Reunald Jones

Reunald Jones Sr. (December 22, 1910 - February 26, 1989), was a jazz trumpeter who worked both in big bands and as a studio musician.

Jones was born in Indianapolis. He studied at the Michigan Conservatory, and then played with territory bands such as that of Speed Webb. In the 1930s and 1940s Jones worked with musicians such as Charlie Johnson, the Savoy Bearcats, Fess Williams, Chick Webb (1933–34), Sam Wooding, Claude Hopkins, Willie Bryant, Teddy Hill, Don Redman (1936–38), Erskine Hawkins, Duke Ellington (1946), Jimmie Lunceford, Lucky Millinder and Sy Oliver. He soloed sparingly after his time with Chick Webb.

He played lead trumpet with the Count Basie Orchestra (1952–57), which gave him some fame due to his "one-handed" solo style of playing, but Jones was rarely featured.

However, Jones was featured as a member of the Quincy Jones group, "The Jones Boys" (56-58), a session conceived by Leonard Feather featuring a number of musicians named "Jones," though none of them were related.

From the 1940s Jones did extensive work as a studio musician. He toured with Woody Herman (1959), George Shearing's big band (ca. 1960) and with an orchestra accompanying Nat King Cole (1961–64). He played less from the 1970s. His son, Reunald Jones Jr, played lead trumpet many years for Sammy Davis Jr & James Brown, and his grandson, Renny Jones, is an accomplished bass guitar player.

Discography

With Gene Ammons

• Free Again (Prestige, 1971)

With Count Basie

• The Count! (Clef, 1952 [1955])
• Basie Jazz (Clef, 1952 [1954])
• Dance Session (Clef, 1953)
• Dance Session Album #2 (Clef, 1954)
• Basie (Clef, 1954)
• Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (Clef, 1955) with Joe Williams
• April in Paris (Verve, 1956)
• The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards with Joe Williams
• Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef, 1956) with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams
• Hall of Fame (Verve, 1956 [1959])
• Basie in London (Verve, 1956)
• One O'Clock Jump (Verve, 1957) with Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald
• Count Basie at Newport (Verve, 1957)

With Thad Jones

• The Jones Boys (Period, 1957) with Eddie Jones, Jimmy Jones, Quincy Jones and Jo Jones

With Sonny Stitt

• Sonny Stitt & the Top Brass (Atlantic, 1962)

References

• Scott Yanow, Reunald Jones at Allmusic