Elvin Jones Music

Listen to this outstanding recording session to remind yourself of a) just how great Elvin Jones is and b) how a great drummer can truly drive the music.

Heavy Sounds

There's just positive things to say about this record by these two giants and ther fellow-musicians. The wonderful, stunning bass-solo on Summertime,
the nice idea of having Elvin play a little blues-guitar on the opening of one tune, Frank Fosters ditinctive tenor, and the overall topclass rhythm-section-work plus a most delightful piano-playing makes this record always enjoyable to listen to. Christer B.

A great recording. "The greatest bass solo ever recorded" (as put by another reviewer) is certainly a stretch, but the album is still magnificent. Heavy Sounds is a title that accurately describes the music. Buy and enjoy.

The review below says it all! This recording is amazing. Track 4, Summertime, is an awe-inspiring drum-bass duet. Elvin Jones plays drums like none other!

This is a uniformly excellent recording, and has the added bonus of containing the greatest bass solo in the history of sound recording--Richard Davis' "Summertime", which ranks as one of the cultural peaks of the 20th century.

Masnadieri has some of the most beautiful Verdi duets, arias and cabalettas. I can't understand why it's so rarely performed. On this set you might not experience extreme dramatic performances (especially by Caballe-Bergonzi) but the singing really doesn't get any better than this. Firstly the true diva, the beloved Montserrat gives one of her vocally most ravishing performances. The coloratura is perfect, effortless high powerful notes and her trademark, unbelievable pianissimo. You really can't find such a soprano today! Her dramatic outbreaks are few but sincere and heartfelt. She is here accompanied by the sublime Carlo Bergonzi, a verdian expert. His beautiful, stylish singing is ideal for the role. I'm thinking: did perhaps Verdi himself coach this tenor? How does he do it?!!! This is one of the few recordings we have him with Caballe and it's a must (I find them similar artists: beautiful lyrical sound, perfect legato etc). You also get to hear two other wonderful artists: Cappuccilli and Raimondi who capture both drama and music. I especially admire Cappuccilli. Maestro Gardelli conducts this dream cast and completes this supreme recording of a less popular but thrilling Verdi opera.

illumination is one of my favorite recordings of elvin. the instrumentation is also very interresting, balancing the subtle tones of a clarinet with a sax. (also, mccoy tyner is awesome.) i love aboriginie dance in scotland. elvin seems to flow from one bar to the next. half and half is another favorite. overall, an outstanding album.

I'm not too keen on 60's avant guard jazz, I prefer 50's jazz much more, however this album is a lot of fun from Jones and Garrison larking about on the cover through the linear notes to the music itself and its possible that the title was also a jab at other artists who took themselves too seriously. The album benefits from having an excellent rhythm section that is already a band so the tunes are pacy and keep their shape and the three additional wind instrument players know how to play avant guard without making it sound like a strangled cat. Like another reviewer has commented its a pity this combo didn't make any more records.

I'm tempted to downgrade this a half-star simply because Impulse for some reason saw fit to release it in its original LP configuration, which totaled a mere 32 minutes. Given that the vast majority of CD releases today feature alternate takes and previously unreleased material, it seems "Illumination" would be a prime candidate for some beefing up. No such luck.

The fact is you feel the brevity of the CD keenly because what's here is so good, and I can't downgrade Jones and Garrison for the fact there isn't more of it. This is a smoking contemporary jazz set that brings together three-quarters of John Coltrane's famous quartet, backed by three superb and all-too-seldom-heard hornmen: Prince Lasha, Charles Davis, and Sonny Simmons.

Faint-of-heart hornmen have never needed to apply to play in front of Jones, and these three show they are up to the task of barging through the spirited challenge the drummer lays down. Lasha rips through the opener, "Nuttin' Out Jones," hanging in superbly when McCoy Tyner decides, as he often did when playing with Coltrane, to lay out and let the horn take on playing with Jones and Garrison alone.

Davis has a great baritone solo on "Half and Half," and the vastly underrated Sonny Simmons makes an eloquent, fiery statement on "Gettin' On Way." Along the way we get a dose of lyricism in "Oriental Flower," and an odd twist and musical union of the type Jones is fond of throwing in, with "Aborigine Dance in Scotland."

