Hailed as the musician’s musician, Desi Jones was always ready for a jam session. He would have felt right at home on Wednesday at Johnny’s Place in Kingston, where colleagues turned out in their numbers to salute the affable drummer who died on May 11.

The tight venue was packed with musicians eager to show respect to Jones, a former member of the Sonny Bradshaw, Chalice and Skool bands.

Approaching midnight, Chris McDonald, his bandmate from Skool, belted out the Chalice hits Good to Be There, Stew Peas, and I’m Trying to a rocking audience.

McDonald, who joined Skool in 1994, said Jones was the consummate professional.

“Many of us owe a lot to Desi. When we were coming up he always encouraged us to practise and be the best musicians we can,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Music producer/songwriter Mikey Bennett described the event as a “healing” for the music industry.

“Di whole a wi wounded…bad, bad, bad. Is almost like denial is a blessing right now, ‘cause di thing hit us so sudden. I could not, not be here,” he said.

There were spirited performances throughout the evening from guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith and his Binghistra Movement, who did Jackie Mittoo’s
Drum Song, The Wailers’ Selassie is The Chapel and Joe Higgs’ There’s A Reward For Me.

Sandra Crawford did a rendition of Barbra Streisand’s The Way we Were; Harold Davis performed Third World’s Try Jah Love, while Gem Myers was riveting on Wind Beneath My Wings.

The rub-a-dub came from Bongo Herman with Alton Ellis’s Rock Steady and Richie Kanary, who did Ellis’s version of Ain’t That Loving You.

The Kingston-born Jones, who died at age 65, showed his drumming skills with the Bradshaw band before joining Chalice in 1980. He formed Skool in the late 1980s, and also toured with Jimmy Cliff and Monty Alexander.

Among those in attendance at Wednesday’s tribute show were Herbie Miller, Omar Davies, Evon Williams, Frankie Campbell, Sharon Burke, Johnny Daley, Dwight Pinkney, Mickey Hanson, Desi Young, Robbie Lyn, Computer Paul, Fred Locks, Papa Michigan, Herbie Miller of ATF Band, Paul “Wrong Move” Crosdale and George “Dusty” Miller of The Firehouse Crew, Andrea Davis, Mikey Fletcher, and Michael Hall.