Elvin Jones • The Main Force

 

Biography
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer. He was born in Pontiac, Michigan, the youngest child in a family of ten. His father worked for General Motors. Two of Jones' brothers were also jazz musicians: Hank (piano), and Thad (trumpet/flugelhorn).

Elvin began playing professionally in the 1940s, working with the Army Special Services program, Operation Happiness, and in 1949 had a short-lived gig in Detroit's Grand River Street club. Eventually he went on to play with artists such as Charlie Parker, 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.

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, both giving and taking energy through their instruments. This band is widely considered to have redefined "swing" (the rhythmic feel of jazz) in much the same way that Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker et al did during earlier stages of jazz's development.

He stayed with Coltrane until 1966. By that time, Jones was not entirely comfortable with the direction Coltrane was moving in and his polyrhythmic style clashed with the "multidirectional" approach of the group's second drummer, Rashied Ali.

After leaving the Coltrane group, Jones played with Duke Ellington, and eventually formed his own touring group. Jazz Machine, normally a quintet, continued in the same musical direction. His sense of timing, polyrhythms, dynamics, timbre, and legato phrasing - as well as the sheer mass of sound he produced - brought the drumset to the fore. 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 rock drummers, including Mitch Mitchell (whom Jimi Hendrix called "my Elvin Jones") and Ginger Baker.

In 1999, Jones worked with Our Lady Peace, to punt out their album Happiness...Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch.

Jones, who taught regularly, often took part in clinics, played in schools, and gave free concerts in prisons. 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 Jones and his second, albeit common-law wife, Keiko Jones (Elvin married Keiko before divorcing Shirley, meaning that legally he and Keiko were not married).

Elvin Jones is also survived by son Elvin Nathan Jones of California and daughter Rose-Marie Fromm of Sweden.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/elvin-jones/

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Biografía
Elvin Ray Jones fue un batería de jazz. Nació en Pontiac, Michigan, siendo el hijo menor de una familia de diez hermanos. Su padre trabajaba para General Motors. Dos de los hermanos de Jones también eran músicos de jazz: Hank (piano) y Thad (trompeta/fliscorno).

Elvin comenzó a tocar profesionalmente en la década de 1940, trabajando con el programa de Servicios Especiales del Ejército, Operación Felicidad, y en 1949 tuvo una breve actuación en el club Grand River Street de Detroit. Con el tiempo, llegó a tocar con artistas como Charlie Parker, Miles Davis y Wardell Gray. En 1955, tras una audición fallida para la banda de Benny Goodman, encontró trabajo en Nueva York, uniéndose a la banda de Charles Mingus y publicando un disco titulado J is for Jazz.

En 1960, se unió al clásico John Coltrane Quartet, que también incluía al bajista Jimmy Garrison y al pianista McCoy Tyner.

Jones y Coltrane tocaban a menudo extensos pasajes a dúo, dando y recibiendo energía a través de sus instrumentos. Se considera que esta banda redefinió el "swing" (la sensación rítmica del jazz) del mismo modo que Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker y otros lo hicieron en etapas anteriores del desarrollo del jazz.

Estuvo con Coltrane hasta 1966. Para entonces, Jones no se sentía del todo cómodo con la dirección que estaba tomando Coltrane y su estilo polirrítmico chocaba con el enfoque "multidireccional" del segundo batería del grupo, Rashied Ali.

Tras abandonar el grupo de Coltrane, Jones tocó con Duke Ellington y acabó formando su propio grupo de gira. Jazz Machine, normalmente un quinteto, continuó en la misma dirección musical. Su sentido de la sincronización, los polirritmos, la dinámica, el timbre y el fraseo legato -así como la enorme masa de sonido que producía- llevaron a la batería a un primer plano. Jones fue considerado por la revista Life "el mejor baterista rítmico del mundo", y su estilo fluido fue una gran influencia para muchos de los principales bateristas de rock, como Mitch Mitchell (a quien Jimi Hendrix llamaba "mi Elvin Jones") y Ginger Baker.

En 1999, Jones trabajó con Our Lady Peace, para sacar su álbum Happiness...Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch.

Jones, que daba clases regularmente, participaba a menudo en clínicas, tocaba en escuelas y daba conciertos gratuitos en prisiones. Sus clases hacían hincapié tanto en la historia de la música como en la técnica de la batería. Elvin Jones falleció de un fallo cardíaco en Englewood, Nueva Jersey, el 18 de mayo de 2004. Le sobreviven su primera esposa, Shirley Jones, y su segunda esposa, aunque de hecho, Keiko Jones (Elvin se casó con Keiko antes de divorciarse de Shirley, lo que significa que legalmente él y Keiko no estaban casados).

A Elvin Jones también le sobreviven su hijo Elvin Nathan Jones, de California, y su hija Rose-Marie Fromm, de Suecia.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/elvin-jones/

Tracks:
01. 'Salty Iron' - 5:15 - (Ryo Kawasaki)
02. 'Sweet Mama' - 6:22 - (Gene Perla)
03. 'Mini Modes' - 10:32 - (David Williams)
04. 'Philomene' - 4:38 - (Ed Bland)
05. 'Song Of Rejoicing After Returning From A Hunt' - 15:43


Credits:
Drums - Elvin Jones
Bass - Dave Williams
Guitar - Ryo Kawasaki
Keyboards - Albert Dailey
Percussion - Angel Allende (3-5), Dave Johnson (1-2)
Reeds - Dave Liebman (1-2) , Frank Foster (3-5) , Pat LaBarbera , Steve Grossman (2-5)

2001

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