Joseph Rudolph "Philly Joe" Jones was born on July 15, 1923, and died on August 30, 1985. He was an American jazz drummer known for changing his way of playing to fit the needs of any group or person.

Biography

As a child, Jones was a well-known tap dancer on The Kiddie Show, a radio program on WIP in Philadelphia. He served in the US Army during World War II.

In 1947, he became the main drummer at Café Society in New York City, where he performed with important bebop musicians, such as Tadd Dameron. From 1955 to 1958, Jones toured and recorded with the Miles Davis Quintet, a group that became famous as "the Quintet." The band included Red Garland on piano, John Coltrane on saxophone, and Paul Chambers on bass. Miles Davis said Jones was his favorite drummer and wrote in his autobiography that he always listened for Jones' style in other drummers.

Starting in 1958, Jones led his own musical projects but also played with other musicians, such as Bill Evans and Hank Mobley. Bill Evans, like Davis, publicly stated that Jones was his all-time favorite drummer.

From late 1967 to 1972, Jones lived in London and Paris, performing and recording with musicians like Archie Shepp, Mal Waldron, and Hank Mobley. For two years (1967–1969), Jones taught at a special school in Hampstead, London, but the Musicians' Union in the UK prevented him from working there otherwise. His 1968 album Mo' Joe (also called Trailways Express) was recorded in London with local musicians, including Peter King, Harold McNair, Chris Pyne, Kenny Wheeler, and others.

Jones toured with Bill Evans in 1976 and 1978, recorded for Galaxy from 1977 to 1979, and made studio and live recordings with Red Garland in 1977. In 1981, Jones helped create the group Dameronia, which focused on the music of Tadd Dameron. He led the group until his death from a heart attack in 1985.