Modern Drummer Magazine

"I was fascinated by the drums. I was always banging on things but I couldn't figure out how people rolled on drums. How could they play fast enough to produce a continuous sound?"

When one thinks of jazz, inevitably the name John Coltrane comes to mind. As a member of the John Coltrane Quartet, drummer Elvin Jones emerged as a prominent contributor to jazz drumming. Jones' significance as a drummer stemmed from his unprecedented complexity of rhythmic independence, phrasing and tone color, synonymous with the Coltrane style.

After talking to Jimmy Cobb and hearing him play, I was impressed both by the man, and the musician. His musical credentials are extensive. From 1958-1962 he was a member of the Miles Davis group, which included John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley.