I had the pleasure and spine tingling thrill of seeing Elvin Jones play live several times in Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in Soho, London, in the late seventies and early eighties and I can honestly say that I have never seen such an incredible jazz drummer. He was just an amazing talent who is certainly much missed... as has already been said, ... "there will never be another you"...
Look at the complex combination of his both hands and feet, and wide variety of strokes and rudiments he is using! He is really a technician as well as a very powerful drummer.
I know a guy who has a yellow Gretsch kit just like that one; 2 rack toms, 2 floor toms. He let me use it once for a concert with the U of A jazz ensemble back in 1992. I love the solo Elvin plays on Summertime from Coltrane's album, "My Favorite Things." If you don't have any Coltrane or Elvin then I'd recommend buying that album. It was my first Coltrane and I still love it.
you forgot buddy rch best friend mr drums phil ambros, see phil on youtube sinatra and phil ambros on the set sinatra and buddy gave him on his birthday you a right about your post? if not for them we would be just like people, and that is no fun.........................sinatra and friends
Everything he plays means something. Theres not 1 trick or "Lick". Just energy moving. One needs to be able to "Hear it" though. Elvin is every drummers teacher. We all will be forever in debt for his contribution to our music.
Jones>Rich, in my opinion. Buddy was too reliant on the snare. So is Jones, but not quite as much. Jones gives the toms their moment in the spotlight, which is awesome.
My next gig, I'm going to wear some striped bellbottom pants, similar to Mr. Elvin Jones' slacks. I can' t lose dressed like that, and I best the groupies will fight over me.
@1987DeLarge its ridiculous to compare elvin to any of those drummers. He isn't good, he is it. He is functioning a level so much greater. He is incomparable to any of the guys you mentioned. You obviously don't know the style. If you knew it, you wouldn't be making the comparison in the first place.
When you think about it he's holding his sticks all wrong and he has very little control; very sloppy and even poor time so I can see why young drummers or musicinas in general who do not understand jazz; especially outside playing like this, think he sucks but they don't understand that in this type of music none of that is as important as self expression and they can't see that he has the melody going in his head as he plays all these counter ryhthms and poly rhythms. Their loss.
@spercoco i mean he's just holding the sticks like a percussionist. but yeah, his style is just a lot different from what most people in this day and age know as drumming and a lot of people don't understand.
Beyond being one of the all time best drummers.......... He was a super nice guy !!!
I think our younger drummers fail to realize the level of his skills. He once told me, when I asked him how he liked the new snare with wood rims. His reply........... it's Alive, while flashing his wonderful trademark smile.
Everything he does is so particular ! He plays with so much intent. . you can see it. This is the only drum, next to Jaki Liebezeit's drum solo on youtube, that I have felt so much..
Way to go!!!! Elvin's insane!!! What a wild energy. Really impressive... among the best jazz drummers in the world!!!
And if all you drummers and drum fans out there wanna see another giant jazz drummer (and who's still alive!) check out Han Bennink. He's totally free and plays on any object, toy, tool or whatever he can find...
Surf for him here on YouTube... you won't be dissapointed!!!
Recently i heard about Mr. Elvin Jones, it's a shame by me, but i'm honest as a drummer i'am, his legacy is biggest and now i know why everybody talk many precious things about him, my respects for this great man and i ask a little touch of magic that he's got in his hands and feet only a little because he's got everything and took away with all the masters in the musical universe, rest in peace master Elvin Jones and thanks a lot for your biggest beat on the world.
I had the good fortune in having several dressing room deep conversations w/ Elvin @ the Blue Note. Anytime he was playing there I would fly up to see him. Not only was he one of our very best all time drummers!! He was a just one super person as well. Each time I met with Elvin he would greet me with that great big smile and a giant hand shake. I really do miss Elvin!!
It's like, how much more rhythmic could you get?.....And the answer is none. He's the epitome of the drum itself, this man played the drums in a fashion no one else can even understand. We can only watch and learn.
@MarcBonacci You fucking retard. If you read who I was replying to then this conversation wouldn't have happened. My comment was a reply to a dickhead that said "Elvin Jones is random noise and that Joey Jordison is a great drummer". I said That Bonham and Carey were better. Fuck I know youtube's layout is ridiculous but please I am not that dumb. Was a dumb headbanger but I appreciate Elvins work. Sorry for my dodgy lash out. This is a misunderstanding. I agree with you on Elvins improv!
