Hampton, and Tadd Dameron by 1953. From 1955 through 1958 Jones remained with Miles Davis, anchoring the quintet of 1955-1956 that featured John Coltrane, Red Garland, and Paul Chambers while helping launch the expanded sextet that added Cannonball Adderley and produced the landmark Milestones album. Beginning in 1958 he fronted his own ensembles, cutting sessions for Riverside in 1958-1959 and Atlantic in 1960. Between 1967 and 1972 Jones resided in London and Paris, collaborating and recording with forward-looking artists including Archie Shepp. Upon returning to Philadelphia he directed the fusion outfit Le Grand Prix, joined Bill Evans on tour in 1976, documented dates for Galaxy in 1977 and 1979, and reunited with Red Garland. In 1981 he formed Dameronia to preserve the compositions of Tadd Dameron. Yet everything Philly Joe Jones accomplished after his time with Miles Davis proved anticlimactic.