Approved Promotional Material

A savvy bandleader, intrepid improviser, gifted composer and veteran educator who’s mentored some of jazz’s finest 21s​ t century artists, Brooklyn tenor saxophonist Jessica Jones adds to her stellar discography with Continuum​, an album that embodies her approach to jazz as a seamless flow passed between players. From lustrous ballads to free improvs, from Thelonious Monk to Billy Eckstine, Continuum captures the frisson of a creative community exploring and listening together.

Jessica Jones, tenor saxophone
Tony Jones, tenor saxophone
Stomu Takeishi, electric bass
Kenny Wollesen, percussion

special guests:

Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet

Mamadou Sidibe, Kamali Gouni

and introducing Devante Dunbar on alto saxophone

Label: Reva Records

Jessica Jones Quartet

Ensemble Bio

The Jessica Jones Quartet is an improvising jazz ensemble which performs original experimental music. Their music derives from the jazz tradition using structured original compositions as a framework for freer improvisation. Combining two tenor saxophones with bass and drums, the group creates an exciting, robust new soundscape. Working with drummers and bassists on the forefront of the experimental jazz scene has allowed the group a level of exploration that gives birth to a unique sound. The compositions of Jessica Jones and husband and fellow tenor saxist, Tony Jones, are currently given life by the innovative and energetic rhythm section of drummer Kenny Wollesen and bassist Stomu Takeishi, original members of the band from the 1980s. The eclectic musical backgrounds of the band members infuse the music with the energy and creativity of new textures while remaining firmly rooted in the jazz tradition.

The Jessica Jones Quartet has played in the Knitting Factory Festival in New York City, the Bay Area Jazz Poetry Festival, and the Eddie Moore Jazz Festival in Oakland, California, where the group headlined with special guest Don Cherry. The group has been featured in venues on the East and West Coasts of the U.S. and released several CDs to critical acclaim including guest artists ranging from innovative instrumentalists Joseph Jarman, Connie Crothers, Mark Taylor, Dayna Stephens and Ambrose Akinmusire to poets Arisa White and Abe Maneri and vocalists Ed Reed and Candace Jones. Poets, storytellers, and guest musicians have been augmenting the core quartet as the band continues to explore creative alliances.

Press Quotes

Continuum:

 “With the chops to be a hell raiser and get away with it admirably, this set focuses on less is more without watering things down to scare off the core purists.  Improv in the hands of pros, this is a ride on an off ramp that’ll give you great views.”

- Chris Spector, Midwest Record

Previous Releases by the Jessica Jones Quartet:

“Elegantly bridging the gap between free playing and more structured work, tenor saxophonist/pianist Jessica Jones and her quartet deliver a record that bucks convention while, remarkably, remaining somewhat true to it...Jones and her quartet have created an album that, for all its left leanings, is remarkably centered and maintains a surprising level of accessibility.”
- John Kelman, All About Jazz

“...an approachable, intriguing album, full of surprise and positive energy...this ensemble is a lean machine, with both Jessica and Tony shooting sharp, impulsive, coherent ideas.”
- Tomas Conrad, JazzTimes

“B​oth Joneses play tenor saxophone, and on Moxie [2015] they shift fluidly between unison statements and passages, one player shadowing the other so sympathetically that one forgets it’s two musicians. This unity is one of the most attractive things about this album, the fourth CD by their quartet, and it is enhanced by the rhythm section’s empathy. The ensemble’s affinity enhances the moments where the music pulls taut or picks up steam.”
Bill Meyer, DownBeat Magazine

• Read more…

  • “Both Joneses play tenor sax that sounds like the missing link between Warne Marsh and Anthony Braxton...an appealingly diverse album.”
    Andy Hamilton, The Wire

  • “There’s a wonderful openheartedness to this music, a generosity and warmth rare to behold. Part of the feeling comes from Jones’ tenor; she’s a strong player with a beautiful tone and an innate sense of swing. She’s also an excellent composer, particularly her tribute to Wayne Shorter, “Waynopolis.” ...All these strong talents meld together to create exuberant jazz, making Nod one of the year’s most enjoyable releases.”
    Florence Wetzel, All About Jazz

  • “It’s the writing for horns that carries the CD onto a very rarefied level. Elastic, whirring, and yet with a classical sense of construction, they never fail to impress. Get this. No excuses.”
    - Kenneth Egbert, Jazz Now

Discography

Selected Performance History

Photos (low and hi resolution)

(Click image for download link)

Contacts