@MarcBonacci You know all the idiots in the world. Well thats actually a matter of perspective. Doesn't matter anyway. I'm better than you. Your probably better off dead. Reply to me. I love you you sweet little faggot of mine. I will wank over your electronic text. Bow down to your master!
I don't comment very often, but at times people make comments that are so misinformed or painfully uneducated that you have to make a point. ANY drummer worth their weight in salt IMMEDIATELY name drummers like Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Buddy Rich, Billy Cobham, and others as their foundation for drumming. There would be no Joey Jordinson, John Bonham, or Danny Carey without masters like Elvin Jones. And I've heard both Bonham and Carey openly give praise to their mentors. History.
@bruthaflo Great observation. Staying with and emphasising the form of the tune can be a real challenge for the drummer especially if concentration lapses.
ckacda: On the surface, most people notice Elvin Jones muscular style. This was very different from the fast but still smooth playing of his immediate predecesors. But underneath that, he integrated polyrhythms in his playing. All four of his limbs would play an independent AND syncopated accent pattern and/or time signature in ways noone in jazz did at the time. If you listen VERY carefully, you might hear it clearer in his ensemble playing. This is what earned him respect and reverence.
the most violent drum solo ever. he plays like one pissed off n**&$r. better than any rock drum solo. he would be an awesome rock drummer, but his work withcoltrane is like heavey metal
I really have to ask a question. I don't get it. to me Elvin Jones was marginal at best. Can name a hundred drummers more talented, more gifted. Weckl,Chambers,Erskine,Cobham,Rich. There is no comparision. Calling him amazing or the Man.Come on. I'm 61 and have played drums for 56 years so I have some knowledge...somebody please enlighten me....thank-you
Well, sir, with all due respect, the very fact that he has played with the musicians of such grandeur as Coltrane, Mingus and Parker, says something about Elvin's value. Although, I agree that Cobham and Rich were better, simply they belonged to some other Universe, unattainable by us, mortals.
Weckl, Cobham, Rich - fantastic drummers with awesome technical skils that leave us fellow drummers slack-jawed. BUT musical appreciation isn't only in the head. If you're looking for drumming that truly reaches into the heart you need to look beyond the great showmen to drummers that FEEL. Elvin wouldn't win any contests for flawless technique, but his playing goes so much deeper. He is not trying to impress us with showy, perfect technique, he is conversing with our soul.
drummers like rich or cobham are surely great soloist drummers ...but i think that elvin's playing style represent the real revolution in drumming....he's gone beyond the conventional idea of timing...when I hear that giant sound going on and I think about the complexity of his polyritmic playng ...well..i think .he's unbelievable.
For a long time I didn't understand EJ's music either. Than one night after one of those special nights of playing I came home and listened to A Love Supreme. That night EJ's playing made me cry. No drummer has ever done that to me. I have no explanation.
This is bop. It is a type of ruleless freedom, all out melody adventures and chordal structure framework. All those other drummers you mentioned approach drums with dancers in mind. Pop drumming. Or Funk or whatever. Traditional context. This way that elvin plays has different context. A personal disposition. No march. Living thru the piece. As opposed to reliving it. Come to think of it, it's the inability to explain it which stems from the fact that "getting it". is not taken for granted.
EJ can't be judged by his solo work. He was one of the two most influential drummers since the '60s, the other being Tony Williams. On the Coltrane recordings, appreciate his loose,, frenetic style. Many of the greatest drummers were ensemble players; not soloists, like Philly Joe, Blakey, and Max. I love all the drummers you named, but ask them what they think of Elvin. Apparently, he was "good enough" to be hired by John Coltrane. Respectfully yours. (I've played drums for 50 years myself.)
