RODNEY JONES
Rodney Jones is at the leading edge of modern jazz guitar, extending the rhythmic, linear, and harmonic possibilities of the instrument, while being firmly rooted in the tradition. Rodney started playing the guitar at age 6. He has recorded two records for the Blue Note label, "The Undiscovered Few" and "Soul Manifesto". He has toured worldwide, performed, and recorded with a who's who of music including Dizzy Gillespie, James Brown, Lena Horne, Quincy Jones, Christian McBride, Stevie Wonder, Elvin Jones, Kenny Burrell, Stan Getz, and countless others. He was the house guitarist for the Apollo Theatre for 9 years, and the staff guitarist for the Rosie O'Donnell Show for 6 years. He has written commercials and has more than 125 compositions recorded. He recently scored a documentary film for PBS about African American GIs in WW2. He served as Musical Director/Producer for Lena Horne, Ruth Brown, Gloria Lynne, Ernestine Anderson and others. He has been a professor of Jazz Guitar Studies at The Juilliard School for 12 years and at The Manhattan School of Music for more than 20 years and has conducted clinics and workshops worldwide.