A poet of the keyboard, with an inimitable touch, and what Giddins calls "a regal but nimble bearing." For early piano solos try the twofer that contains "The Talented Touch" and "Porgy and Bess." For tasty piano duets find "Our Delights" with the sympatico Tommy Flanagan.
Jones was a great accompanist of horns and singers as you can hear with Coleman Hawkins on "The High and Mighty Hawk" and with Ella Fitzgerald on the to-die-for "Pure Ella." Jones resurgence as an eminence gris in the last two decades meant he got a lot of opportunity to record. The recent "Kids" with Joe Lavano is bracing, but my favorite Jones is on the spirituals-only set with Charlie Haden, "Steal Away."
NYTimes obit is here.
A wonderful appreciation by Giddins in The New Yorker is here.
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