If you experienced him live -- he encompassed something unexplainable and unforseen, surprising -- from a realm of pure expression. When he pulled back the band by playing behind the beat, it was like a fierce and formidable human octopus with four hands playing and the other four drawing in the audience. He is my absolute, all time favorite. DeJohnette comes close in my opinion, in ability to move the audience. While your examples are great, words like "talented" and "gifted" are subjective
-- "no comparison" is the correct wording, as they are apples, pears, oranges and cherries. Just curious what your criteria are for talented and gifted. It's all opinion. They all encompass talent with a gift. It reminds me of critics that would berate Miles' tone when he missed notes here and there -- completely missing the point. "Marginal at best" is a great diservice to EJ. This is not a competition. The need to rank is unecessary. Just say what you like and leave the rest.
If you want enlightenment, pick up a copy of "One Down, One Up" by the Coltrane quartet.
The main thing to listen for is Elvin's comping. You can hear him feeding off of Trane and McCoy Tyner at pretty much the same time. One of the best renditions of "Afro Blue" I've ever heard. He really helps to push the music forward. Such tension, such release; you are spent in the end!
well let me put it that way.. give the video another listen, and try and realy listen when he blasts his ride. I know that every time i hear his blasts i can feel it, it's not something you can describe it's a powerful feeling. this is something elvin has, and all those names above dont have. that damn blast that makes the ground shake, that pure energy, bursting into a one soulful strike, that simply blows your mind.
If look at his ride closely at around 2:05, you'll notice that Elvin has somehow managed to punch a hole through his biggest circular piece of bronze alloy.
Why do you asholes even consiser Gazz in the scheme of this era thing? And Tony Royster the Gospel Flops never panned out.Please get serious in here w/the master.
No Dennis Chambers allowed in this league. You have to go down to AA drum league for guys like him. Nver made it othe jazz bigs.Why ? Cause Chambers can't swing. End of story
Elvin Jones. Tony Roster jr. Thomas Pridgen. Art Blakey. Billy Cobham. I've just named the best black drummers in music history. If I'm forgetting anyone, please let me know.
fire!!!!!!!!!!!!
imagandy 1 month ago
How's the piece called????
LazyBastard69 2 months ago
I had the pleasure and spine tingling thrill of seeing Elvin Jones play live several times in Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in Soho, London, in the late seventies and early eighties and I can honestly say that I have never seen such an incredible jazz drummer. He was just an amazing talent who is certainly much missed... as has already been said, ... "there will never be another you"...
maeldune1957 2 months ago
-- There will never ever be another you.....
Thanks for posting this treasure.
bobgure 3 months ago
It's like having a debate about whether thunder or lightning is more powerful.
sulimander 5 months ago
Look at the complex combination of his both hands and feet, and wide variety of strokes and rudiments he is using! He is really a technician as well as a very powerful drummer.
toriinfluenza 7 months ago
Pat LaBarbara on soprano sax, Ryo Kawasaki on guitar, Junie Booth on upright bass?, and Elvin Jones on drums
michaelguglielmo 7 months ago
@michaelguglielmo That's David Williams on bass.
johnbarleycornmd 2 weeks ago
5 people thought Elvin's drumming was so amazing, they flipped their monitors upside down to thumps up a second time.
ParallaxDrums 7 months ago 21
@ParallaxDrums Ha... first time one of them dumb youtube thumb comments made me laugh.
GlobalJukebox 7 months ago
Power ! who can play like him today? who has his power? I wonder...
freddiefreejazzify 7 months ago
Elvin and Buddy should have made babies for the good of man kind
agskater1914 8 months ago 8
Elvin is a master of phrasing
Vicfirth5bb 8 months ago
elvin is unique
tiomiles 8 months ago
I know a guy who has a yellow Gretsch kit just like that one; 2 rack toms, 2 floor toms. He let me use it once for a concert with the U of A jazz ensemble back in 1992. I love the solo Elvin plays on Summertime from Coltrane's album, "My Favorite Things." If you don't have any Coltrane or Elvin then I'd recommend buying that album. It was my first Coltrane and I still love it.
drewper73 9 months ago
who is the soprano player?
dadaistaebasta 9 months ago
you forgot buddy rch best friend mr drums phil ambros, see phil on youtube sinatra and phil ambros on the set sinatra and buddy gave him on his birthday you a right about your post? if not for them we would be just like people, and that is no fun.........................sinatra and friends
MrDrumsPhilAmbros 9 months ago
Everything he plays means something. Theres not 1 trick or "Lick". Just energy moving. One needs to be able to "Hear it" though. Elvin is every drummers teacher. We all will be forever in debt for his contribution to our music.
darnell828 9 months ago
Elvin has groovy pants
29dave 9 months ago
That was sick! His string t-shirt, I mean.
patriot6061 10 months ago
That was sick! His string t-shirt, I mean.
patriot6061 10 months ago
this made me happy :)
sebz61 10 months ago
My brother and I loved Elvin so much.. Elvin didnt just play the drums! He played music on the drums!!! Dig!! R Tullius
tulrob 10 months ago
Jones>Rich, in my opinion. Buddy was too reliant on the snare. So is Jones, but not quite as much. Jones gives the toms their moment in the spotlight, which is awesome.
TheMrClamberto 10 months ago
Wow! Liebman was also killin'! These guys are definitely innovators, especially Elvin.
Navigationism 11 months ago
I want those toms!
The1stFishBone 11 months ago
He's no Travis Barker, he he ;)
Helslinky 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
My next gig, I'm going to wear some striped bellbottom pants, similar to Mr. Elvin Jones' slacks. I can' t lose dressed like that, and I best the groupies will fight over me.
fnkdrmmr 1 year ago
Comment removed
fnkdrmmr 1 year ago
yeah he's good.From the younger generation i'd point out:Dave Lombardo,Mickey Dee and Scott Travis!
1987DeLarge 1 year ago
@1987DeLarge you are ridiculous
nbarer1 11 months ago
@nbarer1 If im ridiculous,u don't know music:).
1987DeLarge 11 months ago
@1987DeLarge its ridiculous to compare elvin to any of those drummers. He isn't good, he is it. He is functioning a level so much greater. He is incomparable to any of the guys you mentioned. You obviously don't know the style. If you knew it, you wouldn't be making the comparison in the first place.
nbarer1 11 months ago
@nbarer1 I am talking pure tehnique here,not styles.Check out Lombardo and then say Elvin is better:).
1987DeLarge 11 months ago
Elvin Jones is cool like fool in swimming p-p-p-pool!
Imupoffathatthing 1 year ago
When you think about it he's holding his sticks all wrong and he has very little control; very sloppy and even poor time so I can see why young drummers or musicinas in general who do not understand jazz; especially outside playing like this, think he sucks but they don't understand that in this type of music none of that is as important as self expression and they can't see that he has the melody going in his head as he plays all these counter ryhthms and poly rhythms. Their loss.
spercoco 1 year ago
@spercoco i mean he's just holding the sticks like a percussionist. but yeah, his style is just a lot different from what most people in this day and age know as drumming and a lot of people don't understand.
historyofmetal 11 months ago
wish I could drum like Elvin.
brandanAwest 1 year ago 3
Beyond being one of the all time best drummers.......... He was a super nice guy !!!
I think our younger drummers fail to realize the level of his skills. He once told me, when I asked him how he liked the new snare with wood rims. His reply........... it's Alive, while flashing his wonderful trademark smile.
oceanman2945 1 year ago
who play saxophone in this clip?
tincubus 1 year ago
man, EVERYONE in this band is killing it.
iLEE 1 year ago
fucking amazing. nothing else can be said. hes the best. end of story.
skateitupable 1 year ago
I love Elvin, in my top 4 drummers of all time.
HeinmillerProduction 1 year ago
what a fuckin machine. he will always be my favourite.
GhostGuerrilla 1 year ago
maybe i just dont like this style of drumming but i wasn't too impressed i give him a range of 15-20 one being the best drummer ive heard
punkofdeath 1 year ago
@punkofdeath
Maybe you don't actually see the very complex rhythm patterns he's playing. Jazz Drumming is very unique compared to rock, metal or punk drumming.
FunkySkunk90 1 year ago
@punkofdeath haha wow, what?
squeezykitty 1 year ago
@punkofdeath
NO ENTENDES NADA PIBE
origenhumano 10 months ago
Comment removed
adamtabl 1 year ago
this is a genius at work
adamtabl 1 year ago
Legendary
iceroxxx 1 year ago
4 people love Meg White :P
julissajoy 1 year ago
@julissajoy hahaha. FUCK YOU!
OhYeah729 1 year ago
@julissajoy Meg White kicks ass too. Hell with your comment!
