Drum God: Elvin Jones

Born: September 9, 1927
Died: May 18, 2004

When Elvin Ray Jones moved from his hometown in Michigan to New York City in 1956, the jazz-listening world wasn't quite ready for the drummer's outer-space conception. His loping, circular sense of swing and abstract, barline-blurring breaks weren't easy to listen to or easy to follow, which often left him searching for work. In fact, in 1957, Elvin was fired from trombonist J.J. Johnson's band, most likely because of the drummer's uncompromising "new" approach. But all that changed in 1960 when Jones found himself in one of the most influential groups in jazz history–The John Coltrane Quartet. Elvin's unpredictable phrasing, ever-shifting accents, and superhuman energy were exactly what Coltrane needed to propel his music to supreme levels of spiritual, intellectual, and emotional intensity. As the audience caught up with Coltrane's startling new sounds, Elvin rose to worldwide recognition as the most influential drummer of the '60s.

Style And Technique
From a technical perspective, Jones's work with Coltrane as well as his contributions to earlier recordings with Sonny Rollins, Tommy Flanagan, and others expanded the liberated swing of Roy Haynes so that each limb was now an equal partner in timekeeping, solo phrasing, and rhythmic accompaniment. Nothing was static: The ride cymbal was able to break from the standard 'spang, spang-a-lang' pattern, the left foot was free to play offbeat injections beyond the typical 2 and 4 backbeats, and the bass drum and left hand were left to throw in a conversation of their own.

Elvin also dove deep into polymeters, often superimposing contrasting time signatures over standard 4/4 swing, and he was one of the first drummers to fully explore broken-triplet subdivisions. With his full-blown rhythmic voice and newfound popularity, he quickly became a prolific sideman, appearing on many classic post-bop records with artists like Wayne Shorter, Ornette Coleman, Joe Henderson, and Larry Young. The drummer also took his first stab at leading a band, releasing the aptly titled Elvin! in 1961.

Eventually Jones and Coltrane would part ways, presumably after the saxophonist shifted further into the arrhythmic sounds of the avant-garde on his 1965 record Transition. The move allowed Elvin to focus more intently on his own band-leading efforts; his group, The Jazz Machine, would remain active until the drummer's death in 2004.

Accompanying A Soloist
Jones was always careful to keep his ears open. "I can never get away from the word support," he said. "It's important that drummers understand what support really means and how significant it is in dealing with artistic endeavors. One should be flexible enough to go with it. It isn't something to fight. One has to contribute. Be conscious of the kind of support that is needed so you can apply it."

Using The Entire Kit
When dealing with interaction, Elvin developed an innovative approach in which each component of the kit was incorporated into his ideas. "Just as a piano is one instrument, a drumset is one instrument," the drummer said. "You can't isolate the different parts of the set any more than you can isolate your left leg from the rest of your body. People are never going to approach the drumset correctly if they don't start thinking of it as a single instrument."

Developing Independent Coordination
Obviously, such an advanced four-way approach to the drumkit involved a lot of sophisticated coordination. But Jones was wary of the word independence when describing the techniques involved in his liberated style. "As soon as you say 'independence,' you've lost the concept of coordination," he explained. As far as practical advice for developing coordination, Elvin simply believed it takes a great deal of practice. "You need to start by doing things that are very simple, because the simple things develop into the more complex things."

Keeping Time
Despite his loose approach to the kit, Jones was always conscious of his primary role as timekeeper. "That's what the drummer is supposed to do: keep the time," Elvin said. "If you can do something else besides that, fine. That's another contribution. But the time is essential. That is nonnegotiable."

The (Un)importance Of Influences
When discussing direct influences, Elvin cautioned against studying other drummers too closely. "I wouldn't tell anybody to play like someone else," he said. "I think a student should learn how to hear things for himself, like the jazz cymbal pattern. Play it the way you want to, not the way you heard someone else do it. You first need to learn what coordination is and how to use your hands and feet and how to think and listen to music as you play it. That's more important than playing other guys' licks."

Select Discography
As a leader
Elvin! (1961)
Illumination (1963)
Puttin' It Together (1968)
Poly-Currents (1969)

As a sideman
Night At The Village Vanguard, Sonny Rollins (1957)
My Favorite Things, John Coltrane (1960)
Africa/Brass, John Coltrane (1961)
Live At The Village Vanguard, John Coltrane (1961)
Crescent, John Coltrane (1964)
A Love Supreme, John Coltrane (1964)
Night Dreamer, Wayne Shorter (1964)
Juju, Wayne Shorter (1964)
Speak No Evil, Wayne Shorter (1964)
In 'N Out, Joe Henderson (1964)
Inner Urge, Joe Henderson (1964)
Unity, Larry Young (1965)
The Real McCoy, McCoy Tyner (1967)
New York Is Now!, Ornette Coleman (1968)

MD Issues
December 1982, May 1992, July 2002

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