Real name: Clarence M. Jones

Jazz and blues pianist.
born: Aug. 15, 1889, Wilmington, OH
died: Jun. 1, 1949, New York, NY
Jelly Roll Morton knew him 'in the early days around Chicago' (probably c. 1910) and influenced him. Jones, a very skilled pianist and orchestrator, was very active there during the 1920s. Led a theatre orchestra, mostly at the Owl Theater, in 1927-8 with Louis Armstrong (trumpet) and Zutty Singleton (drums) and accompanied Monette Moore and Laura Smith, among other blues singers. Broadcast over WBCN in the mid-1920s, was staff pianist for Imperial, a piano-roll firm. His solo piano variation "Hula Lou," was a popular stage novelty. Recorded as soloist, band-leader, and blues accompanist. Later was in Detroit. As a songwriter, he wrote "The Dirty Dozen", "Daddy Blues", "Trot Along", "Thanks for the Lobster".