Clarence M. Jones Player Piano Rolls Part 2 – Jazz and Blues

Clarence M. Jones was one of those rare musicians able to adapt both his playing and compositional styles to new musical trends. As Jones’ piano roll recordings are the only known examples of his playing prior to 1923, these provide valuable insight into his adaptability and innovative ideas. Moreover, they clearly demonstrate how his playing was of seminal importance in the development of the Chicago South Side style.
One of the best examples to demonstrates Jones’ innovativeness in bridging the gap between ragtime and jazz/blues playing is his Imperial roll of “12th Street Rag” by Texas ragtime and blues composer Euday L. Bowman. Certainly everyone is familiar with this tune, which is usually played at a fairly fast tempo. But few have heard it in Jones’ rendition.
Clarence Jones played “12th Street Rag” as a blues/jazz number from start to finish. He added original introductions to the first theme and trio section, along with numerous jazz embellishments. Most notable is his playing of the trio section, which is so highly refined as to be essentially as much Jones as Bowman. Since this version of “12th Street Rag” was issued as a “word roll,” i.e. with lyrics printed on the roll to sing, the trio section would normally have been eliminated. Knowing the full score from his ragtime playing days, Jones chose to include the trio, which is really every bit as much his original interlude section.
Jazz influences created by Jones and later used by Jimmy Blythe on his records and rolls abound. For example, the very characteristic introduction to “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” on Jones’ Imperial roll (from 1919) was used by Blythe on his Capitol A-roll and 88-note rolls versions of the same tune, but dating some 6-8 years later. Also, the original jazz interlude which Jones played on his Imperial roll of Clarence Williams’ beautiful “Play ‘Em For Mama, Sing ‘Em For Me” from 1922 begins with a triplet lick that Blythe (and Clarence Johnson as well) used innumerable times on their many piano roll recordings.
Jones also played a number of George W. Thomas compositions, and in most cases his rolls represent the definitive versions of these tunes. His versions of “Houston Blues” and “Muscle Shoals Blues” were issued under the “Chet Gordon” pseudonym , which Clarence Johnson and others used as well (ref. Johnson section), but this is very clearly Jones’ playing style. His Vocalstyle roll of Thomas’ “Up The Country Blues” is possibly one of the finest examples of blues playing on any 88-note roll. As will be seen, Jones similarly championed the music of blues and jazz composers such as Perry Bradford, Clarence Williams, Armand Piron, Steve J. Lewis, Charles Warfield, Spencer Williams and numerous others.
Clarence Jones had an incredible melodic gift, and frequently would play an interlude section of his own composition on many of his piano rolls. These original interludes are to be found on both his popular rolls as well as the blues/jazz oriented material. One which I’ve always found hauntingly beautiful is in his Imperial roll of “Jelly Bean – The Curbstone Cutie” by New Orleans composer Joe Verges. That interlude could have easily been turned into a popular jazz song or novelty rag, but to Jones it was simply an idea “tossed off.” Fortunately it is preserved on this roll. There are many other examples of Jones’ melodic creativity preserved on these roll performances.
As stated in the first section, Clarence Jones started his roll recording career ca. 1916 with the Wurlitzer Co. of Chicago, who issued his playing on their “Rolla Artis” label. He played ragtime, popular songs, one-steps and later jazz/blues oriented material on that label. About 1919 (probably when Wurlitzer ceased their hand-played recording operations) Jones moved on to the Imperial Piano Roll Co., also of Chicago. He became one of their staff artists, along with Charley Straight, Roy Bargy, Al Eldridge, Arnold Johnson and others. It is notable that Jones was the only Black artist on the regular Imperial staff at this early date, (although both Jack Palmer (as “Deering H. Palmer”) and John W. “Blind” Boone each made a single roll for Imperial).
Jones’ recording activities with Imperial seem to have ended ca. 1922. At the same time Imperial went over to the practice of issuing “generic” artist credits such as “Jack Clyde” or “Burt Franklin,” who may have been unique individuals but cannot be positively confirmed as such. Shortly thereafter, Imperial dropped artist credits altogether. It was at about this time that J. Lawrence Cook started making arrangements for Imperial. This subject will be discussed in greater detail in the section on J.Lawrence Cook.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
In 1924 Jones resumed piano roll recording, now for the Vocalstyle Music Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Vocalstyle had previously recorded and issued the hand-playing of Black artists Charles Luckyth “Luckey” Roberts and Amanda “Mandy” Randolph in 1919. Many regard Jones’ Vocalstyle performances as his most “life-like.” It is likely that “Up The Country Blues” was his first issued roll, dating from ca. June-July, 1924. He continued recording for Vocalstyle until May 1926, producing just under 30 titles. During Jones’ tenure at Vocalstyle, other legendary Black pianists also recorded for them, including Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton, Edgar Hayes and Charles “Cow Cow” Davenport.
