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Louis Jones III
Louis M. Jones III is a dynamic drummer and composer emerging from the heart of Detroit's storied music scene. From playing rhythms on pots and pans with wooden spoons to gracing festival stages, Louis has developed into a versatile and emotionally expressive artist with a voice rooted deeply in the city's rich musical legacy.
By age 13, he had committed to a life in music, honing his craft with sticks, brushes, and mallets. He studied under Detroit jazz luminaries such as Wendell Harrison, Marion Hayden, and Sean Dobbins—mentors who, along with his father's guidance, shaped his artistry and connection to Detroit's diverse soundscape.
Known for his ability to move fluidly across genres, Louis has performed and recorded with artists including Wayne Shorter, Pamela Wise, Karriem Riggins, ELEW, and Johnny O'Neal. As a leader, he debuted his album Motions at the 2025 Detroit Jazz Festival to critical acclaim—marking a bold and personal statement in his evolving career.
In addition to performing, Louis is deeply committed to education and community engagement, mentoring young musicians and investing in the future of Detroit's music scene. With a rare blend of precision, soul, and innovation, Louis M. Jones III continues to carry the torch of Detroit jazz—while forging a sound all his own.
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Russ Macklem: Introducing: The Russ Macklem Detroit Quintet
by Paul Rauch
Trumpeter Russ Macklem is known in jazz circles as a strong presence on the fertile Detroit scene, but he is actually from Windsor, Ontario--a quick jaunt across the Detroit River from the Motor City. For this recording, he matches wits with some of the brightest young stars on the Detroit scene, in a live-in-the-studio session that is as honest and direct to the listener as a studio date can be. Macklem's playing is the first order of business, ...
Continue ReadingIntroducing: The Russ Macklem Detroit Quintet
by Vincent Chandler
What do these musicians have in common: Wardell Gray, Joe Henderson, Yusef Lateef, Thad, Elvin, and Hank Jones, Betty Carter, Howard McGhee and Marcus Belgrave? They are all legendary jazz musicians from Detroit who were born elsewhere. Some were raised in Detroit, while others moved there later in their lives. This phenomenon dates to the Great Migration of the early 20th century and continues due to a vibrant music scene and nationally diverse collegiate jazz programs in Metropolitan Detroit. Less ...
Continue ReadingLouis Jones III: Motions
by Paul Rauch
Drummer and composer Louis Jones III is an artist steeped deeply in the Detroit jazz tradition. A Motor City native, Jones is a prominent figure on the scene there, applying his talents across a variety of genres. That versatility is ever-present in his jazz playing but, to be clear about this, he is a jazz drummer first while being a gatherer of musical innovation from multiple sources. Motions is his most complete recording project and a formidable one ...
Continue ReadingKasan Belgrave: Dual Citizen
by Paul Rauch
Detroit born and raised multi-reedist Kasan Belgrave offers his first album bearing a name with a tremendous legacy. His father, the late Marcus Belgrave, was a prime mentor to generations of musicians from Detroit, one of the world's great jazz cities. His impact as a jazz trumpeter, as a major contributor to classic Motown Records hits and--especially--as a mentor and creator of musical opportunity for young aspiring Detroit jazz musicians, is unique. While we may then classify the elder Belgrave ...
Continue ReadingTrunino Lowe: The Vision
by Paul Rauch
You can try and look away. You can try to see the musician as a single entity that grew in the shadow of his native city's historic lineage. “Assess the young man's music on its own merits, without drawing comps to the past," would be the objective. But this was the trumpet, and the young man playing it was mentored by Detroit cats like Dwight Adams and Kris Johnson, which inevitably leads down the path of the iconic trumpeter and ...
Continue Reading"Drummer Louis Jones III is a young stalwart on the Detroit scene—a prominent bandleader, composer and recording artist who stands out whenever and wherever he happens to be. His playing expresses the full spectrum of the Detroit sound perhaps better than any young artist in the jazz community in the city. His playing on this session is full, almost orchestral, subtly constructing rhythms that open space within the band without dictating direction. He listens as well as any veteran drummer in jazz, and has a keen understanding of being a part of the whole."
Paul Rauch, All About Jazz
Primary Instrument
Drums
Location
Detroit
Willing to teach
Beginner to advanced
Wendell Harrison
saxophone, tenor
Elvin Jones
drums
Lenny White
drums
Tony Williams
drums
Karriem Riggins
drumsMusic
I Will Persevere
From: Introducing: The Russ Macklem...By Louis Jones III
