Willie Jones III is one of the world’s most celebrated drummers in modern jazz. As a band leader, the “astute hard-bop drummer” (The New York Times), has sold-out series of sets at Dizzy’s Club in New York City, Club 1905 in Portland, the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, Club Bebop in Buenos Aires and Bimhuis in Amsterdam. His band has performed for crowds at full capacity at Central Park SummerStage and the New York City Winter Jazz Festival. The Los Angeles-born musician performed in the Roy Hargrove Quintet from 1998 to 2006. He was also one of two drummers in Hargrove’s powerhouse group RH Factor. Jones has been featured on performances and tours with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and as a drummer of choice for legendary artists, including Sonny Rollins, Ernestine Anderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Cedar Walton, Frank Wess, Bill Charlap, Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock and Hank Jones. Jones will perform with KU Jazz Ensemble I, led by Dan Gailey, director of Jazz Studies. Jazz Ensemble I is the flagship ensemble within the Jazz Studies program at the University of Kansas. The program has received 37 DownBeat Student Music Awards, including Jazz Ensemble I’s 2023, 2021, 2019 and 2015 awards in the Graduate Division for Best College Big Band in the United States or Canada, and their Outstanding Performance Awards in the same division in 2024, 2022 and 2017. Jazz Ensemble I has had the distinction of performing with such noted guest artists as Toshiko Akiyoshi, Clark Terry, Camila Meza, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Anat Cohen, Sean Jones, Camille Thurman, Kneebody, Renee Rosnes, Michael Dease, Steve Wilson, Tia Fuller, Dave Douglas, Louie Bellson, Jeff Coffin, Tim Ries, Peter Erskine, Vince Mendoza, Conrad Herwig, Bob Sheppard, Gary Foster, Steve Houghton, Bob Mintzer, Bobby Shew, Carl Fontana, Dick Oatts, Frank Mantooth, Ingrid Jensen, Jon Hendricks, Pete Christlieb and many others.