Personally, I would add Tony to that list. Not that it matters, and this is of course all personal preference, but my order is Elvin, Tony, then Buddy. Not a contest of course, just a preference of mine.
He warps time and space so far over the bar line that you think there is no way he can get back in time, but as the last seemingly impossible hemidemisemiquaver comes around, he fools you and lands right on the money!!! There's no one remotely like Elvin Jones.
ginger baker did that as well. no one takes the time to study him. there are many similarities between baker and elvin, but their styles are different.
More importantly Elvin was a direct inspiration and influence on John Densmore of The Doors who was tutored backstage at Coltrane gigs at the Manne Hole in Hollywood when John was just a kid. John's drumming with the Doors has been criminally under appreciated but his Jazz chops were essential to the Doors sound with all the influences the other members of the band brought to the equation. John's drumming was the basic foundation. Besides Elvin Jones, John Bonham took a lot of inspiration from Buddy Rich.
I saw Elvin with my close friend and his Sister Louise many times at the Vanguard in the Village …and when ever he saw Louise in the audience at the end of his set he would get up from his drums walk to our table put his arms around us , and then pick Louise up and spin her around give her a huge hug & then show the great grin he had and that great cackle of a laugh he had & wink at us .. then leave his drums behind with a huge pool of sweat surrounding his drum stool !!! He wasn’t just one of the greatest drummers in history! He was one the greatest gentleman I have ever known & I miss him dearly!
"How would i explain polyrhythmic style to a man in the moon? The poly of that word means many and a rhythm, of course, so it just means many rhythms and uh - so that's exactly what it is - they're coordinated rhythms." Elvin Jones
His style was abstract back thin they had never heard anything like it HE WAS KILLING THAT SHIT they didn't no what to do but to learn to adjust cause he was bringing something NEW
My dad was a jazz drummer and Elvin Jones was his hero. About twenty five years ago, my dad had the opportunity to hear Elvin give a masterclass in Montreal at the Salle Gesu concert hall and actually got to play with him. My dad told me that besides marrying my mom and my birth, that day with Elvin was happiest day of his life.
Because I loved Elvin's playing so much and had seen him lead his band at the Village Vanguard on multiple, five or more, heart-singing occasions, I rushed to see this documentary when it was first screened at the Bleecker Street Cinema in the Village, early 80s. I had the poster image of Different Drummer on my wall for many years. Can't swear to it since sometimes the memory plays tricks, but I feel fairly certain that there was more precious footage of Elvin with his family in the original screening that I saw---I remember images of the family eating outside together at a picnic. What a special and unique person Elvin Jones was!!
saw elvin jones live in london at ronny scotts mid 1990s - after the first concert I went and bought all the coltrane albums he played on. I went back to see him every night at ronny scotts, an the years after that (because Elvin came back to ronnie's year after year). To me, Elvin's drumming is the most inspired ever. It inspired so many, but the original is best. One of my other favorite drummers is Mark Guiliana, and he has named Elvin Jones as a big inspiration.
Right?! Never been much of a biopic fan, but I couldn’t help but hear tones of Dave Chappelle in his “voice”. Damn, I would LOVE to experience that film!
Elvin, simply put,one of the all time greatest.....if I were putting a band together,he would be my number one choice. Thanks for the music,maestro,your legacy is indelible.
If he would even be close to available to play in your band. Would you be his choice to be in a band with? Lol sorry, just messing. I hope you go far with your music my man. I wish I can get a quartet together myself to jam with.
So many drummers have tried to emulate this legend, but his heart was way deeper musically than what another tries to copy. He was an innovative mind for drumming.
I’m a 69 years older my love from playing the drums that it’s called Heart Beat. My artist way is to communicate with same wavelength musicians. I’m still playing drums now it’s progressive Rock 🪨 Thanks Mr. Elvin Jones for giving me the inspiration to play drums that has the ability of playing what you feel.
My father listened to Elvin Jones before I was born; my mom hung out and they would drill down into Coltrane and Elvin's catalog, so they told me. Years later, a guitarist named Randy Hansen told me "your triplets are very Elvin-esque". I never put it all together until that moment. I had been studying and appreciating Elvin Jones' drumming before I was even out of my mom. :D
in the early 70s, I was privileged to sit in Ronnie Scott's, right near the front, night after night and watch and listen, then walk home at 3am, (no night busses back then), wonderful! My ex managed to get me this old video from the USA.
Just wanted to add that your father was very kind to me and his artistry will always be there for those who are seekers..His concepts and his feel has and will continue to inspire a whole generation of musicians!!All musicians bow down to Elvin Ray!!Thank u for posting!
I've been watching Tony Williams (another one of my favorites besides Elvin) before clicking on this video..., I noticed that Elvin's style, especially the use of polyrhythms, did remind me of some of Tony's playing. Both drummers also had yellow colored drum sets (coincidence??) And Gretsch kits besides?! Two fantastic drummers..., they graced us w/ their talent while they were here!
