David Lee Jones

Saxophonist

Saxophonist David Lee Jones was born and raised in Houston, TX,.

From 1976 to 1978 David attended Texas Southern University in

Houston where he studied Music Education with a minor in Jazz

Studies. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1984 with a

B.A. in Jazz Composition and Arranging.

After graduating Berklee in 84’ David moved to New York City and

began working with Organist Jack McDuff and subsequently Jimmy

McGriff. In 1992 David began working jazz/R&B singer Phyllis Hyman

and The Mingus Big band. In 1993 David toured Europe with The

Mingus Band and recorded the Grammy nominated CD

entitled “Gunslinging Birds”. In between his 3 year tenure with Phyllis

and the Mingus Band he joined the Grammy award winning jazz / rap

group “Digable Planets” in which he became the principal horn

arranger for the live shows. He played on, wrote and arranged all the

horn arrangements for their Sophomore record entitled “Blowout

Comb”, subsequently touring the world with them and appearing on

numerous television shows such as MTV, Arsenio Hall, Jay Leno,

David Letterman and the 1994 Grammys (featuring Clark Terry). That

year Digable Planets won a Grammy for “Best Rap Group or Duo.

Presently David leads and tours with his various bands in the NYC

Tri-State area and abroad.

Since his residence in New York, David has also worked and

recorded with Phyllis Hyman, Digable Planets, Sade, Melba Moore,

Jennifer Holliday, Anita Baker, The Mingus Big band, The Ellington

Orchestra, The Cab Calloway Orchestra, George Benson, Clark

Terry, Shirley Scott, Jean Carne, Roy Ayers, Norman Connors and

Aaron Neville to name a few.