Among Jones' first musical experiences were the
gospel music he heard while attending Saint James' Church of God in Christ in
Warren, Ohio, where he sang and performed with the
choir. As a beginning musician, Jones started on the drums and switched to trumpet in the fifth grade after his grandmother told him about his grandfather playing the instrument during
World War II. Jones developed an interest in
jazz music around the same time, after receiving two
Miles Davis albums from his band instructor, namely
Kind of Blue and
Tutu. By the time he entered
Warren G. Harding High School, Jones had decided to pursue a career as a professional musician, and studied classical trumpet as well as jazz. In 2000, Jones obtained a master's degree from
Rutgers University, where he studied under Professor William Fielder, who had also taught
Wynton Marsalis, among others. As a
session musician, Jones has performed with several notable ensembles and musicians, including
Tia Fuller,
Gerald Wilson,
Joe Lovano,
Tom Harrell,
Marcus Miller,
Jon Faddis,
Jimmy Heath and
Frank Foster. In 2004, Jones had a six-month stint with the
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, after which Marsalis offered him a position with the ensemble as a third trumpeter then moved to the lead chair a couple months later. Around the same time, Jones became a music professor at
Duquesne University, and lived in the
Pittsburgh area for several years. In 2011, he performed “A Tribute to Miles” with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller and Sean Rickman. Jones was recently selected as the Interim Artistic Director for the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. He became an associate professor of Jazz Trumpet at
Oberlin Conservatory for the 2012-2013 academic year. He was a member of the
SFJAZZ Collective from 2015 - 2017. He previously served as headof the Brass Department at
Berklee College of Music. He currently serves as the chair of the jazz studies department of the
Peabody Institute at
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Jones is also on the board of directors and is president-elect of Jazz Education Network (JEN). Jones is currently represented by Unlimited Myles, Inc. ==Discography==