OBITUARIES

INDUSTRY NEWS - July 2, 2011, at 12:15 am
Musician Raymond Jones has Died
Veteran music writer A. Scott Galloway posted the news on FaceBook yesterday that Raymond Jones: Composer, Producer, Keyboardist, Musical Director, Poet, Babysitter, Provacateur, Visionary, Doer, Brother, Friend had passed. No details were given on Jones’ death except that he had been ill.
Galloway stated: “I lost a very special cat today: Raymond Jones. Blessed to have shared priceless moments as a friend, fan, project partner, artist/journalist and mutual admirer of Music’s Global Masters. He challenged me with his BIG ideas, welcomed me into his home, played his piano just for me. Gonna miss his rants. He deserved better than what was returned him…”


RAYMOND JONES’ BIO (below)


RAYMOND JONES is a musician, composer, writer, producer, recording artist and engineer.


Born and raised in NYC, RAYMOND began his professional career in high school. He performed with Latin groups in the NYC area learning the traditional Latin styles of music. “The clave (Latin pulse) is in everything I do musically. I can’t go against clave to this day,” RAYMOND insists.


Continuing his private studies throughout his formative years, RAYMOND worked with local dance and Jazz groups. His big break came when his friend TONY THOMPSON introduced him to NILE ROGERS and BERNARD EDWARDS who were forming the band CHIC. At age 19, RAYMOND joined the band, touring the world and playing on hit records such as GOOD TIMES, SISTER SLEDGE’S “WE ARE FAMILY”, and DIANA ROSS’ “UPSIDE DOWN” among many others.


Eventually RAYMOND was called to perform and record with progressive rock artist NONA HENDRYX. That led to RAYMOND’S touring and recording with the TALKING HEADS and TOM TOM CLUB. Calls came from CHAKA KHAN, DENISE WILLIAMS & JEFFREY OSBORNE for whom RAYMOND led his band and wrote the hits STAY WITH ME TONIGHT and THE BORDERLINES.
Producer GEORGE DUKE invited RAYMOND to move to Los Angeles to work under his guidance as a music producer for artists such as STEPHANIE MILLS & ANGELA BOFILL among others.


RAYMOND began to work on film projects such as LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL & SPLASH. Eventually RAYMOND JONES and SPIKE LEE met one another. They have subsequently worked together on five films SCHOOL DAZE, DO THE RIGHT THING, CLOCKERS, MO BETTER BLUES and GET ON THE BUS.


He has written songs for the likes of WHITNEY HOUSTON & PATTI LABELLE among many others.
In the late eighties to 1993, RAYMOND and former CHIC vocalist NORMA JEAN WRIGHT came together to create a group called STATE OF ART. They subsequently recorded one single for Polydor Records and a critically acclaimed CD for SPIKE LEE’S newly formed FORTY ACRES AND A MULE MUSIC WORKS. Although the group stopped recording in 1993, NORMA and RAYMOND remain close friends and continue collaborating on musical projects.


In 1997, RAYMOND recorded his first solo CD ACTS OF LOVE for the independent label UEG. Shortly after its release, he agreed to take a position from July of 1997 to March of 1998, as music director for the KEENEN IVORY WAYANS late night talk show (broadcast on the FOX network nationwide), running the all female band and scoring music for the show’s daily requirements. Working 10-12 hours a day for the show, RAYMOND was unable to begin work on his second CD NAKED SOUL until April of 1998, a month after the show ended. NAKED SOUL was released in 1999 and has been warmly received by RAYMOND’S audience.


In 2001, RAYMOND released his third solo CD INTMATE which has garnered rave reviews. INTIMATE was conceived as a song cycle about the nature of intimate relationships. In the fall of 2002, he also released his holiday single, CHRISTMAS BLUE (featuring Vocalist Alexx Daye) and a solo piano version of THE FIRST NOEL.


In late 2002, RAYMOND was approached by SPIKE LEE again. This time, to write lyrics for a commercial for PEPSI featuring BEYONCE KNOWLES singing the praises of the soft drink. The commercial first aired on March 23rd 2003 on the ACADEMY AWARDS program on ABC (in the US). Also that year, RAYMOND put together and led a band for rapper DMX featuring his friend, TONY THOMPSON (who passed away in November 2003). Unfortunately, DMX’s plans to perform with the unit did not materialize as he had planned, but there is recorded documentation of this powerful unit in DMX’s camp.


Also in 2003, RAYMOND provided the musical score for the hilarious independent film, WASABI TUNA. RAYMOND also produced the lead single from the film entitled COOCHIE POWER featuring ALEXIS ARQUETTE.


In 2004, RAYMOND released his first solo piano CD, SO AMAZING (SONGS FROM THE LUTHER VANDROSS SONGBOOK). A moving tribute to his friend of many years (the two worked together in the group CHIC). Also In 2004, JONES attended the premiere of his first ballet commission MOVE for the Deeply Rooted ballet company in Chicago. JONES composed the second movement of the multi movement piece which was performed in New York as well as Chicago.


