Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Darryl Evan Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Darryl Evan, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

About 30 years ago. I began to wonder if I was good enough to play professionally. At that time, I’d been playing on and off since I was 8 – mostly at church. I just felt like I was fulfilling my true musical purpose. So, I began the quest to answer the question and prove something to myself at the same time.

Darryl Evan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The first time I ever played in a club setting was in Providence, RI around 25 years ago or so. I was staying with a family friend for the summer while working for a major airline there. One Sunday after church, the friend asked if I wanted to go play somewhere. I agreed. I still remember the name. It was “Snubs”. My friend knew the band leader and introduced me. The band let me sit in. All of a sudden, even people at the bar – who previously weren’t paying much attention were definitely paying attention. From that moment on, Later that summer, Jeffrey Osborne came to town for a benefit concert with Grover Washington Jr, Al Jarreau and Sinbad. During the concert, Jeffrey Osborne came down into the audience with a microphone. I just so happened to bring my flute (in a duffle bag). I put it together, walked up to him and played a solo. When I got finished, nearly 3,000 people were chanting my name. I got applause from Al Jarreau, and thumbs up from Grover Washington Jr. After returning to my seat, the neighboring concert goers where convinced it was a stunt as part of the show. The more I denied it, the less they believed me. In the middle of my denial, the stage door flew open and someone came out to tell me Mr. Washington wanted to meet me. I met and had a nice conversation with Grover Washington Jr. He even accepted my demo and said he’d be in touch. Unfortunately, he passed away before he had a chance to do so. Still, that night stays with me.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I did a couple of shows with the most amazing band backing me up, which was arranged by the band’s manager. The personal and musical chemistry was off the charts! It was nothing short of electric! More than the musical connections, we were brothers. Audiences were asking when (not if) we’d go on tour. I could actually see us lighting it up all over the world. All my dreams seemed to come true, when their manager asked us all if we wanted to go on tour the next summer. Everyone agreed to the tour. I just knew I’d made it! Boy was I wrong. Within a few weeks, the band had a falling out with their manager, and things somehow soured with most of the band towards me. They essentially “disowned” me and what was once a musical dream come true was now a nightmare. I’d never experienced such extreme emotional highs and lows – especially in such short order. I became depressed, despondent, and felt hopeless. I never considered it, but I felt I understood why some people commit suicide. I hated how I felt. I was praying and looking for some way to move forward, but was battling the feeling of just giving up on music. I couldn’t understand what happened or see a way out of my despair. It took a while, but eventually I was blessed with the will to push forward. I wasn’t sure what the answers were, but knew I couldn’t continue wallowing in my sunken state. I relied on my faith and my family to stabilize and encourage me. It took a lot of prayer and soul-searching, but I finally came to grips that what I so desperately wanted with the band couldn’t have been what God wanted for me. There had to be something he saw that I just couldn’t see. I knew in my heart music was what he intended me to do – just not the way I had envisioned it. That realization made me able to shift gears and move on.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It’s really a combination of two things. First is the knowledge that I’m fulfilling a purpose that God intended for me. He gave me this seed called musical talent and expected me to nurture it. Knowing that I’m “living in my purpose” is rewarding beyond words. Second, the only thing greater than seeing the smiles on people’s faces or seeing them sway or dance while I’m playing is their statements of how my music makes them feel. Hearing “You have an anointed sound” or “Your playing touched my soul” just can’t be matched.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dejmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrylevanjones/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551827132673
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-evan-jones-09b7872b/
• Twitter: https://x.com/DarrylEvanJones
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iceman54201
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/darryl-evan-jones

Image Credits

April Abdul Baaqee