Part 2 – Clarence M. Jones Jazz and Blues Piano Rolls.
File | Action |
---|---|
12th Street Rag (Bowman) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91138.mid | Download |
A Good Man Is Hard To Find (Eddie Green) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9682.mid | Download |
A New Kind Of Man With A New Kind Of Love For Me (Clare-Flotow) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 13001.mid | Download |
A.B.C.D. Blues - I've Got The A.B.C.D. Blues (VonTilzer-Kershaw) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91161.mid | Download |
After You've Gone (Creamer-Layton) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9630.mid | Download |
Alcoholic Blues (VonTilzer) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9815.mid | Download |
Alimony Blues - from 'The Rainbow Girl' (Louis A. Hirsch) - pb Clarence Jones - RollaArtis 50772.mid | Download |
Arkansas Blues (Lada-Williams) - pb Clarence Jones - US 40477.mid | Download |
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home (Charles Warfield) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91108.mid | Download |
Baltimore Buzz - Fox Trot Blues (Blake-Sissle) - pb Clarence Jones - US 40553.mid | Download |
Because They All Love You (Little-Malie) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 13145.mid | Download |
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 29626.mid | Download |
Boll Weevil Blues (McCurdy-Palmer) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 13020.mid | Download |
Broadway Blues (Morgan) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40157.mid | Download |
Broadway Blues, The (J.B. Walsh) - pb Clarence Jones - RollaArtis 50132.mid | Download |
Call For Mr. Brown (Isham Jones) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9609.mid | Download |
Cat's Whiskers, The (Gladstone-Austead) - pb Clarence Jones - US 41486.mid | Download |
Chinese Blues (Moore & Gardner) - pb Clarence Jones - RollaArtis 50109.mid | Download |
Clover Blossom Blues (Meinken-Erdman) - pb Clarence Jones - HITZ 144.mid | Download |
Cry Baby Blues (Meyer-Lewis-Young) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40519.mid | Download |
Daddy Blues (Jones-Lyons) - pbc Clarence Jones - IMP 91126.mid | Download |
Dallas Blues (Wand) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9727.mid | Download |
Dangerous Blues (Billie Brown) - pb Clarence Jones - US 40522.mid | Download |
Dangerous Blues (Brown) - pb Clarence Jones as Roy Bargy (per FLH) - IMP 91318.mid | Download |
Dardanella Blues (Fisher-Black) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91093.mid | Download |
Dardanella Blues, The (Black-Fisher) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 39975.mid | Download |
Day By Day (Armand Piron and Steve J. Lewis) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91100.mid | Download |
Dirty Dozens, The (Clarence Jones) - WURL 20287-5.mid | Download |
Doggone Blues, Since My Sweetie's Away (Jones-Chon) - pbc Clarence Jones - VCL 12944.mid | Download |
Don't Tell Your Monkey Man (Lukie Johnson) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9850.mid | Download |
Down Home Blues (A.L. Herschel & Berk) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 13021.mid | Download |
Down Home Blues, The (Tom Delaney) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40550.mid | Download |
Dreaming Blues (Edythe Baker) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91124.mid | Download |
Ev'ry Day (Shelton Brooks) - pb Clarence Jones (per FLH) - WURL 20312-10 (no known RA issue).mid | Download |
Everybody Step (Berlin) - pb Clarence Jones - US 40597.mid | Download |
Everybody's Crazy 'Bout The Doggone Blues (Layton) - pb Clarence Jones as Jack Clyde (possibly, per FLH) - IMP 9558.mid | Download |
Fare Thee Honey Blues (Perry Bradford) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40257.mid | Download |
Give Me Back My Husband, You've Had Him Long Enuff (Davilla) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9677.mid | Download |
Gypsy Blues (Sissle-Blake) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40562.mid | Download |
Has Anybody Seen My Corinne (Lukie Johnson) - pb Clarence Jones (per FLH) - WURL 20312-8 (no known RA issue).mid | Download |
He's A Darn Good Man To Have Hangin' Around (Jones-Taylor-Rose) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9983.mid | Download |
Heebie Jeebies - pb Clarence Jones - CAP 1566.mid | Download |
Heebie Jeebies - pb Clarence Jones - CAP A-2143-8.mid | Download |
Hesitation Blues (Billy Smythe) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9637.mid | Download |
Hesitation Blues (Billy Smythe) - pb Clarence Jones - RollaArtis 50148.mid | Download |