So what the heck: after the 32 minutes are over, you'll simply play the CD over again, and enjoy it just as much as you did the first time.

Illumination is basically the legendary John Coltrane Quartet, with three reed players standing in for Coltrane himself... which seems just about right! Here we have drummer Elvin Jones and bass player Jimmy Garrison utilizing an oportunity as leaders instead of their traditional sideman role. And, for Garrison, this would be his only instance playing this card. The tone is relaxed and the reed soloists (Prince Lasha on clarinet and flute, Sonny Simmons on alto sax and English horn, and Charles Davis on baritone sax) provide an interesting alternative to the bands usual boss. And of course that rhythm section (Elvin, Jimmy & McCoy) is just bad. You don't have to say nothin' about that. They just bad. Lastly, everyone but Elvin Jones throws in an original tune for good measure which makes the album even more unique. They didn't just play standards or other peoples songs. It's a shame that this group didn't exist more outside a few studio sessions...

illumination is one of my favorite recordings of elvin. the instrumentation is also very interresting, balancing the subtle tones of a clarinet with a sax. (also, mccoy tyner is awesome.) i love aboriginie dance in scotland. elvin seems to flow from one bar to the next. half and half is another favorite. overall, an outstanding album.

I'm not too keen on 60's avant guard jazz, I prefer 50's jazz much more, however this album is a lot of fun from Jones and Garrison larking about on the cover through the linear notes to the music itself and its possible that the title was also a jab at other artists who took themselves too seriously. The album benefits from having an excellent rhythm section that is already a band so the tunes are pacy and keep their shape and the three additional wind instrument players know how to play avant guard without making it sound like a strangled cat. Like another reviewer has commented its a pity this combo didn't make any more records.

I'm tempted to downgrade this a half-star simply because Impulse for some reason saw fit to release it in its original LP configuration, which totaled a mere 32 minutes. Given that the vast majority of CD releases today feature alternate takes and previously unreleased material, it seems "Illumination" would be a prime candidate for some beefing up. No such luck.

The fact is you feel the brevity of the CD keenly because what's here is so good, and I can't downgrade Jones and Garrison for the fact there isn't more of it. This is a smoking contemporary jazz set that brings together three-quarters of John Coltrane's famous quartet, backed by three superb and all-too-seldom-heard hornmen: Prince Lasha, Charles Davis, and Sonny Simmons.

Faint-of-heart hornmen have never needed to apply to play in front of Jones, and these three show they are up to the task of barging through the spirited challenge the drummer lays down. Lasha rips through the opener, "Nuttin' Out Jones," hanging in superbly when McCoy Tyner decides, as he often did when playing with Coltrane, to lay out and let the horn take on playing with Jones and Garrison alone.

Davis has a great baritone solo on "Half and Half," and the vastly underrated Sonny Simmons makes an eloquent, fiery statement on "Gettin' On Way." Along the way we get a dose of lyricism in "Oriental Flower," and an odd twist and musical union of the type Jones is fond of throwing in, with "Aborigine Dance in Scotland."

So what the heck: after the 32 minutes are over, you'll simply play the CD over again, and enjoy it just as much as you did the first time.

Illumination is basically the legendary John Coltrane Quartet, with three reed players standing in for Coltrane himself... which seems just about right! Here we have drummer Elvin Jones and bass player Jimmy Garrison utilizing an oportunity as leaders instead of their traditional sideman role. And, for Garrison, this would be his only instance playing this card. The tone is relaxed and the reed soloists (Prince Lasha on clarinet and flute, Sonny Simmons on alto sax and English horn, and Charles Davis on baritone sax) provide an interesting alternative to the bands usual boss. And of course that rhythm section (Elvin, Jimmy & McCoy) is just bad. You don't have to say nothin' about that. They just bad. Lastly, everyone but Elvin Jones throws in an original tune for good measure which makes the album even more unique. They didn't just play standards or other peoples songs. It's a shame that this group didn't exist more outside a few studio sessions...