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Willie Jones III

Willie Jones III is a drummer, bandleader, producer, label founder, and educator whose work joins hard-bop leader groups with a wide sideman career.

DrumsBandleaderProducerEducator12 current shows

Photo source · Official artist media

Career Overview

About Willie Jones III

Jones' official biography traces his Los Angeles background and study with Albert “Tootie” Heath at CalArts into an eight-year run with the Roy Hargrove Quintet from 1998 through 2006. It also records his work in Hargrove's RH Factor and performances with a broad range of jazz leaders and ensembles.[1]

In 2000 Jones founded WJ3 Records as an independent home for his own music and releases by other artists. His parallel work as a leader, producer, and educator includes a series of sextet recordings, production for Roy Hargrove's Love Suite in Mahogany, and drum teaching at Northwestern University.[1][2]

Ensembles and Career Threads

Bands & Projects

Drummer

Roy Hargrove Quintet and RH Factor

1998–2006 with the quintet

Jones' biography documents his long tenure in Hargrove's acoustic quintet and his place among the drummers heard in the parallel RH Factor project.[1]

Founder, producer, and recording artist

WJ3 Records

Founded 2000

Jones created the label to control and extend his leader work, then used it to issue his own albums and recordings by contemporaries.[1][2]

Leader, drummer, and producer

Willie Jones III Sextet

Jones' leader discography repeatedly uses a sextet framework and includes a dedicated Max Roach repertoire project alongside his own compositions and arrangements.[1][2]

Selected, Not Exhaustive

Recordings to Know

1999 · WJ3 Records

Vol. 1...Straight Swingin'

Leader, drummer, and producer

Jones' first listed leader volume features multiple small-group configurations with Eric Reed, Gerald Cannon, Dwight Trible, and others.[2]

Release details

2013 · WJ3 Records

The Max Roach Songbook

Sextet leader, drummer, and producer

The sextet brings Jones together with Eric Reed, Dezron Douglas, Jeremy Pelt, Stacy Dillard, and Steve Davis for music associated with Max Roach.[1][2]

Release details

2021 · WJ3 Records

Fallen Heroes

Leader, drummer, and producer

Jones leads a larger cast including George Cables, Renee Neufville, Steve Davis, Isaiah J. Thompson, Justin Robinson, and Sherman Irby.[1][2]

Release details

Artist-Authorized Destinations

Start Listening

Official Spotify artist page

Hear Jones' leader releases through the Spotify profile linked from his official site.

Official YouTube channel

Watch performances, interviews, and archive material through Jones' artist-linked channel.

Official discography

Browse Jones' leader personnel and selected support-player credits on his artist site.

Live Calendar

Upcoming Jazz DateBook Shows

Wed, Sep 9, 6:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

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Wed, Sep 9, 8:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Thu, Sep 10, 6:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Thu, Sep 10, 8:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Fri, Sep 11, 6:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Fri, Sep 11, 8:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Fri, Sep 11, 10:00 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Sat, Sep 12, 6:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Sat, Sep 12, 8:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Sat, Sep 12, 10:00 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Sun, Sep 13, 6:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Sun, Sep 13, 8:30 PM

Steve Davis “We See” Sextet

Smoke Jazz Club · New York

Show details

Sources

Career copy is original synthesis from the artist, label, and project sources below. Current dates come from Jazz DateBook event inventory.

  1. [1] Official biography

    Willie Jones III

  2. [2] Official leader and support-player discography

    Willie Jones III

  3. [3] Official performance and archive media

    Willie Jones III