Elvin Jones

I love just about anything with Elvin on it, but Sun Ship really messes up my head.

I look at the John Coltrane Quartet's music as a cosmic spherical astrolabe type machine that used non-resolving harmony and triplet based rhythmic structures to create wheels within wheels which spun with such intensity that it created its own ever increasing centrifugal force. By the time Sun Ship was recorded the process was nearly complete and music had become more fragmented sounding while still remaining in the context of their established rhythmic and harmonic concept. Soon the the sphere would blow up into a giant super-nova and the mission was completed, leaving Coltrane free to explore the universe in a more ethereal vehical.

That's the way I see it anyway.
 
I love just about anything with Elvin on it, but Sun Ship really messes up my head.

I look at the John Coltrane Quartet's music as a cosmic spherical astrolabe type machine that used non-resolving harmony and triplet based rhythmic structures to create wheels within wheels which spun with such intensity that it created its own ever increasing centrifugal force. By the time Sun Ship was recorded the process was nearly complete and music had become more fragmented sounding while still remaining in the context of their established rhythmic and harmonic concept. Soon the the sphere would blow up into a giant super-nova and the mission was completed, leaving Coltrane free to explore the universe in a more ethereal vehical.

That's the way I see it anyway.

I like the explanation. In the sense that you used words without boundaries. You didn't generalize it like some tend to do with words. If it was me i wouldn't have used words I would have used ...
 
I love just about anything with Elvin on it, but Sun Ship really messes up my head.

I look at the John Coltrane Quartet's music as a cosmic spherical astrolabe type machine that used non-resolving harmony and triplet based rhythmic structures to create wheels within wheels which spun with such intensity that it created its own ever increasing centrifugal force. By the time Sun Ship was recorded the process was nearly complete and music had become more fragmented sounding while still remaining in the context of their established rhythmic and harmonic concept. Soon the the sphere would blow up into a giant super-nova and the mission was completed, leaving Coltrane free to explore the universe in a more ethereal vehical.

That's the way I see it anyway.

that's awesome, sweet description
 
I have always loved this guy, he's my all-time favorite jazz drummer. But what can you say about Elvin that his playing doesn't say for itself?

So let me just tell a little story... I went to see Elvin once, many years (well probably two-plus decades!) ago. His band was playing at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California. I got there early, and picked a seat in the front row center. The stage was only a few feet high, and his kit was set up right up front, so his kick drum was right in my face, just a few feet away. I remember he had a Tony-Williams-style yellow Gretsch kit that looked and sounded amazing.

Elvin came out before the gig, and was just standing onstage checking out the audience. He saw me sitting there and said "Hey, you look like Chick Corea." (Which I kinda did, at the time...) That would have been the perfect opportunity to have gotten to talk to my hero a bit, but of course I was so surprised and nervous, all I could do was blurt out a Ralph Kramden-like hamana-hamana-hamana stuttering kind of thing. Then he turned and walked backstage.

Anyway, needless to say it was an amazing gig and I was in heaven thoughout the two shows that night. And almost deaf when it was over and I drove home, cuz he was kind of a hard hitter, and like I said, I was right in front of his drums.

One other thing... I don't if it's been mentioned in the thread yet, but probably a lot of people don't realize: Elvin was a grunter! He would kinda grunt along in time with the music. I could hear him pretty clearly all through that show. Kinda weird, actually. After that, I started listening to all my Coltrane records closely, and you can sometimes hear him in quiet spots on the recordings, too.
 
I have always loved this guy, he's my all-time favorite jazz drummer. But what can you say about Elvin that his playing doesn't say for itself?

So let me just tell a little story... I went to see Elvin once, many years (well probably two-plus decades!) ago. His band was playing at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California. I got there early, and picked a seat in the front row center. The stage was only a few feet high, and his kit was set up right up front, so his kick drum was right in my face, just a few feet away. I remember he had a Tony-Williams-style yellow Gretsch kit that looked and sounded amazing.

Elvin came out before the gig, and was just standing onstage checking out the audience. He saw me sitting there and said "Hey, you look like Chick Corea." (Which I kinda did, at the time...) That would have been the perfect opportunity to have gotten to talk to my hero a bit, but of course I was so surprised and nervous, all I could do was blurt out a Ralph Kramden-like hamana-hamana-hamana stuttering kind of thing. Then he turned and walked backstage.

Anyway, needless to say it was an amazing gig and I was in heaven thoughout the two shows that night. And almost deaf when it was over and I drove home, cuz he was kind of a hard hitter, and like I said, I was right in front of his drums.

One other thing... I don't if it's been mentioned in the thread yet, but probably a lot of people don't realize: Elvin was a grunter! He would kinda grunt along in time with the music. I could hear him pretty clearly all through that show. Kinda weird, actually. After that, I started listening to all my Coltrane records closely, and you can sometimes hear him in quiet spots on the recordings, too.

great story! One of the few of my heroes that I haven't seen. Since you were so close to his foot, how did he play it? heel toe? heel up? was his foot technique special. Could you describe it ? thanks
 
OLa como estas' **I loved the Way you Expressed Your self *you have a ARTISTIC flow with Your expression Just Like your DRUMMING **I always LOVED Elvin Jones**
FANTASTIC DRUMMER as we Being ARTIST That Have PASSION within this ANCIENT SPIRITUAL ANCIENT ART of DRUMMMING & DRUMS TAMBORES PERCUSSION *
GRACIAS for your Knowledge*
STICKS WIZZARD DRAGON
 
I have always loved this guy, he's my all-time favorite jazz drummer. But what can you say about Elvin that his playing doesn't say for itself?

