This week, Canadian jazz music icon Oliver Jones passed away at the age of 91.
I can’t say I know his music well, or listen to him often, but I do have one very fond memory of him, the day he played an impromptu performance at my Grandpa Anderson’s funeral. He played “Somebody to Watch Over Me”.
My Grandpa was also a jazz musician in Montreal, and I guess knew Oliver Jones through the local scene.
When the news broke of Mr. Jones’ passing this week, my uncle posted a photo of things he’d found from Mr. Jones when going through my grandparents belongings after my grandmother passed away. They included:
- Complimentary tickets to a show in Montreal
- A postcard to my grandparents while he was on tour in the UK
- the paperwork my grandpa filled out to nominate Oliver Jones for the Order of Canada (which he was awarded in 1993)
Thank you for the music, and being a friend to Grandpa, especially that sad day when we said goodbye about 30 years ago.
Rest in peace Mr. Jones.
Aside: Searching around yesterday, I came across a 2003 article by Montreal music journalist Len Dobbin. In it he mentions “the late Andy Anderson and I got hold of the latter and took him to Tiffany’s where Oliver Jones also headed…”, which, given the time and place, I’m sure was Grandpa.
Update: This post was updated with the Order of Canada nomination papers photo, and the name of the song performed at the funeral.
❤️❤️❤️
Hello Shawn,
Oliver Jones was my uncle. In week since his passing I continue to come across so many great tributes to him yours being one of them. The Order of Canada application is particularly cool. I could not help but note address on post card my uncle sent to your grandparents was in St. Hubert, which is where Oliver’s mother (my grandmother), my aunts and my family lived from 1967 until 2017. Small world indeed. So gratifying to know how many people my uncle touched in his lifetime.
Thank you for posting this.
Wayne Bryan