Biography
Reunald Jones maintained a steady career as a section trumpeter across big bands and studio sessions alike, yet he seldom stepped forward for solos after the middle of the 1930s. Following studies at the Michigan Conservatory, he performed with several Midwestern ensembles, among them Speed Webb’s group in 1930. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s he moved among numerous orchestras, among them those of Charlie Johnson, the Savoy Bearcats, Fess Williams, Chick Webb (during 1933-1934, the period that yielded most of his limited recorded solos), Sam Wooding, Claude Hopkins, Willie Bryant, Teddy Hill, Don Redman (1936-1938), Erskine Hawkins, Duke Ellington (a two-month engagement in 1946), Jimmie Lunceford, Lucky Millinder, and Sy Oliver. From 1952 to 1957 he served as lead trumpeter with Count Basie, an association that brought wider recognition even though Jones received little solo exposure. Beyond his extensive studio commitments, he joined Woody Herman’s band for a 1959 tour, appeared with a short-lived George Shearing big band, and played in the orchestra backing Nat King Cole from 1961 to 1964. His activity diminished during the 1970s. Although his wide range and attractive tone ensured continued employment, Reunald Jones—who never headed a recording session of his own—remained largely in the background despite a capable swing-based improvising style.