After a relocation to Atlanta in 2005, JONES released HILLSIDE STORIES in September 2007. Its his fifth CD project and harkens back to a time of political and social awareness in Black Music. With titles such as Blood, One Man Dead and Misled, it provokes the listener to think as well as enjoy.
2008 found Jones arranging and producing music for the film SOUL MEN featuring Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac as retired background (soul) singers. Also featured in the film are John Legend and Sharon Leal (Dreamgirls). Jones produced tracks and vocals featuring all of the aforementioned performers.


RAYMOND JONES continues to be a musician without boundaries.

Eurweb.com July 7th 2011:
Raymond Jones, Musician and Producer, Passes Away at 52


Raymond Jones, a hit-making songwriter, producer and keyboardist for the seminal dance band Chic, Whitney Houston, Jeffrey Osborne, Patti Labelle, Stephanie Mills and songs in five films by Spike Lee, died on Friday, July 1, 2011. Jones, 52, died of pneumonia at South Fulton Medical Center in Atlanta.


Raymond Jones was born December 13, 1958 in New York City to Herman and Charlotte Jones, and raised in Laurelton, Queens. His parents were civil servants working for the City of New York. Along with his older sister Marcia, young Raymond received his initial music instruction on piano beginning at 8 years-old at Third Street Music Settlement in Manhattan followed by years of private study. He attended Intermediate School 72 Queens and Brooklyn Technical High School.


Jones was 19 years-old when he joined Bernard Edwards’ and Nile Rodgers’ group Chic, playing keyboards on the international smashes “Good Times”, “Le Freak”  and “I Want Your Love”, as well as Chic productions such as  Diana Ross’s “Upside Down” and Sister Sledge’s universal anthem “We Are Family”.


Jones became musical director for rhythm & blues artist Jeffrey Osborne and penned his Top 10 R&B hits “Stay With Me Tonight” and “Borderlines”. He co-wrote the 1983 club hit “Build Me a Bridge” by German sensation Adel Bertei, and later wrote and produced memorable gems such as Lisa Fischer’s “Last Goodbye”, Lalah Hathaway’s “Do You Suppose”, and the power ballad “I Can’t Complain” by Patti Labelle for her CD Be Yourself. Jones’ song “Someone for Me” (co-written with bassist Freddie Washington) was a highlight of Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut album which sold 25 million units worldwide.


After meeting film director Spike Lee through a high school friend, Jones went on to write and produce songs for five of his films including “School Daze” (featuring “Be Alone Tonight” sung by fictional girl group The Rays), “Do The Right Thing” (featuring “Never Explain Love” sung by Al Jarreau), and “Clockers” (featuring “People in Search of a Life” sung by Marc Dorsey).  Lee also signed Raymond to his Forty Acres and a Mule Music Works/Sony record label via the duo State of Art, a socially conscious soul group that reunited him with his friend from Chic, singer Norma Jean Wright. They recorded one project for Lee’s short-lived music company titled Community featuring the Top 40 Billboard R&B single “Understanding”. Jones also produced the music for the 2009 Super Bowl commercial for Pepsi featuring Beyonce’ and directed by Lee.
Jones also did stints with singer/songwriter Nona Hendryx, and an eclectic array of bands including Material, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, and Ecstasy, Passion and Pain.


In Hollywood, Jones contributed music production to movies such as “Little Drummer Girl,” “Splash” and “Tapeheads.” He scored the ribald comedy film “Wasabi Tuna.” He produced songs for “Soul Men” starring Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac. And he was the Music Director for Fox-TV’s “The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show.”


Jones launched UEG Music in the late 1990s, taking full advantage of the industry climate that was ripe for independent artists. He would record and release five CDs on UEG, making his musical maiden voyage with Acts of Love (1997), followed by Naked Soul (1999) which featured his signature song, “Codajas,” sung in Portuguese by Will Wheaton. Next came Intimate (2001) and the solo piano recording So Amazing: Songs from the Luther Vandross Songbook (2004) in tribute to his good friend whom he worked with in Chic.


After relocating from Woodland Hills, California to Atlanta, Jones recorded his final UEG project, Hillside Stories (2007). He also recorded one holiday single: “Christmas Blue” b/w “The First Noel.”


Jones composed a piece for the multi-movement ballet “Move” by the Deeply Rooted ballet company of Chicago. He also made vital musical contributions to the musical “Fela” before it left Broadway for the tour circuit.
Raymond Jones is survived by his mother Charlotte Jones of Jamaica, Queens, his niece Zubaidah Guy of Jamaica, Queens, his half sister Gwendolyn Maxwell, and his half brother Arthur Harden.


 
source:
Ron Brewington / bron215@aol.com
Geoffrey L. Garfield / glgarfield@aol.com


MEMORIAL BOOKLET access by clicking on image
VIDEO CLIPS acess by clicking on image
CHIC - I Want Your Love 1979 State Of Art - Hero 1990 State Of Art - Understanding 1991
State Of Art - Laughing At The Years 1991 Raymond Jones - Codajas 1999
LINKS
- chictribute.com interview with Raymond Jones 2001 GO

- Raymond Jones discography on Amazon UK GO

 - Raymond Jones on Facebook GO

- Raymond Jones on Myspace GO