(August 15th 1889 - June 1st 1949)

Born in Wilmington, Ohio in 1889 Clarence M. Jones was a pianist who studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Also a talented composer he worked in ragtime, popular music, and later jazz. Clarence published his first piece "Lightning Rag" in 1908 and sometime during the early 1910's he relocated to Chicago where he set up a publishing studio. There he would print sheet music and produce his own piano rolls. In 1917 the pianist's mounting success prompted him to organize his own band the "Select Orchestra" taking up residency at Chicago's Owl Theater until 1922. It was then that Jones' Orchestra began playing at both the Avenue Theater and the Moulin Rouge Cafe changing their name to the "Wonderful Orchestra", later shortened to the "Wonder Orchestra".

Clarence M. Jones appeared on record between 1923 and 1928 featured as a solo pianist on the Autograph label, with his band for Okeh in 1926, as well as backing Laura Smith on Victor in 1927, and accompanying Monette Moore and Ollie Powers for Paramount. In 1932 Jones moved to New York City where he took a job with Clarence Williams' Publishing and the following year organized the vocal harmony group the "Southernaires". The singing group was quite popular and they performed regularly on different radio stations throughout the 1930's, eventually cutting records in 1939. Among his best known compositions are "Hula Lou", "Trot Along" and "The Dirty Dozen".

Clarence M. Jones died in New York City on June 1st 1949.