Jones, Eddie

Bassist. Born March 1, 1929 in New York City; died May 31, 1997 in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Best known for his decade with Count Basie (1953-1962). Eddie Jones grew up in Basie’s home town of Red Bank, New Jersey and attended Howard University alongside Basie trombonist Bill Hughes. While in Washington, he played in a band with Norvelle Reid, Frank Wess, John Malachi, George ‘Dude’ Brown and a violinist.

After graduating, he taught one year in the South Carolina public schools before moving back to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1953, intending to attend graduate school at Howard. Upon the recommendation of Frank Wess, Count Basie invited him to join the orchestra, and Jones and Wess started together with the band on August 10, 1953 in Tucson, Arizona.

He left music in 1962 and worked in the computer and insurance industries, but began playing again in the 1970s.

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