“I introduced Sting to Miles Davis, and that blew Sting’s mind!” Darryl Jones on providing the punch for Sting, Madonna, and the Rolling Stones

American jazz trumpet player Miles Davis and bass player Darryl Jones perform at North Sea Jazz festival, The Hague, Netherlands, 13 July 1985.

It’s been three decades since Darryl Jones made his debut performance with the Rolling Stones on 1994’s Voodoo Lounge, which was followed up with a much-publicised world tour. But the job of playing bass guitar with the Stones isn’t something you just fall into. His first major gig was with jazz giant Miles Davis. 

Jones recorded two albums with Davis, You’re Under Arrest and Decoy, and went on to perform with Sting, Madonna, Peter Gabriel… the list goes on, but what was it about this jazz master’s approach that let him fit into rock & roll so well?