Elvin Jones on Haskell Harr and learning the rudiments: “I did go through [Harr’s snare drum book] as a matter of fact. I went to public school in Pontiac, Michigan, so I didn’t do anything extra. […] I didn’t have […]
Category: Elvin Jones
Page o’ coordination: Out Of This World
For all of these POCs I’ve posted, I’ve actually been writing and practicing quite a few more. Here’s one elaborating on one of the very first entries in this series, but with a more advanced […]
Groove o’ the day: Elvin Jones — The Trip
Here’s Elvin Jones playing a groove that should be very familiar if you’ve been following our Page o’ Coordination series: The Trip, by alto saxophonist Art Pepper, from his album of the same title. On the […]
Groove o’ the day: Elvin Afro 6
All I can say is, we’re all going to be masters of the 6/8 Afro groove by the time we’re finished here. That’s fine. It’s a lot of fun to play, to listen to, and […]
Page o’ coordination: Elvin waltz, with 16th notes
An big part of the Elvin Jones “thing” (if we must think of it that way), which doesn’t get talked about much, is 16th notes. People instantly think Elvin >>> triplets!, but he played a […]
VOQOTD: the drummer’s job
I just try to play the compositions, not so much imposing any particular kind of rhythm on any particular tune or composition—but to try and interpret the composition as if I’m an accompanist, fundamentally. And […]
VOQOTD: Elvin’s epitaph
“You got to remember, music is all about love.” —Elvin Jones From Drum Therapy: Elvin Jones 9/9/27-5/18/04, by Adam Mansbach, a very moving Jazz Times piece about Elvin’s last days. [h/t to AA]
Groove o’ the day: Elvin Jones Latin
We want to get a sense of the texture of this groove, and just writing out one time through of it would be misleading, so here’s the whole intro from I Wish You Love, from […]
VOQOTD: Elvin’s advice to young drummers
“PRACTICE, and play. Play any kind of music anywhere, weddings, carnivals, dances, circuses. Play and make sure that you give it your best. Be the best out there. I’ve played burlesque shows and recently I […]
VOQOTD: choosing cymbals
I’d go to the bin, I’d get two fourteens, I’d go to the eighteen bin, get an eighteen, then I’d go to the twenty bin and get a twenty, and that was that—none of that […]
DBMITW: magnum opus
Resisting the urge to post Le Tigre’s Bang Bang in this space today. Instead: McCoy Tyner’s Passion Dance, from the Real McCoy album, came on KMHD radio yesterday on my way to a lesson (you […]
Page o’ coordination: in 4/4 — 01
Extending this coordination series a little further, way out there into 4/4. What he have here is a little Elvin Jones-like phrase, ending with an accent on the & of 4, with a space at […]