He is a cornet and trumpet player, bandleader, conductor, adjudicator and clinician brought up in Edmonton, Alberta who performed with the Cosmopolitan Music Society and National Youth Orchestra.
In 1967 he became a member of the Canadian Forces and performed as a soloist with Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Band in Calgary from 1967 to 1980. He was also a musician in the Air Command Band in Winnipeg and following his graduation from the Staff School in 1983 he became their Associatie Director of Music followed by the Director of Music and Commanding Officer, remaining in that position until 1986.
In 1987 he went to Ottawa and became the Assistant Staff Officer at the Directorate of Ceremonial of National Defence Headquarters. This led to him becoming the Band of the Ceremonial Guard’s Director of Music from 1987 to 1990.
He returned to Calgary and the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Band in 1990 in the position of Commanding Officer and Director of Music, staying with them for the next 4 years until their disbandment in 1994. During his tenure with them he was instrumental in the organisation of the recording Celebration, which was produced by the conductors and bandleaders Harry Pinchin and Tommy Banks. The recording has since been acclaimed as being “the finest in Canadian Forces history”.
He retired from the Canadian Forces in 1994 and continued as a musician and bandleader, forming his own Prime Time Big Band. That same year he became the director of The Band of Outriders of the Calgary Stampede and stayed with them until 2002. During this time he also joined the Calgary Stetson Show Band in 2000 as their director for the next three years and co-founded the band Rhythm’s Edge with the trumpeter Jim Murray, which became the house band at Calgary’s Spring Meadows.
In more recent years he has continued to direct his Prime Time Big Band and also been the Director of the University of Calgary Big Band.
He has performed and/or conducted many Canadian orchestras and ensembles including the Calgary Symphony, the Edmonton Wind Ensemble, the Jazz Honour Band, the Victoria Symphony and the Winnipeg Symphony and has also worked with bands that have accompanied many popular artists. These include Paul Anka, Bob Hope, Tom Jones. Gladys Knight & The Pips, Diana Krall, B.J. Thomas and Dionne Warwick to name just a few.
Appearing on several CDs his work has featured on Snake Fence Country by the Edmonton Wind Ensemble and For Our Friends by the Prime Time Big Band.
Edmonton Wind Ensemble recordings
Snake Fence Country (Howard Cable)
CBC Records SMCD 5165
Conductor – Harry Pinchin
Here he is conducting and performing with the Prime Time Big Band…
Sources:
- http://www.primetimebigband.com/_wp/dave-jones-2/
- http://www.aibfestival.com/calgary/conductors.asp
- http://www.jim-murray.ca/bio.html
- CD Liner Notes: Snake Fence Country