GayJonesBand_edited.jpg

Gay Jones had grown up with music. His father had played solo jazz piano at a club called Lundeen's. In their early teens, Gay Jones and Tiny Martin (bass) started a kid band called "The Cosmopolitans", which played dances, assemblies and sock hops. Some of the players from the Cosmopolitans--Floyd "Tebby" Tebelman, (sax), Dick Krafft (sax) and Carle Rising (trumpet)--were also with the Gaylord Jones Orchestra.

The legendary Gaylord Jones Band, with Floyd "Tebby" Tebelman on saxophone, Carle Rising on trumpet, Gordy Challstedt on drums, Sven Sandstrom on trumpet, Dick Krafft on saxophone, Glenn Martin on sax, Tiny Martin on bass and pianist / bandleader Gaylord (Gay) Jones, was a Jimmy Lunceford style band that toured the Northwest during the 30's and 40's.

The hot swing of the 30's and 40's was exuded by the Gay Jones Band (aka Gaylord Jones Orchestra), which patterned itself after the jazz stylings of the Jimmie Lunceford band.

Some of the living descendants of Seattle's Jackson Street era of jazz are Don Anderson Jr. (son of trumpeter Don Anderson), Jay Thomas (son of trumpeter Marv Thomas), Marty Tuttle (son of trombonist Dave Tuttle), Lynn Durfy (daughter of saxophonist and arranger Ken Johnson), Sue and Peter Sugia (son and daughter of Frank Sugia), Darsie and Bard Beck (sons of Frank Sugia) and vocalist Maia Santell (daughter of Lola Sugia, daughter of "Tebby", saxophonist and clarinetist, and niece of Frank Sugia accordionist and band leader). Are you a descendant of a jazz, swing or big band musician that performed in the Seattle area during the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's or 60's? If so, it is time to start a Facebook group called, "Descendants of Jackson Street Jazz"!!