top of page

MEET
DARU

AWARD-WINNER, RECORDED, PERFORMED & TOURED WITH:

Jack White, Bootsy Collins, Kanye West, Pete Rock, Gloria Gaynor, Raphael Saadiq, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Madlib, Rag 'n' Bone Man, Slum Village, The Lox, Jamie Lidell, Talib Kweli, Dwight Yoakam, Nas, Pee Wee Ellis, Lorenzo Jovanotti, Queen Latifah, Black Milk, Salaam Remi, Pharoahe Monch, Liam Bailey, Rance Allen, Black Violin, Ski Beatz & The Sensei’s, and Jon B (partial list). 

PERFORMED AT: NPR Tiny Desk: The Lox, Hi-Tek & Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Blue Note Napa Festival, One Mic: Hip-Hop Culture Worldwide, 20th Anniversary Celebration of Nas debut album "Illmatic", 2013 Grammy Awards, Austin City Limits, Rock The Bells Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival.

REVIEWED IN: Modern Drummer, Rolling Stone Magazine, LA Weekly & USA Today

APPEARED ON: Seth Meyers, Saturday Night Live, The David Letterman Show, Jools Holland (UK), The Colbert Report & MTV.

MEET
DARU

MEET
DARU

Daru Jones is one of the most respected drummers of his generation. The award-winning musician is known for his work on Lazaretto (Jack White) and his list of collaborators includes , Bootsy CollinsKanye West, Pete RockGloria GaynorRaphael Saadiq, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Madlib, Slum Village, The Lox, Jamie Lidell, Talib KweliDwight YoakamNasPee Wee EllisLorenzo JovanottiQueen LatifahBlack MilkSalaam Remi, Pharoahe MonchRance AllenBlack Violin, Ski Beatz & The Sensei’s, and Jon B (partial list). Alongside these artists, Jones has graced the stages of some of the most revered events in the music industry, including: NPR Tiny Desk: The Lox, Hi-Tek & Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Blue Note Napa Festival One Mic: Hip-Hop Culture Worldwide! A 20th anniversary celebration of Nas debut album Illmatic; the 2013 Grammy AwardsAustin City Limits music variety program; Rock The Bells music festival; and the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival.

Jones has been the “go-to-drummer” in hip-hop for over a decade. He has shared the stage with legends and emerging stars alike, including Black MoonSmif N WessunQ-TipMos DefRaekwonCurren$yPharoahe MonchJean GraeBlack SheepDigable PlanetsCamp_LoSmoke DzaTheophilusLondon and Large Professor.

Throughout the course of his career, Jones has received rave reviews from Modern Drummer, Rolling Stone Magazine, LA Weekly,Esquire.comFuse.tv, the Los Angeles Times, and USA Today (among countless others). He has also appeared on several national and international television programs including. He has also appeared on several national and international television programs: Seth Meyers, Saturday Night Live,  The David Letterman ShowJools Holland (UK),  The Colbert ReportSaturday Night Live, and on the iconic MTV.

Born to two professional musicians, he began playing the drums at the age of four. Though he got his start in the church, Jones has been influenced by musicians from a wide range of genres. 

Jones is also a sought-after producer and boutique label owner who develops talent and releases music through his imprint, RUSIC RECORDS. The Brooklyn, NY and Nashville, TN-based producer/musician exhibits a unique approach to beat-making that incorporates live drum loops, jazz and gospel samples, and a soulful musicianship into all of his projects. Over the past decade, Jones has produced and released a catalog of projects he classifies as “soul-hop” featuring collaborations with vocalists and rappers: Kissey AsplundIshe'Jasiri XReggie BRenaAB, and Eagle Nebula, among others. In addition to these RUSIC projects, Jones has produced original and remixed tracks for recording artists includingMuhsinahiSHEJessie Boykins III and Kendra Ross

Daru’s performance on “Lazaretto, ” the first single from Jack White’s second solo album of the same name, helped White earn a 2015 Grammy for Best Rock Performance.

Daru was also the featured drummer on Gloria Gaynor’s recent 2020 Grammy win for Best Roots Gospel Album. This critically acclaimed album is Gaynor’s first award in 40 years. Jones also played on Gaynor’s Grammy Nominated song “Something Bout Jesus” featuring Yolanda Adams.

After wrapping up the Blunderbuss and Lazaretto Tour with White, Jones recorded in late 2015 and toured the
globe in 2016-2017 with eclectic soulster, Jamie Lidell in support his release, “Building a Beginning.” 

More recently, Jones is also a member of three distinct groups: DMD the Vibes  a supergroup with legendary Living Colour bassist Doug Wimbish and guitar wunderkind Marcus Machado; The Soul Brothers  with hip-hop producer, Pete Rockand Jones serves as music director; andTh1rt3en , a the rock-hop trio with Pharoahe Monch

Jones has worked with Jack White for 10 years, drumming on all solo projects, including; World touring for "Blunderbuss" 2012-2013 , and "Lazaretto" 2014-2015. Jones recently performed on Saturday Night Live for the third time with Jack White to wrap up the 2022– 2023 “Supply Chain Issues” world tour in support of the double releases, “Fear Of The Dawn” and “Entering Into Heaven Alive”.

Most recently, Jones was apart of the Raphael Saadiq Revisits Tony! Toni! Tone’! US tour 2023. Daru also joined Madlib for a live instrumental duo set at the Blue Note Napa Jazz Festival '23 hosted by Dave Chappelle and Robert Glasper.

 

Jones has showcased his individual artistry with the recent releases of solo projects including: an instrumental collaboration with 

Kev Brown titled “A Daru State of Mind” featuring Eddie Sancho, also "Contant Raw Sessions" ; a collaborative effort from

Slum Village co-founder T3, legendary producer Amp Fiddler; and an audio book titled “Plays the Breaks: Live at Layman”. The audio book includes a physical soft and hard cover illustration book.
Jones also offers a variety of signature products, including drumsticksdrumkeysub-miccymbals, and his 2nd Edition drum kit, DJNY II in "Nashville Blue."

INFLUENCES
 
Drum Influences:
Dana Davis, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Stewart Copeland, Steve Smith, Peter Eskine, Bernard Purdie, Virgil Donati,
Dave Weckl, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Gene Krupa, Omar Hakim, Will Kennedy, Bill Maxwell, Questlove
 
Producer Influences:
DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Dre, Marley Marl, Jay Dee (J.Dilla), Kay Gee, Rza, Da Beatminerz, Eric B, Eric Sermon,
The Bomb Squad, Bill Maxwell, Micheal Brooks

JOIN THE MAILING LIST

0H2A2166_r_cc.HEIC

AFFILIATES + GEAR 
Drums, Pedals & Hardware: DW
Percussion's: LP
Cymbals: PAISTE
Sticks: AHEAD
Cases: MONO
Drum Heads: REMO
Sub Mic: SOLOMON DESIGNS

bottom of page