Eldon T Jones

“What I hope people take away from my music is a glimpse at the person God created me to be, how he designed me to shine through my gifts,” says saxophonist Eldon T Jones.

Jones moves hearts through his profoundly genuine playing and an infectious groove he honed in Portland before becoming a nationally recognized smooth jazz artist and electrifying festival performer.

As a child in a prominent musical family, melody was part of the air Jones breathed. “Listening to my uncles playing saxophone in church inspired me to pick up the sax, and as I got into music that resonated with me, Grover Washington, Jr., Wilton Felder (Crusaders), and Kirk Whalum influenced my own playing,” Jones says. He brought together young musicians from his neighborhood including his teenage brother Anthony Jones (later of Pink Martini) to form the group N Touch that Portland audiences soon grew to cherish. Their burgeoning local fanbase led to N Touch opening for Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power, receiving glowing praise from musicians in both groups.

As Jones established himself by performing at venues like Yoshi’s (Oakland), Spaghettini (LA), Jazz Alley (Seattle), and Jimmy Mak’s (Portland), he never disconnected from his community or roots. He often performs at the Oregon Symphony’s Gospel Christmas show and benefit concerts for local organizations. In 2017, World Arts Foundation recognized Jones with a Lifetime Achievement Award at their annual MLK Tribute for the blessing his music has been to the Portland community.

In 2019, Jones tributed Grover Washington, Jr. at Portland Jazz Festival with a band that included Washington’s former bassist Gerald Veasley. Jones honored the music of his hero, and Veasley affirmed Jones as the best person to capture not only Washington’s distinctive sound but also his character. That set the stage for Jones to release his first single as a solo artist, “T’s Jam,” which peaked at #54 on the Smooth Jazz Network Top 100, #1 on Groove Jazz Music’s Most Added, and #4 on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz Most Added. Portland Jazz Festival invited Jones to return in 2024 with a First Call Showcase concert, a new series honoring local legends of the jazz scene, so he put together an outstanding band for a sold-out show at The Old Church!

The success of “T’s Jam” caught the attention of Jones’s longtime friend and industry wiz Darren Rahn who signed Jones to Side 2 Music. Rahn produced Jones’s next singles “Captured by Love,” which hit #30 on the SJNT100, and “Sweet Serenity,” which peaked at #31 on the SJNT100 and #41 on the Mediabase Smooth A/C Chart. This foray into the smooth jazz scene landed Jones on another big stage back home for the 2022 Vanport Jazz Festival. The summer of 2023 saw Jones head east to perform at Capital Jazz Fest, The Roots Picnic, and Jazz in Hot Springs.

Eldon T Jones is currently writing new music and preparing new concerts. “All the wonderful music I hear inspires me to interpret my own life experience through music and share my ideas with the world,” Jones says about his drive to elate new audiences.