Biography
The Early Years
Elvin Ray Jones, the youngest of ten children, was born September 9, 1927 in Pontiac,
Michigan. His father, originally from Vicksburg, Mississipi, was a lumber inspector
for General Motors, a deacon in the Baptist church, and a bass in the church choir.
Elvin's mother, whom he describes as "the greatest lady in the world," encouraged him and
taught him the the essential value of self-sufficiency; the strenght to survive that "was
especially valuable to me in the beginning as a musician". Music was major ingredient in
the Jones household. Elvin's brothers, Hank and Thad Jones, are great artists in their own
right. Hank is reknown as one of the most talented pianists in jazz, while Thad, now
Carving Out a Career
Elvin's first professional job was at Grand River Street, where he thrived until the
leader absconded with the receipts on Christmas Eve. He later frequented the Bluebird Inn,
where he occasionally requested to sit in. Elvin always refused adamently, thinking "it was
presumptuous to sit in with these musicians, because... they were the greatest people I
knew." Leader Billy Mitchell eventually hired Elvin. During his three years at the club he
backed up visiting performers including the reknown Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt, Wardell
Grey, and, for six months, Miles Davis. In addition, Elvin held Monday night jam sessions
at his home. He also attended a concert series near a local university, and Elvin and his
brother Thad organized Sunday festival-style concerts. Elvin played with a myraid of
artists during this busy time of his life, including Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Tommy
Flanagan, Pepper Adams, Barry Harris, Kenny Burrell, Milt Jackson, Lou Hayes and Yusef
Lateef. Elvin later translocated to New York to audition for a new Benny Goodman band.
Instead, he joined up with Charles Mingus, and in subsequent years he developed his style
with Bud Powell, Miles Davis, the Pepper Adams-Donald Byrd Quintet, Art Farmer and J.J.
Johnson. Elvin also had opprotunities to play with Miles' tenor man and the increasingly
popular artist, John Coltrane.
Elvin Jones and John Coltrane
After leaving Miles in 1960, Coltrane was touring in San Francisco with his new band when
he flew back to New York to seek out Elvin. As a result, in Denver, Colorado, Elvin joined
one of jazz' most celebrated alliances. During the years between 1960 to 1966, Elvin
contributed to some of the most controversial, influential, and ultimately important music
in jazz. Among the most successful recordings from this amazing group are "A love Supreme"
and "Coltrane 'Live' at the Village Vanguard." About this experience, Elvin comments:
"Right from the beginning to the last time we played together it was something pure. The
most impressive thing was a feeling of steady, collective learning... If there is anything
like perfect harmony in human relationships, that band was as close as you can come". Elvin
eventually left John Coltrane in March 1966.
Elvin Jones the Band Leader
Elvin returned to New York after a brief tour with Duke Ellington's band. He then began his
30+ year distinguished career as a band leader. Elvin assembled and led his own trios,
quartets, and quintets. He led a series of piano-less trios featuring Joe Farrell on tenor
and several other artists, including Jimmy Garrison, Bill Wood, Charlie Haden, and Wilbur
Little. Saxophonists who have worked for him regularly have been Frank Foster, George
Coleman, Dave Liebman, Pat La Barbera, and Sonny Fortune. Elvin's ensembles have appeared
throughout the United States and Europe and conducted major tours of South Africa and Asia.
They have frequently chosen the group's repertoire, but some original material has been
contributed by Elvin's Japanese wife Keiko Jones, whom he met in Nagasaki.
Elvin is usually working on the road nine or ten months in the average year.
When not travelling, Elvin and his soulmate wife divide their time between their two homes
in New York and Nagasaki Japan. They have become partners in every sense: besides
providing inspiration, she is also his personal and business manager. Elvin has performed
and recorded many of her works, including "Mr. Jones", "Shinjitsu", and "Zange".
Known all over the world, Jones has been heard on more than 500 recordings with no end in
sight. He also made a temporary detour to Hollywood in 1971 to appear as the character Job
Cain in the ABC Paramount "Zachariah". In 1973, a six week tour of 14 countries of South
America for the U.S. Information Agency had him performing in one of the first orderly
mass gatherings in Chile following the overthrow of Salvatore Allende. He returned for a
second USIA tour in 1975. His latest Enja CD in 1993 is entitled, "It Don't Mean a Thing".