So let me just tell a little story... I went to see Elvin once, many years (well probably two-plus decades!) ago. His band was playing at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California. I got there early, and picked a seat in the front row center. The stage was only a few feet high, and his kit was set up right up front, so his kick drum was right in my face, just a few feet away. I remember he had a Tony-Williams-style yellow Gretsch kit that looked and sounded amazing.

Elvin came out before the gig, and was just standing onstage checking out the audience. He saw me sitting there and said "Hey, you look like Chick Corea." (Which I kinda did, at the time...) That would have been the perfect opportunity to have gotten to talk to my hero a bit, but of course I was so surprised and nervous, all I could do was blurt out a Ralph Kramden-like hamana-hamana-hamana stuttering kind of thing. Then he turned and walked backstage.

Anyway, needless to say it was an amazing gig and I was in heaven thoughout the two shows that night. And almost deaf when it was over and I drove home, cuz he was kind of a hard hitter, and like I said, I was right in front of his drums.

One other thing... I don't if it's been mentioned in the thread yet, but probably a lot of people don't realize: Elvin was a grunter! He would kinda grunt along in time with the music. I could hear him pretty clearly all through that show. Kinda weird, actually. After that, I started listening to all my Coltrane records closely, and you can sometimes hear him in quiet spots on the recordings, too.

Here's my Elvin story:

Met Elvin at Jazz Alley in Seattle many years ago. One of the nicest people i've ever met in life. Had a great conversation about drumming and gigs he did in Vancouver at the old Cave nightclub MANY years ago up a the bar on the break. Sat right up a front of the stage at a table in front of his kit for the show. Keiko came out and tuned the kit right before the band walked out on stage with the whole audience seated ready to enjoy the show. Amazing concert and he played a killer set of old pre-split Istanbuls that sounded lovely that really stuck in my mind.

Speaking of grunts and groans even in a quiet ballad with beautiful brush work that night you could hear Elvin's various vocal sound effects going on.

I got a nice postcard picture of Elvin I brought to the gig autographed that night too. He was a tall friendy man with big hands and long fingers like a star basketball player with a firm handshake and a sincere honest appreciation of those unknown to him he met that night who had been in love with his playing over many years and had no problem warmly meeting and greeting them as new friends..Priceless moments from the past indeed. Miss you dearly Elvin.
 
Sun Ship isn't their last album. Actually, the Quartet's "'First' Meditations" is their last album. Before Trane recorded the album "Meditations" he did it with the quartet, which to me is a more enjoyable listening experience.
 
Sun Ship isn't their last album. Actually, the Quartet's "'First' Meditations" is their last album. Before Trane recorded the album "Meditations" he did it with the quartet, which to me is a more enjoyable listening experience.

Were they not recorded at the same time and released after Trane's death?
 
One other thing... I don't if it's been mentioned in the thread yet, but probably a lot of people don't realize: Elvin was a grunter! He would kinda grunt along in time with the music. I could hear him pretty clearly all through that show. Kinda weird, actually. After that, I started listening to all my Coltrane records closely, and you can sometimes hear him in quiet spots on the recordings, too.


Hear ya on that one. First time I heard I was baffled - it's a low grumbling noise. Few examples include, Sun Ship (I think you can hear McCoy singing his improv as well), Unity and Rip, Rig and Panic.

All passionate musicians tend to grunt or make facial expressions, in my experience, but that's not to say it's true.
 
Last edited:
great story! One of the few of my heroes that I haven't seen. Since you were so close to his foot, how did he play it? heel toe? heel up? was his foot technique special. Could you describe it ? thanks

No, sorry I can't, cuz I was sitting directly in front of his kick, and a little below, like my face was at the level of the center of the kick. I probably could've noticed his leg bouncing if he played heel up, but I don't remember, it was so long ago.
 
Keiko came out and tuned the kit right before the band walked out on stage with the whole audience seated ready to enjoy the show.

I don't remember seeing Keiko there that night, but he must have been married to her at that time. Cool that she tuned his drums for him!

Btw... ain't it a shame that guys like Elvin can't make a living in the US, but have to move to Japan or Europe cuz that's where they are appreciated?
 
No, sorry I can't, cuz I was sitting directly in front of his kick, and a little below, like my face was at the level of the center of the kick. I probably could've noticed his leg bouncing if he played heel up, but I don't remember, it was so long ago.


Heel/toe {flat foot} depending on the sound he was after at any given time during the performance.
 
I don't remember seeing Keiko there that night, but he must have been married to her at that time. Cool that she tuned his drums for him!

Btw... ain't it a shame that guys like Elvin can't make a living in the US, but have to move to Japan or Europe cuz that's where they are appreciated?

Yes and she wasn't polite about it either in the sense that she really wacked the drums hard to check the tuning. On another side note the stage guys had placed Elvin's kick in the wrong spot on stage according to Elvin who brieftly sat behind the kit before the show started. Keiko had them remove to 2 metal pin braces hammered firmly into the stage holding the BD in place. Remember Elvin hit the bass drum with a wood beater HARD at times. She had them pull them out of the stage and reposition the kit and hammer the stop movement pins back in the stage in front of the bass drum. Quite the show that night in more ways than one criz p. critter.

Tough back then even tougher today even with someone a great as Elvin. Sign of the times on point #2.
 
has anyone noticed the extent to which gadd's jazz playing borrows from elvin's? like on his (gadd's) tracks on the album she was too good to be true by chet baker or the video on here of him demonstrating zildjians?
 
Back
Top