Without the influence of Elvin Jones on The Doors drummer John Densmore who was tutored backstage by Elvin when he was just a kid, The Doors would have never been the band that they were. It was the Jazz polyrhythms Densmore learned directly from Jones that formed the basic foundation of The Doors band. Too many people think of non-musician Jim Morrison when they think of the Doors - and he was extremely important as their singer, front man and one of the band's poets who composed lyrics (guitarist Robby Krieger actually penned about half of the band's best known songs!) and while keyboard man Ray Manzarek was incredibly important with his unique gifts and talents on the keys and Krieger's awesome guitar presence it was John's drumming that laid the back drop for the rest of them to explore their own dynamics musically, and vocally. It was the whole Elvin Jones influence on John that made it happen. Otherwise John in his own words would have just been a high school marching band drummer playing in a garage rock band with little technique other than just pounding away like so many who had no real training or real inspiration. John was never dominating in his drumming with the Doors but his fills and rides are full of Elvin Jones inspired and influenced dynamics set to a rock band scene where Ray's theatric keyboard solos and keyboard bass tie in with Robby's unique Flamenco and Blues-Jazz mix approach to the guitar formed the essence of the Doors incredible soundscape and the backdrop for Morrison's plaintive vocals. Without John playing those great Elvin Jones inspired polyrhythms the rest of the group just would not have jelled. Most rock bands of the 60's weren't as sophisticated as the Doors were and Densmore's drums made it happen. He was the odd man out in many ways in the band and there was talk behind his back by Morrison and the other two that perhaps they should fire him and get another drummer because he was such a self-imposed outsider outside of his role as the drummer in the band, but the general consensus was WHO could fill his shoes or take his chair or drum stool as the case was. Absolutely NOBODY!
@@bholaoates1542 Sometimes less is more - and in the case of great bands like The Beatles with Ringo Starr, The Doors with John Densmore, Creedence with Doug Clifford, The Eagles with Don Henley - they proved with their great body of recordings that was most certainly the case. No drum solos for any of them as they weren't really needed. Bands like The Who and Led Zeppelin (and many others!) needed more progressive drummers like Keith Moon and John 'Bonzo' Bonham and their occasional solos were merited due to the nature of the music they were playing. While Phil Collins was an added asset as an extra drummer in Clapton's mid to late 80's band line up it wasn't Phil's drumming that made EC's grooves happen - it was another 'less is more' drummer the late and great Jamie Oldaker. I can't imagine Deep Purple without Ian Paice - while he can play definite over the top show drums, for the most part, he was always a finesse drummer.
@@gregorybush3224 I never knew about Elvin until I read about Densmore's being influenced by him - then I checked out Elvin's catalog and realized I had been hearing him for years on my Jazz records and didn't know who he was. I recall being mesmerized by that single snare snap John leads off 'Light My Fire' with. I could name that tune on the radio in one note - err, one beat! I love John's fills and how they build and develop throughout a song. He never overplays and he always compliments, and he is very dependable in his accents varying them without getting in a rut and he's always exploring dynamics that are absolutely lyrical as well as melodic. I don't think the Doors band could have replaced him that easy. Maybe with someone with the drumming skills and caliber as Ray Cooper who is more well known as a percussionist, he is also an incredible drummer who is often criminally over-looked and underappreciated.
Chris Freeman: agreed. I've always heard of Elvin but similar to you never realized he played on many tracks Iistened to. Devo's drummer also mentioned Elvin as an influence. Like a musician friend said " Elvin touched a lot of people".
I always remembered the solo in a movie from the late 70's Zechariah and since trying to learn on my own kit..... RU-vid knowing a master when it sees one returned amazing results! Register those sticks as nunchucks.
You Mentioned some rock cats. I'm reading comments about the influence Elvin had on Rock Drummers. Let's make something very Clear Elvin inspired a lot of drummers and influenced those who were looking to perform a different approach in Jazz as Clifford Jarvis Roy Brooks Art Taylor even Buddy Rich One Rock Drummer you did not mention and probably was most influenced and inspired was GINGER BAKER who was Inspired to go study in Africa and adapted those African Rhythms into his own. Art Blakey was Amazed by Gingers Knowledge and Performance himself.
@@BebopHardRock Si ....tenía un amigo.....era milico y me ayudó a entrar...con 16 años ya era amante del jazz y fue maravilloso....un sueño realizado...
Elvin not only influenced other jazz drummers as well as some rock drummers, but he also influenced music overall with his approach to the triplet in his playing. I believe Elvin's use of triplets and his unorthodox placement of the accent within a triplet figure led composers to incorporate those triplet innovations in their compositions. There have been many great, legendary drummers -- Buddy Rich, Chick Webb, Max Roach, Gene Krupa, Art Blakey, Louie Bellson, Tony Williams, Jack Dejohnette, and many others. But how many can you actually say influenced the way *music* is *written?*
hello there guys. Elvin is a one of the greatest, there is no doubt about that . I was lucky enough to see him alive in Israel , RED SEA JAZZ festival with Ron Catrer and Chick Corea - but still I do not understand what he plays .
Over the decades, I've realized that a lot of what makes his approach confusing is where he places the accents, especially when he's soloing. He'll often accent the 2 or the 4 when you think he's accenting the 1. But if you really concentrate, count and try to hear the musicality of the unexpected accent, it's easier to understand what he's doing.
Saw him twice at the jazz bakery and T the musician so called union.....when they trade. The bass,piano..could not figure it out where was 1. .. Hahaha
The song predominately featured here is titled Three Card Molly. Very good jazz composition from the master Elvin and I believe that is Pat LaBarbera on soprano saxophone 🎷
No, Max Roach was the first suoer-polyrhythm guy. Philly Joe Jones was next, then Elvin. Tony Williams totally revolutionized drumming, for he began to play 7/4, 9/4 time randomly or completely "out of time" plus using the high-hat on every down beat (church soul clap).
