I recognized Bobby Jones immediately. I met him when he played with Charles Mingus in Montréal - 1972. I organized a workshop with him for some my other musician friends - he gave us a lead sheet to a piece, "Thanks To Trade", on his latest recording called "The Arrival of Bobby Jones" He told me his most profitable years were in Cleveland (1960s?) when he taught clarinet to 140 students a week ~~~ (15min & 1/2 hr lessons).
Mac of course "knew the book" inside out, having been an assistant conductor of the AAF band and then its de facto leader after the Major's disappearance. Also a lot of the sidemen were veterans of the Swing Era so they had the music in their blood as well. Check out the Scandinavian Miller band, led by Jan Slottenas. With all due respect to Nick's great work with the US edition, Jan sometimes seems to be channeling Miller himself.
I heard Bobby Jones in 1963 at NYC's great jazz club , The Metropole Cafe . First with Woody Herman's band and then , a short time later with Jack Teagarden's combo, also at The Metropole Cafe . Bobby was a great player .. both on Clarinet (with Teagarden) and tenor sax (with Woody)