The4thGuy 1 year ago
@julissajoy
hey she plays perfectly adequate parts
groalerable 1 year ago
i saw him just before he died. in oakland. california.
he makes me so happy to watch. its like liquid spilling out.
thats how i always try to play my drums.
like elvin.
waterknob 1 year ago
Everything he does is so particular ! He plays with so much intent. . you can see it. This is the only drum, next to Jaki Liebezeit's drum solo on youtube, that I have felt so much..
Jdubeats 1 year ago
WOOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!!
littlesnaredrum 1 year ago
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ELVIN YOU ARE CRAZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ziogustav 1 year ago
...That sax player is the one and only Pat Labarbera!
desperationno5 1 year ago
Anyone know who the soprano sax player is on this? he sounds just like coltrane in the 60s...
Obelix5150 1 year ago
@Obelix5150 I know! before i saw him in the vid i thought it was actually Trane.
iceroxxx 1 year ago
dayum
funkymystic 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Way to go!!!! Elvin's insane!!! What a wild energy. Really impressive... among the best jazz drummers in the world!!!
And if all you drummers and drum fans out there wanna see another giant jazz drummer (and who's still alive!) check out Han Bennink. He's totally free and plays on any object, toy, tool or whatever he can find...
Surf for him here on YouTube... you won't be dissapointed!!!
So that's HAN BENNINK from The Netherlands
provocase 1 year ago
Comment removed
provocase 1 year ago
Recently i heard about Mr. Elvin Jones, it's a shame by me, but i'm honest as a drummer i'am, his legacy is biggest and now i know why everybody talk many precious things about him, my respects for this great man and i ask a little touch of magic that he's got in his hands and feet only a little because he's got everything and took away with all the masters in the musical universe, rest in peace master Elvin Jones and thanks a lot for your biggest beat on the world.
kozmiclonely 1 year ago
I love his playing.
LiquidDreamsUK 1 year ago
One of the greatest EVER.
ZackPomerleau 1 year ago
Kick ass shirt Elvin!
kewinajohnson 1 year ago
I had the good fortune in having several dressing room deep conversations w/ Elvin @ the Blue Note. Anytime he was playing there I would fly up to see him. Not only was he one of our very best all time drummers!! He was a just one super person as well. Each time I met with Elvin he would greet me with that great big smile and a giant hand shake. I really do miss Elvin!!
oceanman2945 1 year ago
Elvin is so GREAT!!
elagobolus 1 year ago
The guy was like a perfect combination of Buddy Rich technicality and Max Roach musicality. Spectacular.
lmla192 1 year ago 2
Watching Elvin always tends to drop my jaw, this is far beyond incredible. Elvin's truly a master of jazz drumming.
mclovindrumman 1 year ago
See his shirt, that's Under Armor's old style. "Airy Dry Fit"
madgameman1 1 year ago
It's like, how much more rhythmic could you get?.....And the answer is none. He's the epitome of the drum itself, this man played the drums in a fashion no one else can even understand. We can only watch and learn.
hithatrollz 1 year ago
Those shoes say it all!
thatiamdisco 1 year ago
@MarcBonacci You fucking retard. If you read who I was replying to then this conversation wouldn't have happened. My comment was a reply to a dickhead that said "Elvin Jones is random noise and that Joey Jordison is a great drummer". I said That Bonham and Carey were better. Fuck I know youtube's layout is ridiculous but please I am not that dumb. Was a dumb headbanger but I appreciate Elvins work. Sorry for my dodgy lash out. This is a misunderstanding. I agree with you on Elvins improv!
Meta1Head91 1 year ago
@MarcBonacci You know all the idiots in the world. Well thats actually a matter of perspective. Doesn't matter anyway. I'm better than you. Your probably better off dead. Reply to me. I love you you sweet little faggot of mine. I will wank over your electronic text. Bow down to your master!
