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All Music Guide:
A fiery drummer and a masterful accompanist, Philly Joe Jones came to fame as a key member with the first classic Miles Davis Quintet. After serving in the Army, he moved to New York in 1947, became the house drummer at Cafe Society and played with a who's who of bop (including Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Fats Navarro). He worked regularly with Ben Webster, Joe Morris, Tiny Grimes, Lionel Hampton, and Tadd Dameron (1953). Jones was with Miles Davis during 1955-1958, including the quintet years (1955-1956) with John Coltrane, Red Garland, and Paul Chambers and the beginnings of the super sextet that also included Cannonball Adderley (recording the classic Milestones album). In 1958, he started leading his own groups, recording for Riverside (1958-1959) and Atlantic (1960). Jones lived in London and Paris during 1967-1972 (performing and recording with some avant-garde players, including Archie Shepp). He eventually returned to Philadelphia, where he led a fusion group, Le Grand Prix, toured with Bill Evans during 1976, recorded for Galaxy in 1977 and 1979, and worked with Red Garland. Starting in 1981, he led the group Dameronia, which revived Tadd Dameron's music. But in reality, everything that Philly Joe Jones did after Miles Davis was anticlimactic.
Wikipedia:
Joseph Rudolph (Philly Joe) Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was a Philadelphia-born American jazz drummer, known as the drummer for the Miles Davis Quintet.
Philly Joe Jones was often confused with another influential jazz drummer, Jo Jones. The two died only a few days apart from each other.
Biography
In 1947 he became the house drummer at Café Society in New York City, where he played with the leading bebop players of the day. Among them, the most important influence on Jones was Tadd Dameron. Jones toured and recorded with Miles Davis Quintet from 1955 to 1958 – a band that became known as "The Quintet" (along with Red Garland on piano, John Coltrane on sax, and Paul Chambers on bass). Miles acknowledged that Jones was his favorite drummer (in his autobiography, Davis mentions that he would always listen for Jones in other drummers).
From 1958 onwards Jones worked as a leader, but continued to work as a sideman with other musicians, including Bill Evans and Hank Mobley. Evans also openly admitted that Philly Joe was his all-time favorite drummer. For two years (1967–69) he taught at a specially organized school in Hampstead, London, but was prevented from otherwise working in the UK by the Musicians' Union.
From 1981 he helped to found the group Dameronia, dedicated to the music of the composer Tadd Dameron, and led it until his death. He also played in two movies.
