Biography
11 September 1934, Montreal, Canada. Jones’ parents were immigrants from Barbados. As a child he learned classical piano starting at the age of two. At five he played for his local church and later he studied with Oscar Peterson’s sister Daisy, who lived nearby. After establishing himself in Canada he began touring internationally in the early 60s as accompanist to pop singers Kenny Hamilton and Terry Malone. In the early 80s he concentrated on playing jazz, initially resident at Biddle’s, a club in Montreal. After a succession of eye operations he once again toured but this time in his own right. A highly accomplished technician, Jones’ playing style indicates the influences of gifted performers such as Peterson and Art Tatum. He has also acknowledged his debt to Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock and other pianists of a later school. By the late 80s and early 90s, Jones was no longer under the shadow of his mentor even if, inevitably, critics often...
Read the Full Biography of Oliver Jones (Jazz)
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