David Jones

David Jones (born ) is an Australian jazz drummer and composer. He has also created guided meditation CDs. From 1991 until 2000, he was founder and leader of the jazz ensemble AtmaSphere. He also teaches music.

His 2008 album, Colours of the Drum, was nominated for an ARIA Award. In 2010, he received the prestigious Melbourne Prize for Music, the first time a major music prize had been awarded to a drummer.

Early life David Jones was born around 1958, the son of a policeman, and lived in the Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows as a child. He started performing at the age of 10, putting speakers in front of the family home and charging local kids five cents to hear him play drums. When he was 11, he played at the Broadmeadows Town Hall for a dancing school, and by 14 he performed three nights a week at the Bridge Hotel in Richmond.

Career Jones has played and recorded with a large cross-section of bands, musicians and orchestras. Individual collaborations include with James Morrison, John Farnham, Dragon, Don Burrows, Kate Ceberano, Tommy Emmanuel, Rhonda Burchmore, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Don McLean, John Denver, Stevie Wonder, Marcia Hines, Debra Byrne, Rhonda Burchmore, and Larry Adler. He has played with the Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras and the Queensland Orchestra, as well as the West German Radio Big Band in Cologne, Germany.

He toured with John Farnham, and played drums in the orchestra for John Denver as well as doing a TV show with him. He toured Japan and developed a special affinity with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, where he had a piece written specially for him.

Jones' 2008 solo album Colours of the Drum was nominated for ARIA Award for Best World Music Album.

In May 2011 he performed his first solo drum concert at a large venue, titled Energy Through Matter, at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

Since 2013, Jones has been an honorary fellow at Victorian College of the Arts.

Discography + List of albums Title Album details Colours of the Drum Released: August 2008 Label: ABC Classics Formats: CD