Virgil Jones has passed

[Christiern]

Trumpeter Virgil Jones passed away in Indianapolis yesterday. He was born in 1939 and participated on many fine recordings. He spent many years playing in Broadway pit bands.

[J.A.W.]

Sorry to hear that. An album he played on is Milt Jackson's Invitation.

[BillF]

Saw him here in Manchester in the 1990s with Eddie Henderson, Billy Harper and John Stubblefield in a McCoy Tyner band.

[king ubu]

Sorry to hear this. r.i.p. Virgil Jones

He was on so many albums... one outstanding one is Billy Harper's album "Black Saint" which kicked off the label of the same name.

[mikeweil]

R.I.P. - I have several organ combo LPs that he plays on, very solid and engaged.

I'm afraid the hard bop generation will have passed soon .....

[king ubu]

Yeah, plenty of fine organ music... but also several with Harold Mabern, Frank Foster... and later on Dameronia, too!

[sidewinder]

Sorry to hear of this - RIP. He was on so many fine sessions. My fave is probably the 'Slightly Latin' date with RR Kirk in which he was paired with Martin Banks in the trumpet/flugel 'section'. Big too for the McCoy Tyner Big Band recordings.

[ValerieB]

Trumpeter Virgil Jones passed away in Indianapolis yesterday. He was born in 1939 and participated on many fine recordings. He spent many years playing in Broadway pit bands.

i was really sorry to hear about Virgil's passing, especially at such a young age. i got to hear him a lot in the '60s. last time i saw/heard him was probably when he was in the pit at Jelly's Last Jam, and we connected after the play.

sincere condolences to his family and friends. he will be missed.

[fasstrack]

Ecch. I knew he was sick, but still. We worked at the West End w/George Kelly a million years ago and I tried to hire him more recently. I thought he was one of the best-any kind of music he was down. Seemed an unpretentious, regular guy the little bit I knew him. Fun on the stand, too. Almost NO Mohecans left now. Out...

[ep1str0phy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J6NQnLx3-Y

RIP--he had a truly strong, versatile voice. He helped make a lot of great 70's dates great, IMO.

[JSngry]

Seemed like a guy to me who always handled his business, showed up ready to play, and always did. No drama, just solidness.

Here's to people like that. More, please!

[BeBop]

I mainly remember him from the recordings with (Rahsaan) Roland Kirk. I'll have to pull out a couple of those. I've only got them on LP, so I don't hear them often these days. Some must be on my Complete Mercury set (CD).

[Chuck Nessa]

Fine musician gone. Thanks for what we received and best wishes to your family.

[king ubu]

I mainly remember him from the recordings with (Rahsaan) Roland Kirk. I'll have to pull out a couple of those. I've only got them on LP, so I don't hear them often these days. Some must be on my Complete Mercury set (CD).

"Reeds and Deeds" and the one with Benny Golson.

[Dan Gould]

Sorry to hear this. Virgil makes a nice foil for Teddy Edwards on Midnight Creeper. RIP.

[fasstrack]

There was a fundraiser once to get a piano so Barry Harris could teach. I think Rodney Kendrick organized it. The whole NY jazz scene turned out. I think Randy Weston was part of it too. Virgil played, and it was a day at the office-meaning he sounded great: swinging, musical, and strong. Then Wynton played-which was damn nice of him. He sounded great too, but I felt like being a smart-ass, so while Wynton was up playing I punkishly (puckishly?) said to Virgil 'how does he have the balls to play after you'? I felt ashamed the minute the words came out. But Virgil's take was to throw his head back and laugh his ass off. So I f'ed up for talking mess about Wynton, but Virgil showed me in that moment that he knew who and how good he was. BTW: on that George Kelly gig the front line was George, Benny Powell, Norris Turney, and Virgil, who tore it up every solo, then rooted for everyone else when he wasn't playing George's truwpet book like he wrote it. One guy on the gig sort of 'lest we forget' b/c he's among us still: Richard Wyands. He's known for comping, but every head on the stand turned when he soloed.Like they say: 'rats pissing on cotton. A giant IMO-and you won't hear it from him.

Edited April 23, 2012 by fasstrack

[brownie]

Sad to hear this! He was a good one!

[clifford_thornton]

Sad news. RIP.

Think I first saw his name w/ Archie Shepp, then progressed to RRK and BH with him in the front line.