MSU percussion instructor Kevin Jones has a tremendous list of experiences that he brings to his teaching, and they began at a young age while growing up in a musical household.
Born into a family of generations of musicians, Kevin Jones grew up immersing himself in jazz, soul, gospel and blues. Today, with that foundation, Jones and his group, Tenth World, give a lesson in sticking to a plan as they release a new record after years of waiting, setbacks, and the death of a close friend.
Jones is a New Jersey native, percussionist, bandleader, producer, and percussion and jazz studies instructor at the Michigan State University College of Music. He and his friend, pianist and composer Kelvin Sholar, started Tenth World in 1999 when they both lived in the New York area. The young, collaborative collective featured saxophonist Brian Horton, drummer Jaimeo Brown, trumpeter Kevin Louis, and bassist Damon Warmack, combining jazz and soul with African Diaspora rhythms.
The sextet has played at jazz festivals and other events all over the United States and abroad, and Jones said that their second album Tenth World Live from 2007 is a recording that truly captures the spirit of a their live performances. Also in 2007, the group recorded but never released a new album. Time marched on, and group members moved to different areas to individually pursue education, music, and other opportunities. Now, Jones hopes the group’s fourth record, can mark that point in time as a special memory that honors one of its members.
Jazz group Tenth World recorded In This Moment in 2007, but technical issues prevented its release. When a band member passed away in 2022, Kevin Jones resolved to honor the memory of his friend by doing whatever was needed to share this music publicly.
“In This Moment” was recorded in 2007 before we all left New York. It was actually the last recording that we did as a unit together,” Jones explained. “Then, in September 2022, Brian Horton passed away. He was the director of jazz studies at North Carolina Central University, was 46, and died way too young. After his passing, I decided that I really needed to put this music out there.”
Jones said technical difficulties prevented him from previously releasing the music, but Lansing-area organist, producer, and engineer Jim Alfredson looked over the material and was able to clean up the recordings. The passing of their friend and bandmate has been rough for the group who consider each other family, but having the will to complete the project as a means of carrying on his musical legacy is a proud feeling.
“As a tribute and dedication to Brian, I decided to put this album out,” Jones said. “I didn’t wait for a record label to say yay or nay. I felt like it was important for me to put this album out before the anniversary of his death.”
He succeeded and released In This Moment (available for streaming and purchase) in August 2023. A performance by Tenth World followed, joined by MSU Music colleagues at an album release party in Grand Rapids. Jones said he plans to keep creating and releasing music with the group.
“Brian left quite a few compositions that we will be doing on our next album, and hopefully I can get to record some of the original members of the band right here in our backyard in Lansing,” he said.
MSU Jazz Studies faculty member Kevin Jones maintains an active performance schedule in addition to his dedication to teaching.
Jones is a busy recording and gigging musician, but it is hard to doubt his resolve to create new music with Tenth World. His schedule includes booking music for West Michigan jazz club GRNoir Wine and Jazz, and part of his teaching at MSU includes helping Jazz Studies students fill up their calendars with paid gigs. Real-world experience for growing musicians is important to him since he feels his similar experiences – including stints as a drum tech for Max Roach and touring Europe with saxophonist Archie Shepp – shaped him into the musician he is today,.
“I teach the way I was taught: one-on-one, person-to-person, and heart-to-heart,” Jones said. “I tell my students to come to gigs, and I help them get their own gigs, even if they’re not my direct students. I’ve been curating music at GRNoir Wine and Jazz since August of 2020, and I’m constantly trying to give our Jazz Studies students some much-needed experience by booking their trios and quartets on a regular basis. In some cases, I have them playing in my band. There’s quite a few I’ve hired and taken with me, because that’s how I learned.”
As an educator, he also enjoys learning the new ways of the modern music industry alongside students in real-time. While record labels used to pay for musicians to record, get professional photos, and arrange marketing promotions, for example, musicians today can release material independently.
“It’s different from what it used to be, and it’s important for students to understand what it takes to be a percussionist in modern times,” Jones said. “I love teaching, and I love spreading the knowledge I have to the younger generation. The joy that I feel seeing a young person advance in their instrument – when you can tell they’re really impassioned or inspired – to me, that gives me more joy than applause at some big concert.”
Just as Brian, his late bandmate, left a profound impact on many, Jones hopes to leave a positive legacy, too.
“The hard truth is that we don’t live forever,” he said. “It’s important to leave something behind, and to me, the joy you get by giving back is more important than getting praise for being a great musician.”