Meta1Head91 1 year ago
Comment removed
mbball32 1 year ago
I don't comment very often, but at times people make comments that are so misinformed or painfully uneducated that you have to make a point. ANY drummer worth their weight in salt IMMEDIATELY name drummers like Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Buddy Rich, Billy Cobham, and others as their foundation for drumming. There would be no Joey Jordinson, John Bonham, or Danny Carey without masters like Elvin Jones. And I've heard both Bonham and Carey openly give praise to their mentors. History.
mbball32 1 year ago 27
@mbball32 well said man..or typed haha
4an2dy0 8 months ago
@mbball32 well said man..or typed haha
4an2dy0 8 months ago
@mbball32 jordison is a kid. Lars it' s a master (???) in any case i' m agree with you.
LUXXXable 4 months ago
these drums are sitting in steve maxwell's shop in nyc, i just played on them today. deep.
salvadorsimp 1 year ago
I dont know Elvin Jones but it looks like he knows what hes doing. Looks like hes got things under control.
bruthaflo 1 year ago
@bruthaflo Yeah, I'd say he's pretty much on top of things here. Like, he's got it figured out.
ignarukih 1 year ago
@ignarukih Some drummers get confused in the solo, like what to do next. Elvin seems to have a grasp on the situation here.
bruthaflo 1 year ago
@bruthaflo Great observation. Staying with and emphasising the form of the tune can be a real challenge for the drummer especially if concentration lapses.
spigots8 1 year ago
Staggering - and tasteful at the same time.
babymicrobe 1 year ago
This is totally random noise,nothing to do with real drumming,check out Joey Jordison if you want to see great drumming
Thomasgipsy 1 year ago
@Thomasgipsy I have come to the conclusion that really good music sounds like noise to the ignorant.
Kilgore2100 1 year ago
@Thomasgipsy Your comment warrants only one reply: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!
sistermicrowave 1 year ago
@Thomasgipsy John Bonham and Danny Carey are better.
Meta1Head91 1 year ago
@Meta1Head91 only if you knew
thatiamdisco 1 year ago
@thatiamdisco Only if I saw them live.
Meta1Head91 1 year ago
@Thomasgipsy dipshit
dogtowndrums 6 months ago
The most intelligent drummer.
FunkySkunk90 1 year ago
awesome! ya'll should watch till the end because, well just check it out.
i2969k 1 year ago
THE "one"
nadir6661 1 year ago
ckacda: On the surface, most people notice Elvin Jones muscular style. This was very different from the fast but still smooth playing of his immediate predecesors. But underneath that, he integrated polyrhythms in his playing. All four of his limbs would play an independent AND syncopated accent pattern and/or time signature in ways noone in jazz did at the time. If you listen VERY carefully, you might hear it clearer in his ensemble playing. This is what earned him respect and reverence.
videobrains 1 year ago
now THIS GUY KNEW! how to keep time, notice his wearing 2 watches!!!
Grillmouth 1 year ago 2
@Grillmouth ahahaha i love that!
xotankox 1 year ago
the dynamics are nothing short of amazing here
n1ghtley 1 year ago 2
who's the guitarist?
darkedge45 1 year ago
Elvin was one of my best teachers and mentors when I was younger. The man is a Superior Drummer and percussionist , and one MF'er on the drums!
elakzin 1 year ago
Elvin was one of my best teachers, and one Mother Fucker on the Drums!!!!! (RIP) Mr. Jones
elakzin 1 year ago
Elvin Jones is one BAD MOTHER FUCKER !!!
mikeandsophia08 1 year ago
Man... the phrasing!!!
rossignolmusic 1 year ago
Who is John Boneham?
FireBananer 1 year ago
ej is a sick drummer
RjThaGreat510 1 year ago
@ullaulla69. The truth is Bonham got a whole bunch of his thing from Elvin, stylistically. He was a huge Elvin Jones, Art Blakey and Max Roach fan.
CJ81 1 year ago 5
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Does not compare wih Bonham
ullaulla69 1 year ago
This is really too much. The very tip itself.
strombolitic 1 year ago
he is one of the good drummers ive ever seen
chosen2free 1 year ago
anyone know who's on guitar
naxtea 2 years ago
@naxtea John McLaughlin
quiltmaster89 1 year ago 2
Comment removed
dasiccseason 1 year ago
Still is my favorite jazz drummer.
