Cheryl A. Jones began her musical career as a child growing up in Houston, Texas. She took classical piano lessons with Mrs. Joyce Young Franklin in Mrs. Franklin’s home studio from ages 8 to 18. She attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, majoring in Vocal Music and performing with numerous groups including Girls’ Chorus, Concert Choir and Senior Madrigals. Her love of jazz began in her home, listening to her father’s vast jazz collection. Music was always playing in her home, in the car, on her phonograph! Cheryl also developed a love for a variety of music; (her first album was Barry Manilow)! She also loved the Doobie Brothers, Janis Ian, Earth, Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder and Parliament/Funkadelic. This accounts for her eclectic vocal styling.
Cheryl attended and graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Music Therapy. After completing her 6-month internship in Galveston, Texas, she pursued a career in institutional ministry. Ordained in 1988, Cheryl graduated from seminary in 1989 and worked as an institutional chaplain from 1989 to 2003 in a variety of settings. Her love of music and performance never left. As her avocation, Cheryl performed with the Oasis Vocal Octet, 1990-1997 and developed a true love for jazz standards. The highlight for the octet was their tour and performances in Caen, France in 1997. Cheryl has always sung with church choirs and gospel choirs as well, and off-off-off Broadway shows! She received positive reviews in the Washington Post for her performance in “Tapestry: The Music of Carole King” with the McLean Theatre Alliance in 2003.
In 2001, Cheryl discovered the Elliston Music Studio and began solo jazz vocals with Ms. Ronnie Wells. She has been a two-time semi-finalist, 2004 and 2005, in the Fish Middleton Jazz Scholarship Competition and featured vocalist in many jazz venues in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, including Twins Jazz, the Cada Vez, Sabang Resturant, the Henley Park Hotel, and Utopia Bar and Grill. She has worked with venerable musicians, like, Buck Hill, Ron Kearns, James King, the late Mike Smith, Wayne Wilentz, Chris Grasso, Eric Byrd, Vince Smith, Wes Biles, Ron Elliston, Ron Compton, the late Ricky Loza and many more. Presently, she performs every Sunday with Wayne Wilentz and Jim West at Utopia. Her life declaration is “I Am Soul-Saving Music.”