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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Elvin Jones| image = Elvin Jones 3.jpg| caption = Elvin Jones in 1976| image_size =| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_name = Elvin Ray Jones| alias =| birth_date = Birth date|1927|09|09| death_date = death date and age|2004|05|18|1927|09|09| origin = Pontiac, Michigan , U.S.| instrument = Drum kit|Drums | genre = Modal jazz , avant-garde jazz , hard bop , mainstream jazz , post-bop | occupation = Drummer, bandleader| years_active =| label =| associated_acts = John Coltrane , Charles Mingus , Thad Jones , Hank Jones | website = Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was a Jazz drumming|jazz drummer of the post-bop era.cite web|last=Yanow |first=Scott |url=Allmusic|class=artist |id=p6844 |pure_url=yes |title=Elvin Jones |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2011-10-19 He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan .
He served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1949 and subsequently played in a Detroit houseband led by Billy Mitchell (jazz musician)|Billy Mitchell . He moved to New York in 1955 and worked as a sideman for Charles Mingus , Teddy Charles , Bud Powell and Miles Davis .
From 1960 to 1966 he was a member of the John Coltrane quartet (along with Jimmy Garrison on bass and McCoy Tyner on Piano), a celebrated recording phase, appearing on such albums as A Love Supreme . Following his work with John Coltrane, Jones led several small groups, some under the name The Elvin Jones Jazz Machine . He recorded with both of his brothers during his career, jazz musicians Hank Jones and Thad Jones .
Biography
Early life
Elvin Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to parents Henry and Olivia Jones who moved to Michigan from Vickisburg, Mississippi. By age two he said he knew he held a fascination for drums. He would watch the circus marching band parades go by his home as a boy, particularly fascinated by the drummers. Following his early passion, Elvin joined his high school's black marching band, where he developed his foundation in rudiments . Jones began service in the United States Army in 1946. He was discharged in 1949, and returned home penniless. Jones said he borrowed thirty-five dollars from his sister when he got back to buy his first drumset .cite web|last=Gross|first=Terry|title=Elvin Jones NPR interview|url= http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=1905210|accessdate=2007-05-30
Elvin began his professional career in 1949 with a short-lived gig in Detroit 's Grand River Street club. Eventually he went on to play with artists such as Miles Davis and Wardell Gray . In 1955, after a failed audition for the Benny Goodman band, he found work in New York , joining Charles Mingus 's band, and releasing a record called J is for Jazz .
1960–1966: John Coltrane and beyond
In 1960, he joined with the classic John Coltrane Quartet, which also included bassist Jimmy Garrison and pianist McCoy Tyner . Jones and Coltrane often played extended duet passages. This band is widely considered to have redefined " Swing (genre)|swing " (the rhythm ic feel of jazz) in much the same way that Louis Armstrong , CharlieParker , and others did during earlier stages of jazz's development. He stayed with Coltrane until 1966. By that time, Jones was not entirely comfortable with Coltrane's new direction and his polyrhythmic style clashed with the "multidirectional" approach of the group's second drummer, Rashied Ali .
Jones remained active after leaving the John Coltrane group, and led several bands in the late sixties and seventies that are considered highly influential groups. Notable among them was a trio formed with saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Joe Farrell and (ex-Coltrane) bassist Jimmy Garrison , with whom he recorded the Blue Note Records|Blue Note album ''Puttin' It Together . Jones recorded extensively for Blue Note under his own name in the late sixties and early seventies, with groups that featured prominent as well as up and coming greats. The two volume Live at The Lighthouse'' showcases a 21- and 26-year-old Steve Grossman (saxophonist)|Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman , respectively. Other musicians of note who made significant contributions to Elvin's music during this period were baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams , tenor saxophonists George Coleman and Frank Foster (musician)|Frank Foster , trumpeter Lee Morgan , bassist Gene Perla , keyboardist Jan Hammer and Jazz - World Music group Oregon (band)|Oregon .
Late career
Elvin Jones' sense of timing, polyrhythm s, dynamics (music)|dynamics , timbre , and legato|legato phrasing brought the drumset to the foreground. Jones was touted by Life Magazine as "the world's greatest rhythmic drummer", and his free-flowing style was a major influence on many leading drummers, including Christian Vander (musician)|Christian Vander , Mitch Mitchell (whom Jimi Hendrix called "my Elvin Jones") and Ginger Baker . He appeared as the villain Job Cain in the 1971 off-beat Western (genre)|Western film Zachariah (1971 film)|Zachariah , in which he performed a drum solo after winning a saloon gunfight. In 1999, Jones worked with Our LadyPeace on their album Happiness...Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch . He was featured playing drums on the song "Stealing Babies", which was also featured on their 2009 compilation album The Very Best of Our LadyPeace .
Jones performed and recorded with his own group, the Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, whose line up changed through the years. Sonny Fortune and Ravi Coltrane , John Coltrane's son, both played saxophone with the Jazz Machine in the early 1990s, appearing together with Jones on In Europe on Enja Records in 1991. Jones, who taught regularly, often took part in clinics, played in schools, and gave free concerts in prison s. His lessons emphasized music history as well as drumming technique.
Elvin Jones died of heart failure in Englewood, New Jersey on May 18, 2004. He is survived by his first wife Shirley and his second, albeit common-law, wife Keiko (Elvin married Keiko before divorcing Shirley, meaning that legally he and Keiko were not married). Elvin Jones is survived by his son Elvin Nathan Jones of California and daughter Rose-Marie Rosie Nyberg of Sweden.
1996 Elvin Jones: Jazz Machine (VIEW)cite web|author=Jones, Elvin |url= http://www.view.com/elvin_jones_jazz_machine_dvd.aspx |title=VIEW DVD Listing |publisher=View.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-19
1971 Zachariah MGM DVD
References
reflist
External links
commons
Official| http://www.elvinjones.com/
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Elvin_Jones.html Elvin Jones at drummerworld.com
http://stream.realimpact.net/rihurl.ram? file=realimpact/iaje/nea2003/jones/bio_jones2.rm NEA Jazz Masters video biography of Elvin Jones narrated by Billy Taylor
http://stream.realimpact.net/rihurl.ram? file=realimpact/iaje/nea2003/jones/backstage_jones.rm Elvin Jones interview from NEA Jazz Masters
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Ytz1ZKk9wXw Elvin Jones with the John Coltrane Quartet performing Afro Blue on Ralph Gleason's "Jazz Casual", 1963
Persondata | NAME = Jones, Elvin | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = September 9, 1927 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = May 18, 2004 | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Elvin Category:1927 births Category:2004 deaths Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:People from Pontiac, Michigan Category:African American musicians Category:American jazz drummers Category:Modal jazz drummers Category:Musicians from Michigan Category:Hard bop drummers Category:Post-bop drummers Category:Mainstream jazz drummers Category:John Coltrane Category:Enja Records artists Category:Muse Records artists Category:MPS Records artists Category:Landmark Records artists Category:Palo Alto Records artists Category:Blue Note Records artists
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