The newest directions in 21st Century trumpet performance are being explored and defined by Courtney Jones, an award-winning Yamaha performing and recording artist who has also emerged as a leading figure in contemporary performance and pedagogy, conducting, and service to inner-city youth through music outreach programs. An artist who transcends stylistic boundaries, Courtney has performed with classical ensembles and orchestras throughout the United States, internationally, and has won multiple solo awards and accolades through regional and national trumpet competitions.

Besides performing with well-known jazz and popular artists, he has shared the stage with famous artists or groups such as Kenny Burrell, B.B. King, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Rihanna, Boy George and The Culture Club, and Stevie Wonder. In addition to his solo performance career, Courtney has performed classical music with the Golden States Pop Orchestra, the Southeast Symphony Orchestra, the Macao Orchestra (China), the Pasadena Orchestra, the Debut Orchestra, the Inspiravi Chamber Orchestra, the Long Beach Opera, the Chamber Singers of Iowa City, and the Los Angeles Trombone Collective in collaboration with James Miller. His feature film and television credits include music performed for "Glee," "Notes from Dad," "Cougar Town," and "Criminal Minds" among other productions listed under the MEDIA tab of this website.

Prior to his appointment at Florida Atlantic University as the Assistant Professor of Trumpet & Artistic Director of the Jazz Ensemble, Jones was a Lecturer of Music at Columbus State University while recording his Solo CD project, "Between 2 Worlds," at the Joyce and Henry Schwob School of Music. Between teaching and solo performing engagements, Courtney has promoted music education and instrumental performance in inner-city schools through the Music Outreach Program at UCLA, The Harmony Project of Los Angeles, and Trumpets 4 Kids in Dallas, Texas. Each of these programs offers schoolchildren art-in-education opportunities. These programs are essential because they provide underserved, inner-city students, and communities with musical training and mentorship that would otherwise be inaccessible.