Darryl Jones

Darryl Jones is an American bassist (upright and electric), session musician, and educator. Long before he replaced Bill Wyman as bassist in the Rolling Stones in 1993, he established himself in the bands of Miles Davis, Sting, John Scofield, and Wayne Shorter, and played on more than a hundred recordings -- he's since played on hundreds more. He joined the Stones as a touring player and has appeared on each album since 1994's Voodoo Lounge. The band's infrequent recording and touring activity left room for the bassist to become a nearly ubiquitous presence in genres ranging from pop and country to jazz and funk with a range of artists including B.B. King, Peter Gabriel, Eric Clapton, and Tania Maria. A longtime associate of saxophonist Bill Evans -- with whom he played in Davis' '80s groups -- he joined Evans' quartet alongside guitarist Robben Ford and drummer Keith Carlock for 2022's Common Ground. Born on December 11, 1961, on Chicago's south side, Jones picked up both the electric and upright basses as a teen. Still in high school he played in a local band alongside pianist Ken Chaney and guitarist Phil Upchurch, and on occasion, drummer Vince Wilburn, Jr. Wilburn turned out to be jazz legend Miles Davis' nephew, and the drummer recommended Jones to Miles. A try-out in New York was arranged a day after Davis called Jones, which promptly landed Jones the gig at age 21. Joining Davis' touring band only a week after his inaugural tryout, Jones would appear on such '80s-era Davis recordings as Decoy, You're Under Arrest, We Want Miles, and Human Nature. Settling in New York City permanently, Jones quickly built a name for himself on the city's jazz scene. He played and/or recorded alongside fellow Davis bandmates in the bands of guitarists Mike Stern and John Scofield, Bill Evans, and the Gil Evans Big Band. He also joined Mike Manieri's fusion group Steps Ahead. Jones' next prestigious gig came after another recommendation, when saxophonist Branford Marsalis helped set up a try-out for the bassist with Sting's backing band. Jones played on 1985's Dream of the Blue Turtles and 1986's Bring on the Night, and toured with the ex-Police frontman. Jones returned to Chicago in 1989 so he could focus on composing. His plan proved short-lived. Word had already spread about his prodigious talents, and more tour/studio work came his way with Herbie Hancock & the Headhunters, Peter Gabriel, Madonna, and Eric Clapton. Jones' accomplishments up until this point were quite exceptional, but the jewel in his crown came in 1994, when he landed the gig as bassist for the Rolling Stones, replacing longtime member Bill Wyman. Jones toured with the group on occasion, but joined full-time for 1994's multi-platinum Voodoo Lounge and its subsequent world tours. He continued to guest on other artists' recordings, including albums by fellow Davis alumnus Wayne Shorter (Joy Ryder), David Murray (The Tip) Joan Armatrading (What's Inside), Charles Earland (I Ain't Jivin' I'm Jammin'), Joe Cocker (Organic), and B.B. King (Deuces Wild) to name a few. In the 21st century, Jones, in addition to studio and touring work with several ensembles, expanded his focus. He became an educator and founded Jones Musical Instruments, creating world-class basses for professional musicians and serious connoisseurs. He also began donating time, money, and ideas to expand music education in public schools. In 2003, in addition to the Rolling Stones' Forty Licks, he reunited with Brazilian singer Tania Maria's for 2004's Outrageously Wild and joined the studio band on Stones' guitarist Ronnie Wood's 2010 album I Feel Like Playing. Between Stones' tours he joined Neil Young for Storytone in 2014 and LeAnn Rimes on 2016's The Story. In 2022 he replaced bassist James Genus in a collaborative jazz-rock quartet with old friend and collaborator Bill Evans, along with guitarist Robben Ford and drummer Keith Carlock, for the Nashville-recorded Common Ground.
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