Rufus Jones

A brilliant soloist and an explosive player, Rufus Jones always lived up to his nickname of "Speedy." He originally started out on trumpet, switching to drums when he was 13. Among his early associations were with Lionel Hampton (1954), Henry "Red" Allen, and Maynard Ferguson's Orchestra (1959-1963). He led his own quintet during 1963-1964 (resulting in a Cameo LP that was his only album as a leader). Jones gained fame for his work with Count Basie (1964-1966) and followed that up by being a spark plug for Duke Ellington (1966-1970). Never an overly subtle player, Rufus Jones could always be counted on to light a fire under other players and he certainly made an impact during his periods with Basie and Ellington. ~ Scott Yanow