Rusty Jones (musician)

Isham Russell Jones II (born April 13, 1942 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is an American Jazz Drummer that is Chicago-based. Music is a family affair regarding Rusty's life. His parents were in the music business long before he was born. Rusty's father was a saxophonist and his mother a vocalist (appearing under the name of Gretchen Lee) with most of their gigs being in and around the Chicago area and an occasional one here and there nationally. His mother was working at the Bismark Hotel in 1936 when the two were wed. Other musicians in Rusty's family were his grandfather, a trombonist/bandleader named Frank Jones, worked in the Saginaw and Detroit, Michigan area; Rusty's mother's brother was Dean Herrick, the man who introduced the Hammond organ. The most famous of these family musicians was Rusty's great uncle, Isham Jones who became a renowned American bandleader/songwriter beginning with the 1920's and ending in 1936 when he retired temporarily. He wrote popular songs of the era such as, "It Had To Be You", "I'll See You In My Dreams", "The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else", "Swingin' Down The Lane", "On The Alamo", "There Is No Greater Love", "We're In The Army Now" and several others.

Influenced by the likes of such a musically-oriented family, Rusty began playing drums at the age of thirteen and continued on throughout his college years, choosing jazz as his preferred mode of music. He went "on the road" after graduating college in 1965 from the University of Iowa with a degree in history and political science, to "get it out of his system", but he never stopped his pursuit of a musical vocation. He moved to the Chicago area in 1967.

Rusty appeared with Chicago musician Judy Roberts from 1968 to 1972, soon after becoming a member of George Shearing's trio from 1972 to 1978. Later years he accompanied pianist Marion McPartland for a few years and then freelanced throughout Chicago with several bands, touring the United States and Europe. He has worked quite a bit with Adam Makowicz, Larry Novak, Danny Long, Patricia Barber, Johnny Gabor, Jim Beebe, Charlie Hooks, Frank D'Rone, Art Hodes, Mark Pompe, Frank Portolese, Ron Surace, Ira Sullivan, J.R. Monterose and Curt Warren.

Rusty did short gigs with Buddy DeFranco, Art VanDammn, Kai Winding, Curtis Fuller, Lee Konitz, Chuck Hedges, Wild Bill Davidson, Anita O'Day, Mark Murphy, Flip Phillips, Sylvia Symms, Morgan King, Red Holloway, Eddy Higgins, Ike Cole, Clifford Jordan, Bill Porter, Polly Podewell, Jim Clark, Franz Jackson, Bobby Enriquez, and Monty Alexander. Rusty has made many recordings with these previously mentioned musicians and people.

Rusty has worked with many "world class" jazz stars such as Ira Sullivan, Eddie Daniels, Marvin Stamm, Bobby Ojeda, John Fedchock, Warren Kime, Mark Colby, Richie Cole, Von Freeman, Ron Dewar, Michael S. Smith, Isaac Redd Holt (of the Ramsey Lewis Trio fame), Donny Osborne and the late Barrett Deems of Louis Armstrong fame, to name just a few. Tommy also works with many fine vocalists such as Arlene Bardelle, Hinda Hoffman, Spider Saloff and Catherine Whitney.

Selected recordings

Audio CD Title:"It's All About Time" / Release Date:February,14 1998 / Label:Denwa / Manufacturer:RCA Victor Europe

Official website

http://www.chicagojazz.com/musician.php?artist=rustyjones&muid=159 The performer's website @ ChicagoJazz.com

External links

Notes

References

credits; Information: Rusty Jones , Article: Glen Bailia - I.C.O.T.J. - webmaster - sound - media July 4th. 2001

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