Elvin Jones (1927–2004) was an influential jazz drummer and bandleader. The brother of pianist Hank Jones and trumpeter Thad Jones, Elvin Jones is regarded as one of the most virtuosic and versatile drummers of the post-bop era.
Equipped with a style that drew inspiration from African and Afro-Cuban drumming traditions, Jones was the right man to back John Coltrane’s spiritual jazz masterpieces “My Favorite Things”, “A Love Supreme”, “Ascension!”, and “Live at Birdland”. Following his tenure with Trane, Jones led his own bands, and continued to play on iconic recordings, including Wayne Shorter’s “Speak No Evil” and McCoy Tyner’s “The Real McCoy”, and Beat poet Allen Ginsberg’s “Songs of Innocence and Experience”.
