Koko Jones

Who is Koko Jones?

Koko Jones, formerly known as Bujo Kevin Jones, is an African-American transgendered jazz percussionist and band leader based in New Jersey. Bill Milkowski of JazzTimes described her first album, Tenth World, produced by Babatunde Lea, as combining "the spirit of Africa with modern jazz on her impressive debut." Jones's music takes influence from music of Cuba and Congo. Jones grew up in Englewood, New Jersey where her musician ship was nourished through the fertile artistic background of her family and the talented enclave that this small town offers. As a teenager she boasts to have teachers such as percussionists Babatunde Lea, Marvin "Bugalu" Smith, Congolese drummers Titos Sompa and Coster Massamba, Charli Persip and Max Roach. She played percussion professionally at the early age 13 with a group called "Spoonbread" who were signed to All Platinum Records of Englewood, NJ. She studied music at the University of Massachusetts and Jazzmobile simultaneously until 1979 when her Professor, saxophonist Archie Shepp, took her on tour to Europe where she recorded her second album. Just months later she was hired by The Isley Brothers and toured and later recorded a host of records with them. The association with The Isley's led to numerous opportunities one of which was several tours with Whitney Houston and many others.