Mingo Jones

Mingo Jones (b. Saint Joseph, Missouri, December 12, 1928 - d. Indianapolis, April 3, 2017) – Bassist. Missouri native Mingo Jones made it to Indy’s Indiana Avenue jazz scence via the 35th U.S. Army Band, which was stationed at Fort Harrison. Early in the 1950s, Jones had the opportunity to play with Wes Montgomery before the guitarist left Indianapolis the second last time around. During a stint as the house bassist at the Embers show lounge, Jones backed Mel Tormé, Barbara McNair, Helen O’Connell (a swing era vocalist with the Jimmy Dorsey Band), and Bobby Short. In the 1970s, Jones played with vocalist Jimmy Guiford’s quartet called Three Way Street, which was a popular night club act. Because he had endured as one of the city’s leading jazz bassits for around fifty years, Jones was inducted into the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Hall of Fame in 2001.