Home Again Blues (Akst-Berlin) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40222.mid | Download |
Home Again Blues (Berlin-Akst) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91273.mid | Download |
House Rent Blues (Ted Wallace) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 13129.mid | Download |
Houston Blues (George W. Thomas) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40035.mid | Download |
Humming Blues - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 39911.mid | Download |
I Ain't 'En Got 'En No Time To Have The Blues (VonTilzer) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9872.mid | Download |
I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None O' This Jelly Roll (Williams) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9789.mid | Download |
I Left My Door Open And My Daddy Walked Out (Berlin) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9973.mid | Download |
I Left My Door Open And My Daddy Walked Out (Berlin) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 39813.mid | Download |
I Realize (Fred Fisher) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91116.mid | Download |
I'm So Glad My Mamma Don't Know Where I'm At (Willie Toosweet) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9592.mid | Download |
I've Got A Remedy To Cure The Blues (Fred Irvin) - pb Clarence Jones - RollaArtis 50231.mid | Download |
I've Got The Blue Ridge Blues (Cooke-Whiting-Mason) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9737.mid | Download |
I've Got The Blues For My Kentucky Home (Gaskill) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40152.mid | Download |
I've Got The Red, White And Blues (Clarence Gaskill) - pb Clarence Jones - US 40517.mid | Download |
I've Got The Yes We Have No Bananas Blues (Silver-Cohn) - pb Clarence Jones - US 41485.mid | Download |
In Search Of A Husband - One-Step (Jones) - pbc Clarence Jones - RollaArtis 50117.mid | Download |
It's Right Here For You (Pinkard as Belledna) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 39999.mid | Download |
Jamaica Ginger Blues (Randolph-Carroll) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40124.mid | Download |
Jazz Baby (Merrill-Jerome) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9807.mid | Download |
Jazzin' Babies Blues (Richard M. Jones) - pb Clarence Jones - Browne(Staffnote) 121.mid | Download |
Jazzin' Babies Blues (Richard M. Jones) - pb Clarence Jones - HITZ 150.mid | Download |
Jazzin' Baby Blues (Richard M. Jones) - pb Clarence Jones - COL 457.mid | Download |
Jelly Bean - The Curbstone Cutie (Joe Verges) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91072.mid | Download |
Jelly Roll Blues, The (Ferd Morton) - pb Clarence Jones - RollaArtis 50192.mid | Download |
Just Blue (Arden-Wadworth) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9909.mid | Download |
Landlord Blues (Albert VonTilzer) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9917.mid | Download |
Landlord Blues, The (VonTilzer-Laska) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 29624.mid | Download |
Li'l Liza Jane - possibly pb Eubie Blake (if unissued MEL) or Clarence Jones (if RA) per FLH - WURL 20328-1.mid | Download |
Lone Star - Blue Fox Trot (Wiedoeft-Bernard) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 39932.mid | Download |
Lonesome Lovesick, Got To Have My Daddy Blues (Clarence Jones) - Automatic A-782-4.mid | Download |
Lonesome Lovesick, Got To Have My Daddy Blues (Clarence Jones) - COL A-1638-6.mid | Download |
Lonesome Lovesick, Got To Have My Daddy Blues (Clarence Jones) - LINKRX 15248-11.mid | Download |
Lonesome Lovesick, Got To Have My Daddy Blues (Clarence Jones) - No Artist Credit - SUP 10274.mid | Download |
Lonesome Lovesick, Got To Have My Daddy Blues (Clarence Jones) - as pb Marvin Ash; trans. John Farrell - HPC 140.mid | Download |
Lonesome Lovesick, Got To Have My Daddy Blues (Clarence Jones) - pb Archie Lucas - Arto 1521.mid | Download |
Lonesome Lovesick, Got To Have My Daddy Blues (Clarence Jones) - pb Chet Simpson - Simplex-Supreme 4017.mid | Download |
Mobile Blues (Rose-Short) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 12935.mid | Download |
Modulations - Steppin' On The Keys (Clarence Jones) - pb John Farrell - HPC 119.mid | Download |
Morning, Won't You Ever Come 'Round (Turk-Silver) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 13035.mid | Download |
Muscle Shoals Blues (George W. Thomas) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40258.mid | Download |
Musical Sparks - Novelty Fox Trot (Clarence M. Jones, 1923 Rossiter) - RR unissued.mid | Download |
O Death, Where Is Thy Sting (Clarence A. Stout) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9586.mid | Download |