The4thGuy 2 years ago 29
@The4thGuy
just became my favorite drummer!
theaviatersband 1 year ago 2
is fuckin awesome!!!
sixorions 2 years ago 2
The man was close to the very tip top of the pyramid if not actually the very tip itself. A true genius and wizard.
mlcoo17 2 years ago 16
Yes.... to me it was Max, Tony and Elvin in no particular order
martinezsuastegui 1 year ago
FUCKING SHIT !!! this is life xD
Danythecrazy07 2 years ago 4
You don't see many people who still use that tradition grip Elvin had, these days. Old school masterpiece in drumming this truely is!
ghostmutt477 2 years ago
dave liebman on soprano
shalominthehome92 2 years ago
incredible technique and musicianship, a true champ
brock786 2 years ago
i'm so happy that i like elvin at 17! this guy is the master at comping!
Bosphorus92 2 years ago
Its gotta be the shoes ! ;-)
SplitHoof 2 years ago
the most violent drum solo ever. he plays like one pissed off n**&$r. better than any rock drum solo. he would be an awesome rock drummer, but his work withcoltrane is like heavey metal
bklyncosanostra 2 years ago 5
that ain't no n**&$r, man. that is a god.
cylsan 2 years ago
what coltrane stuff would you recomend with elvin... (from a drummer)
pdrums777 2 years ago
My Favorite Things
Love Supreme
Ole
Just to name a few
jkdrummer 2 years ago 2
yeah, My Favorite Things is still one of my favorites; the title track is THE jazz feel on drums.
mrbateman00 2 years ago
@bklyncosanostra Jeff 'Tain' Watts blasts heaps, and he owes that to dudes like Elvin and Sunny Murray.
ignarukih 1 year ago
Holy FUCKIN' SHIT
bklyncosanostra 2 years ago 2
whos on soprano
EMCEMITCH 2 years ago
A real Rocker in the Jazz world....
number one!!!
mazzanera65 2 years ago
Is that Steve Khan on guitar? Who is on Soprano? This is so badass thanks for the post!
phoenixeye88 2 years ago
Have you heard of John Riley? Probably the best or one of the best drummers alive today. John Riley learns Elvin Jones licks.
Other than that, all I can say is if you don't get Elvin Jones... He probably won't get you.
jxzz13 2 years ago 2
what makes elvin jones be elvin jones is not his licks...
nanopola 2 years ago
If you cant understand him at 61 then, unless you fought for me in the war ... you suck!
Helslinky 2 years ago 2
I really have to ask a question. I don't get it. to me Elvin Jones was marginal at best. Can name a hundred drummers more talented, more gifted. Weckl,Chambers,Erskine,Cobham,Rich. There is no comparision. Calling him amazing or the Man.Come on. I'm 61 and have played drums for 56 years so I have some knowledge...somebody please enlighten me....thank-you
ckacda 2 years ago
Well, sir, with all due respect, the very fact that he has played with the musicians of such grandeur as Coltrane, Mingus and Parker, says something about Elvin's value. Although, I agree that Cobham and Rich were better, simply they belonged to some other Universe, unattainable by us, mortals.
zporobija 2 years ago
Weckl, Cobham, Rich - fantastic drummers with awesome technical skils that leave us fellow drummers slack-jawed. BUT musical appreciation isn't only in the head. If you're looking for drumming that truly reaches into the heart you need to look beyond the great showmen to drummers that FEEL. Elvin wouldn't win any contests for flawless technique, but his playing goes so much deeper. He is not trying to impress us with showy, perfect technique, he is conversing with our soul.
moonshine68 2 years ago 6
drummers like rich or cobham are surely great soloist drummers ...but i think that elvin's playing style represent the real revolution in drumming....he's gone beyond the conventional idea of timing...when I hear that giant sound going on and I think about the complexity of his polyritmic playng ...well..i think .he's unbelievable.
riccdrum 2 years ago 2
For a long time I didn't understand EJ's music either. Than one night after one of those special nights of playing I came home and listened to A Love Supreme. That night EJ's playing made me cry. No drummer has ever done that to me. I have no explanation.
dhRzztt 2 years ago 5
This is bop. It is a type of ruleless freedom, all out melody adventures and chordal structure framework. All those other drummers you mentioned approach drums with dancers in mind. Pop drumming. Or Funk or whatever. Traditional context. This way that elvin plays has different context. A personal disposition. No march. Living thru the piece. As opposed to reliving it. Come to think of it, it's the inability to explain it which stems from the fact that "getting it". is not taken for granted.
