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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".