Jazz
Guitar Society of Spokane
Rodney
Jones Clinic
He started
playing guitar at age six, and
after moving to New York City at
age eight he began his first
formal lessons (folk chords).
Then he began to dive headlong
into the pop music of the day:
the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, James
Brown, Sly Stone, the Ohio
Players, the Whispers, the
Moments. By age 14 he had
learned all the guitar parts in
JB’s tunes and joined a groove
band. At 17, he began to study
at the City College of New York
with pianist John Lewis, soon
after that linking up with
another pianist, Mingus alum
Jaki Byard. Other gigs followed
quickly thereafter: three years
on the road with Dizzy
Gillespie; recording dates with
drummer/band-leader Chico
Hamilton; and accompanying Lena
Horne, with whom his
relationship continues to this
day.
Over a decade ago, Jones linked up with the James Brown legacy. While teaching at Manhattan School of Music (where he still is a music professor), his guitar services were sought by the German-based Minor Music label, which at the time was championing JB horn players Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and Pee Wee Ellis and giving them the opportunity to put their jazz chops on display. Label owner Stephan Meyner was looking to enlist a guitarist for Parker’s breakthrough disc Roots Revisited (which also featured Don Pullen, Bootsy Collins, Wesley and Ellis). Maceo’s nephew, who was studying guitar at Manhattan, recommended his teacher. Jones recalls, “Playing with these guys who were my heroes turned out to be an out-of-the-body experience. It was the realization of a dream from many years ago.”
Over a decade ago, Jones linked up with the James Brown legacy. While teaching at Manhattan School of Music (where he still is a music professor), his guitar services were sought by the German-based Minor Music label, which at the time was championing JB horn players Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and Pee Wee Ellis and giving them the opportunity to put their jazz chops on display. Label owner Stephan Meyner was looking to enlist a guitarist for Parker’s breakthrough disc Roots Revisited (which also featured Don Pullen, Bootsy Collins, Wesley and Ellis). Maceo’s nephew, who was studying guitar at Manhattan, recommended his teacher. Jones recalls, “Playing with these guys who were my heroes turned out to be an out-of-the-body experience. It was the realization of a dream from many years ago.”