Oh The Woman In Room 13 (Donaldson) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 39536.mid | Download |
Play 'Em For Mama, Sing 'Em For Me (Clarence Williams) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91054.mid | Download |
Poor Papa (Woods) - pb Clarence Jones - Staffnote 571.mid | Download |
Railroad Blues (Roberts) - pb Clarence Jones (as Chet Gordon, per FLH) and Mae Brown - US 39849.mid | Download |
Railroad Man (Schoebel) - pb Clarence Jones - QRS Recordo 67970.mid | Download |
Read 'Em And Weep (Haenschen-Bernard) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91164.mid | Download |
Road Is Rocky Blues, The (Bradford) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40223.mid | Download |
Royal Garden Blues (Clarence Williams & Spencer Williams) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9897.mid | Download |
Shell Shock Shake, The (Grey-Mickell) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 39868.mid | Download |
Singin' The Blues (Robinson) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91219.mid | Download |
Six Feet Of Papa (Arthur L. Sizemore) - pb Clarence Jones - US 43967.mid | Download |
Slow And Easy (Norman) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9989.mid | Download |
Slow And Easy - An Indigo Fantasie (Spencer) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) & Unidentified Artist - US 39869.mid | Download |
Snakes Hips (Spencer Williams) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP Recordo 67850.mid | Download |
Someday Sweetheart (Spikes-Spikes) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 12923.mid | Download |
Spread Yo' Stuff (Al Bernard - Sol P. Levy) - pb Clarence Jones - US 40555.mid | Download |
St. Louis Blues, The - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91146.mid | Download |
Strut Miss Lizzie (Creamer-Layton) - pb Clarence Jones - US 40510.mid | Download |
Strutter's Drag (Charles Warfield & Coleman) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 13022.mid | Download |
Swanee Blues (J.Milton Delcamp) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91069.mid | Download |
Swanee Blues (J.Milton Delcamp) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 39958.mid | Download |
Sweet Child (Whiting) - pb Clarence Jones - Staffnote 557.mid | Download |
Sweet Little Mammy (Richard M. Jones) - pb Clarence Jones - CAP 1567.mid | Download |
Sweet Mama, Papa's Getting Mad (Little-Frost) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40060.mid | Download |
Those Draftin' Blues (Pinkard) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9552.mid | Download |
Those Draftin' Blues (Pinkard) - pb Clarence Jones - RollaArtis 50739.mid | Download |
Tishomingo Blues (Spencer Williams) - pb Clarence Jones - Rolla Artis 50743.mid | Download |
Tropical Blues (Schroeder-Gillespie) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40300.mid | Download |
Unlucky Blues - from 'Greenwich Villages Follies' (Robinson-Lewis) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91046.mid | Download |
Up The Country Blues (George W. Thomas-Sippie Wallace) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 12839.mid | Download |
Virginia Blues (Meinken-Erdman) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP Recordo 66220.mid | Download |
Wabash Blues (Fred Meinken) - pb Clarence Jones - US 40564.mid | Download |
Walkin' The Dog (Shelton Brooks) - pb Clarence Jones - RollaArtis 50232.mid | Download |
Wang Wang Blues (Busse-Johnson) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon - US 40371.mid | Download |
What Cha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Jazz (Wendling) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91102.mid | Download |
What Cha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Jazz (Wendling) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 40030.mid | Download |
Where Is My Daddy Now Blues (Abe Olman & Otto Motzan) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91215.mid | Download |
Why Don't You Drive My Blues Away (Davis-Papa) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 91035.mid | Download |
Work House Blues (Ted Wallace) - pb Clarence Jones - VCL 13130.mid | Download |
Yankee Doodle Blues, The (Gershwin) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP Recordo 67030.mid | Download |
Yellow Dog Blues - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 997418.mid | Download |
Yellow Dog Rag, The (Handy) - pb Clarence Jones - IMP 9881.mid | Download |
You Can't Keep A Good Man Down (Bradford) - pb Clarence Jones as Chet Gordon (per FLH) - US 39961.mid | Download |
You've Got To See Mama Every Night (Rose-Conrad) - pb Clarence Jones - QRS Recordo 67510.mid | Download |
Please leave a Comment