dhRzztt 2 years ago
EJ can't be judged by his solo work. He was one of the two most influential drummers since the '60s, the other being Tony Williams. On the Coltrane recordings, appreciate his loose,, frenetic style. Many of the greatest drummers were ensemble players; not soloists, like Philly Joe, Blakey, and Max. I love all the drummers you named, but ask them what they think of Elvin. Apparently, he was "good enough" to be hired by John Coltrane. Respectfully yours. (I've played drums for 50 years myself.)
roccovaselino 2 years ago
If you experienced him live -- he encompassed something unexplainable and unforseen, surprising -- from a realm of pure expression. When he pulled back the band by playing behind the beat, it was like a fierce and formidable human octopus with four hands playing and the other four drawing in the audience. He is my absolute, all time favorite. DeJohnette comes close in my opinion, in ability to move the audience. While your examples are great, words like "talented" and "gifted" are subjective
earwaves58 2 years ago
-- "no comparison" is the correct wording, as they are apples, pears, oranges and cherries. Just curious what your criteria are for talented and gifted. It's all opinion. They all encompass talent with a gift. It reminds me of critics that would berate Miles' tone when he missed notes here and there -- completely missing the point. "Marginal at best" is a great diservice to EJ. This is not a competition. The need to rank is unecessary. Just say what you like and leave the rest.
earwaves58 2 years ago
If you want enlightenment, pick up a copy of "One Down, One Up" by the Coltrane quartet.
The main thing to listen for is Elvin's comping. You can hear him feeding off of Trane and McCoy Tyner at pretty much the same time. One of the best renditions of "Afro Blue" I've ever heard. He really helps to push the music forward. Such tension, such release; you are spent in the end!
enthusiastoftoast 2 years ago
@ckacda
well let me put it that way.. give the video another listen, and try and realy listen when he blasts his ride. I know that every time i hear his blasts i can feel it, it's not something you can describe it's a powerful feeling. this is something elvin has, and all those names above dont have. that damn blast that makes the ground shake, that pure energy, bursting into a one soulful strike, that simply blows your mind.
ben4792 9 months ago
dude that guy sounds almost EXACTLY like coltrane
JCooltrane83 2 years ago
Three Card Molly! That's the song! Great Solo! We miss you, Elvin!
Crimson39 2 years ago
makes me either want to give up or try harder really cant decide.
lazyindeed 2 years ago
Always try harder
DrMortician 2 years ago
what song is this?
SEANB3 2 years ago
si tocara un 1% de lo q toca,me moriria contento
turcoins 2 years ago
If look at his ride closely at around 2:05, you'll notice that Elvin has somehow managed to punch a hole through his biggest circular piece of bronze alloy.
No doubt from constant godly shredding, I assume.
ninjabritton 2 years ago 4
haha - " constantly godly shredding" - i love it.
MrChiffy 2 years ago
nice solo
sweetmomoboy 2 years ago
amazing solo!
he's the man!
funkCinI 2 years ago
this is insane.. the whole band is just grooving the fuck away from all sense of reality.. elvin is a true god!!!
ElCapisanto 2 years ago
you know what is heavier than elvin's swing, its his dick!
90dhf 2 years ago 3
amazing :)
wunjo4 2 years ago
Thunder and lightning.
rioblanco 2 years ago
lenny white, billy drummond, lyne carrington omg. beautiful video
eloyhbermudez 2 years ago
Why do you asholes even consiser Gazz in the scheme of this era thing? And Tony Royster the Gospel Flops never panned out.Please get serious in here w/the master.
rrdrums110 2 years ago
No Dennis Chambers allowed in this league. You have to go down to AA drum league for guys like him. Nver made it othe jazz bigs.Why ? Cause Chambers can't swing. End of story
rrdrums110 2 years ago
haha yeah ;)
ranftdavid 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Gadd is smoother!!
dericpajalla 2 years ago
fuck that
davenumbers 2 years ago
Elvin Jones. Tony Roster jr. Thomas Pridgen. Art Blakey. Billy Cobham. I've just named the best black drummers in music history. If I'm forgetting anyone, please let me know.
whenMomorulzhisworld 2 years ago