Wesier is artistic adviser for the Fredonia Jazz Society, and he is referring to Sean Jones. Who is Sean Jones, and why is Weiser so excited?

The Trumpet Herald offers some clues. Forum member Turkle writes: “Sean Jones came out of Warren, Ohio, and I grew up in Ohio in the ’90s too. It was Sean Jones whose name was always whispered in awe. Back then, he was known as the baddest.”

Turkle continues, “Last night I went to see Sean Jones perform at the Jazz Standard. It’s the finest trumpet performance I’ve seen in years. No matter how modern he gets, he’s never far away from some chicken-grease blues. He showed total command of his instrument and an extraordinary range of styles, from Louis Armstrong shakes to Woody Shaw pentatonic wizardry. He’s just profoundly musical.”

For Sean Jones, the pursuit of jazz is a most serious endeavor. Not just in terms of mastering the art form, but in its fullest meaning and purpose socially, philosophically and spiritually. Deeply influenced by his immersion in gospel music in the church as a youth, he sang in the choir and played the drums. He later switched to trumpet and discovered jazz at ten years old upon hearing Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue. And later, while a student at Youngstown State University, Sean had an epiphany. That awakening occurred — as it has for so many serious-minded individuals both inside and outside of music — with his first hearing of the magnificent John Coltrane’s masterpiece A Love Supreme. “I was driving in my car at the time and I had to pull off the road.

All at once, everything just came together for me. My past, my present, my future. I knew the course I needed to pursue.”

He thereafter committed himself seriously to jazz and the trumpet. His technique developed with diligent practice, and he ears evolved with focused listening of the jazz masters. “Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard were first and second for me. And then there was Clifford Brown.” He also cites Wynton Marsalis, whose personal work ethic and ability to break barriers had a deep effect on the emerging artist.

“When I saw Wynton’s picture on a classical album, I knew there were no limitations on me; everything could be within my grasp.”

Five years later, after receiving his Master’s Degree from Rutgers University, Wynton offered Sean a permanent position as lead trumpet in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Jones remained there until 2010, participating in two recordings.

During these same years, Sean was touring, performing and recording with his own ensembles and with many great musicians such as Charles Fambrough, Joe Lovano, Chico O’Farrill, Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Heath, Frank Foster, Nancy Wilson, Dianne Reeves and Gerald Wilson. In 2011, Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter asked Jones to join them on their Tribute to Miles Tour. And in 2015, Mr. Jones was tapped to become a member of the San Francisco Jazz Collective.

By this point, the trajectory of his career was well confirmed. Sean has since been unwaveringly focused upon what he can do to make his own unique contribution to jazz. Education has been an important part of this. He began teaching at Duquesne University while he was still part of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and later he joined Oberlin Conservatory. He served as chair of the Brass department at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, and now heads Jazz Studies at

The John Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute in Baltimore. In addition, he is president of the Jazz Education Network.

That’s a summary of who Sean Jones is. And it probably also answers the question of why Nick Weiser so excited to have him here. But there is another element. Jones is one of those musicians who seems to be comfortable in any musical setting, whether performing at a club, in a concert hall, or in the classroom. Yet in spite of his nearly routine success, he says this: “I think musicians must be allowed to be themselves in their rawest form, with no compromise. If we can’t be ourselves fully, then what we’re putting out is a lie — or a half-version of ourselves, which I think ultimately people can feel. With me, I’m willing to take that risk. Risk getting a bad review. Risk not being at the forefront. Because I know in the end, my body of work is going to show a progression of who Sean Jones is in its most honest form. What I’m hearing, what I believe and what I have to say.”

Now that’s exciting, and promises to make an authentically moving evening of musical entertainment.

Jazz at Domus Fare

Sean Jones, trumpet

Nick Weiser, piano

Nicholas Walker, bass

Gregory Evans, drums.

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Domus Fare Restaurant, 41 W. Main Street, Fredonia, NY

Shows at 5:30 and 8 p.m.

Highly recommended that tickets be ordered in advance.

Order online at www.fredoniajazzsociety.com

Reserved Seating

Menus for food and drink

Sean Jones appears on the first of a six-event subscription series of jazz performances (Jazz at Domus Fare). Each event is unique and features great local, regional, and national talent. Learn about the series at the website, and get a price discount when ordering tickets for more than one event.

The Fredonia Jazz Society is a community-based, non-profit organization that supports and hosts live performance and related activities around Western New York for the benefit of music lovers of all ages and backgrounds. With an emphasis on high standards and on local and guest artists, the aim is to enhance the quality of life through music and the arts.

If you would like further information about this topic, please contact Karl Boelter at the phone number or email address listed at the top of this press release.