Sam Jones

Renowned for his skills on the bass, Sam Jones frequently partnered with drummer Louis Hayes and proved equally adept as a jazz cello soloist. Whenever rare chances arose for him to head his own recording dates, he seized them to produce music that lingers in memory. His early associations included a stint with Tiny Bradshaw spanning 1953 to 1955, after which he relocated to New York in 1955 and performed alongside ensembles led by Kenny Dorham, Cannonball Adderley in 1957, Dizzy Gillespie from 1958 to 1959, Thelonious Monk, and additional notables. During his tenure in Cannonball Adderley's highly successful quintet from 1959 through 1965, Jones composed pieces including "Unit 7" and "Del Sasser," while also overseeing three acclaimed Riverside albums released between 1960 and 1962—all later reissued as part of the OJC series—that highlighted his exceptional cello performances. Subsequently, Sam Jones joined the Oscar Peterson Trio in 1966 as the initial successor to Ray Brown, remaining until 1970 before embarking on a freelance career that lasted the rest of his days and encompassed numerous recordings, among them his own projects on East Wind in 1974 as well as Xanadu, Muse, Inner City, SteepleChase, Interplay, and SeaBreeze.