Although
Duke Ellington was famous for featuring his many sidemen in very favorable and inventive settings, in most of his bands there were one or two players who were underutilized.
Wallace Jones, a fine first trumpeter with an appealing tone, was unfortunately rarely featured with Ellington although he was considered a valuable musician by the leader.
Jones early on played locally with obscure bands including with Ike Dixon's Harmony Birds and Percy Glascoe's Kit Kat Orchestra (1930). After moving to New York in the mid-1930's he was with
Chick Webb (his cousin), Willie Bryant (1936) and then
Duke Ellington (1938-44). After leaving Ellington,
Jones played with
Benny Carter, Snub Mosley and
the John Kirby Sextet (1947) before largely dropping out of music to become a mortician. Sadly, by the time he passed away in 1983 at the age of 76,
Wallace Jones was mostly just remembered by
Duke Ellington collectors. ~ Scott Yanow