Philly Joe Jones

• Genre: Hard Bop
• Hometown: Philadelphia

About

Philly Joe Jones laid the template for Bop drumming, becoming justly famous for his ‘50s association with Miles Davis. A more subdued drummer than either Buddy Rich or Max Roach, Jones improvised while staying in the pocket. He would drop “rim shots” (or “bebop bombs”) while he kept the beat, rather than going from set rhythm to long solos. Musicians loved Jones for this, and he worked with Charlie Parker, Ben Webster, Dizzy Gillespie, and Clifford Brown before his stint with the Miles Davis Quintet and, later, Sextet. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, Jones worked with a virtual who’s who jazz artists: Bill Evans, Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon, and Thelonius Monk. Jones’ versatile style fit perfectly with Bop, Cool, and even Avant Jazz.

- Nick Dedina