Night Journey Rewind with Philly Joe Jones
We had the honor of Having Philly Joe Jones in our KXLU studio in Los Angeles, CA recorded in 1985, This was one of the last interview he did before his death in 1986 My colleague Barry Thomas hosted this interview.
Joseph Rudolph (Philly Joe) Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was a Philadelphia-born American jazz drummer, known as the drummer for the Miles Davis Quintet. In 1947 he became the house drummer at Café Society in New York City, where he played with the leading bebop players of the day.
Among them, the most important influence on Jones was Tadd Dameron. Jones toured and recorded with Miles Davis’ Quintet from 1955 to 1958 – a band that became known as "The Quintet" (along with Red Garland on piano, John Coltrane on sax, and Paul Chambers on bass).
Philly Joe Jones established himself as the premier jazz drummer of the mid to late 1950s. As a member of trumpeter Miles Davis’ Classic Quintet, he beat a path out of bebop into what came to be known as hard-bop and post-bop.
He combined the finesse of swing band drummers Cozy Cole and Sid Catlett with the modern innovations of Kenny Clarke and Max Roach. Jones playing reduced the history of jazz drumming into an all-embracing contemporary style that was at once thunderous, exhilarating, and impeccably musical.
Joseph Rudolph Jones was born on July 15, 1923 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His maternal grandmother was a concert pianist, and encouraged her seven daughters to study music.
Joness mother was therefore a proficient pianist and encouraged early musical training for her son. Joseph recalls an immediate connection to the drums, and was playing them by age nine.
As with many other top jazz drummers, Jones tap-danced as a child. This talent landed him an appearance on the Philadelphia radio program, The Kiddie Show. Jones kept up with tap for quite a while, often entertaining as a drummer and dancer as a youngster and into his early professional career.
Jones credits Philadelphia drummer James Coatsville Harris as his first mentor and teacher in his early teens, motivating Jones to study the masters of the late 1930s and early 1940s Baby Dodds, Chick Webb, Dave Tough, Jo Jones, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, and Max Roach.
He then began playing at Philadelphia clubs in his teens, rather quickly earning a reputation as an up-and-coming star. Max Roach and Sid Catlett were two of Jones idols that soon took the time to impart some musical and personal advice to Jones, encouraging him to break into the New York scene.
Source: Interview by Barry Thomas in Night Jourrney Rewind with Philly Joe Jones
