He began teaching himself music at the age of 10 by playing melodies he heard by ear on the piano. He grew up performing with local groups, especially in church settings. His family moved from Virginia to Baltimore so he could attend the Baltimore School for the Performing Arts. In later years, Holmes returned to his alma mater and served as the Director of the Jazz Department. He continued his education at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance. Over the years, he has received numerous awards, including two Grammy nominations, a Gold Medal at the NAACP ACT-SO Competition, an Honorable Mention in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, finalist recognition at the Independent Music Awards, and an Honorable Mention at the VH1 Song of the Year Awards. Holmes has toured worldwide with Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove and vocalist Nnenna Freelon. He is currently a member of the quartet led by renowned saxophonist Javon Jackson, who was also part of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Throughout his career, Joel Holmes has performed globally in solo, duo, and trio formats. Countries he has toured include Italy, France, Taiwan, Japan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Greece, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Spain.Jordan is a recent graduate of The George Washington University earning degrees in both Jazz Studies and Engineering. While at GW, he received a four-year scholarship as a Presidential Scholar for the Arts, and performed regularly with the Latin Band, Jazz Combo, The Voice (a gospel band) and at numerous public jazz venues throughout the D.C. Metro area.
Throughout his childhood, he developed a European classical repertoire that included the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joesph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, and many more.
In conjunction with his European classical studies at an early age, Jordan learned a plethora of jazz standards and began performing with great jazz musicians on the Philadelphia jazz scene. These performers include Robert Landham, Mike Boone, Robert Henderson, Richard Adderly, Sherry Butler, Jonathan Michel, Khary Shaheed, Nimrod Speaks, and more. By age 11, he had formed his own band, The Young Lions Jazz Trio, and he performed his first concert as a leader at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. He also performed in various jazz big bands and orchestras since the age of 12. As a teenager, Jordan began to assist the Musical Director at his local Baptist church in Philadelphia, PA; playing select church services and accompanying singers as instructed. He has worked regularly as a pianist in Baptist churches throughout the Washington, DC and New York, NY metropolitan areas.
His biggest jazz influences have been James P. Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Wynton Kelly, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Kirkland, Mulgrew Miller, and a plethora of other greats. His current living mentors include his father (who played drums and first introduced him to jazz music), Orrin Evans, Cyrus Chestnut, Jason Moran, Benny Green and more.
Influenced by his community, culture, and the "Sound of Philly", he aspires to perform music that speaks to everyone. Jordan is a recognized jazz pianist on a mission to uphold the great heritage of the American classical art form - jazz.
Victor Jones, drums
He is onsidered a visionary in today’s music business, is a new breed of Drummer/Bandleader bringing new and exciting ideas to the world of jazz and world music.
No stranger to traditional or modern jazz, Victor E. Jones started his career as a teen-age musician playing in local bands in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey and touring world-wide with Lou Donaldson. In his early twenties he toured the world with Stan Getz. Later tours were with James Moody, Michel Petrucciani, Joe, Olivia, Stanley Clarke,, Phyllis Hyman,, Dizzy Gillespie and Chaka Khan as well as others.
Victor played on the Grammy nominated EMI Korean recording, Second Moon, which won Record of the Year in 2006. Victor also was featured on the Best Latin Jazz recording in 2008 with Papo Vasquez. When asked about his greatest achievement he replied, “My greatest achievement in life was having five children with my wife Ane Jones.”
Since 2003 he has been a Bandleader with his own World Music Band, Cultur-Versy, these days specializing in a new age type of music, a mix of dance music, hip-hop and electro pop. This group currently has three CDs out, the latest named Dance Floor 54.
Stan Getz said, “Victor is one top of the world caliber drummers and I don’t say that lightly.”
George Benson states,”Whether playing funk, rock or jazz, Victor Jones is one cat that gets it right.”