Obit: Elvin Jones

Subject: Obit: Elvin Jones
From: Rev
Date: 22 May 04 - 12:32 AM

I just want to express my sadness over the death of the great jazz drummer Elvin Jones. He came from a family steeped in jazz (brothers Thad, a cornetist, and Hank, the great pianist, were also important artists), and in his young years played with be-bop greats like Charles Mingus and J.J. Johnson. But his greatest era of fame and accomplishment came when he became part of John Coltrane's group (originally a quartet with McCoy Tyner on piano, and Jimmy Garrison on bass). His drumming was free, dramatic, and expressive in ways that drummers had rarely been before.
I regret that I never got to see him play in person, but seeing him in films and videos is a remarkable experience. In his interviews he came across as a sweet, playful, and spiritual man - all aspects of his personality that came through in his playing. I showed a video of the Coletrane group playing Greensleeves, to a class I was teaching. My young students, many of whom had never been exposed to jazz, were completely blown away, particularly by the sight of Jones' limbs dancing around the drums in effortless polyrhythm. They had never seen anything like it before. And we may never see anyone quite like Elvin Jones again.
Rev


Subject: RE: Obit: Elvin Jones
From: Amos
Date: 22 May 04 - 12:47 AM

Hear, hear.

A

Subject: RE: Obit: Elvin Jones
From: Mark Clark
Date: 22 May 04 - 12:54 AM

Agreed, Rev. Thanks for the reminder. I sure hate to keep losing these guys.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Obit: Elvin Jones
From: C-flat
Date: 22 May 04 - 03:18 AM

I saw him play at a concert to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ronnie Scotts' Jazz club in 1999.
He did a short solo spot which left no-one in any doubt about his prowess or how his passion for hitting those skins was undiminished.
To spend your life doing what you love and recieve money and international recognition for it, sounds like a life well lived.
C-flat.

Subject: RE: Obit: Elvin Jones
From: fat B****rd
Date: 22 May 04 - 08:09 AM

I remember his drum battle" with Ginger Baker and his seemimgly endless energy and creativity. I read recently that in some old film (Zachariah I think) he pulled sticks from holsters and performed a brief solo). RIP Mr. Jones.

Subject: RE: Obit: Elvin Jones
From: GUEST,Penguin Egg
Date: 22 May 04 - 04:03 PM

There is a film of the Coltrane Quartet playing 'Greensleves?' Where can I get it? That quartet was the greatest musical group in the 20th Century and no small part of that was played by Jones. A great loss.

Subject: RE: Obit: Elvin Jones
From: Rev
Date: 22 May 04 - 09:42 PM

Yes, Penguin Egg, there IS a video of Coltrane playing "Greensleeves." If I remember correctly the video is called "The Coltrane Legacy." I found it in my university library. This particular video features the Quintet, with Eric Dolphy, but I think I've seen some other videos out there as well. The performances seem to be TV appearences, probably from France or the Netherlands, or some other jazz-enlightened place. It's amazing footage, I highly recommend it!
Rev

Subject: RE: Obit: Elvin Jones
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jan 06 - 03:54 PM

www.drummerworld.com
has clips from zachariah and many other elvin moments
have never added to a thread this old before
earl T