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January 12, 2018 – Fort Myers, FL – Willie Jones and Friends bring their sultry jazz sound to downtown Fort Myers on Thursday, February 15th! Experience acclaimed jazz drummer Willie Jones in an intimate setting at 8pm, with cocktails at 7pm. Don’t miss the final Jazzy Nights concert of the season! The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First St. in the historic downtown Fort Myers River District.
Willie Jones and Friends
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Performance: 8pm | Cocktails: 7pm
Tickets: GA – $35 in Advance / $40 Day of Concert
Table of 4: $220
Table of 8: $440
For tickets, visit www.sbdac.com.
With an unparalleled style of rhythmic expression, drummer Willie Jones III is one of the world’s leading jazz drummers. In addition to honoring his monumental influences – the late greats Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey and Billy Higgins – Jones’ bold articulation and constantly innovative sense of swing are results of his lifelong musical experience.
Born in Los Angeles, California on June 8, 1968, Jones’ completed his academic training after receiving a full scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts where he studied under the tutelage of the legendary Albert “Tootie” Heath. Before he was a semifinalist in the 1992 Thelonious Monk Jazz Drum Competition, Jones co-founded jazz band Black Note. Influenced by the rich soulful energy of the West Coast bop movement, Black Note’s hard-swing sound propelled them to first place in the prestigious John Coltrane Young Artist Competition in 1991. Jones contributed his skillfulness as both musician and producer on all four Black Note recordings: 43rd & Degnan and L.A. Underground (World Stage Records), Jungle Music (Columbia) and Nothin’ But the Swing (Impulse!). By 1994, the band had toured Europe and across the U.S. and was the opening act for Wynton Marsalis.
Near the end of 1994, while Jones was reaching for a higher level of drumming dexterity, he gained the privilege of playing sideman to the renowned vibist Milt Jackson, where Jones learned the importance of pacing and sensitivity. Meanwhile, his musical career continued to unfold. From 1995 through 1998, he was a member of Arturo Sandoval’s band and is featured on Sandoval’s GRAMMY award winning release Hot House (N2K). Subsequently, Jones recorded with Horace Silver on Jazz Has a Sense of Humor (Impulse!).
From 1998-2005, Jones was a member of Roy Hargrove’s Quintet and is featured on Roy Hargrove’s CD releases on Verve: Moment To Moment, Hard Groove, Nothing Serious and RH Factor’s Distractions. Jones can be heard on a host of recordings including Kurt Elling’s GRAMMY® nominated Night Moves (Concord) and Eric Reed’s Here (Max Jazz). Jones has worked with Sonny Rollins, Ernestine Anderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Wynton Marsalis, Cedar Walton, Frank Wess, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, Houston Person, Billy Childs, Eric Reed, Ryan Kisor, Eric Alexander, Bill Charlap, Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock and Hank Jones. In 2000, Jones’ released his debut CD, Vol 1…Straight Swingin’ on his own label, WJ3 Records. He continues to reveal his proficiency as a composer as well as a producer on Vol II…Don’t Knock The Swing (2002); Volume III (2007); WE 2 (2008), a trombone and piano recording featuring Wycliffe Gordon and Eric Reed; and Jones’ latest release The Next Phase (2010). Fore more info, visit http://www.williejones3.com/.

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