Elvin Jones Music

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...

This is very likely the best jazz album I own, and possibly the best I've heard. The piano solo in Doll of the Bride is intense and gorgeous, and the alto solo epitomizes passionate, take-no-prisoners, go-for-it-all playing. (It gives me chills almost every time I hear it, and I've being listening to this album for years.) The other two tracks are effortless to listen to, and almost impossible to forget. Particularly superb is the bass solo in Island Birdie. Before it's done, you may not believe you're listening to a bass!

This 1991 live recording of one of numerous incarnations of Jones's Jazz Machine is one of the best of the drummer's many efforts. Elvin's underrated talent for bringing together top-notch musicians who understand how to cook within a musical concept is displayed in three superb live cuts.

The list of saxophonists that Jones has played with and in many cases nurtured since the death of John Coltrane is long and distinguished. Here he teams up with one of his finest partners, Sonny Fortune, as well as Coltrane's son, Ravi, who holds his own in a heavyweight lineup that also includes Chip Jackson on bass, and the terrific pianist and long-time Jones bandmate Willie Pickens.

The set, recorded at a festival in Germany, opens with the gently but insistently simmering "Ray," which gives all the players a chance to shine. Coltrane makes a fine showing with a smooth but very swinging turn on soprano. It's an impressive showing for me because he distinguishes his sound nicely from his father's. No easy feat to step out of such a lengthily cast shadow.

Of the three cuts, the most impressive is "Doll of the Bride," a traditional Japanese song arranged by Jones's wife Keiko, who has made strong contributions to her husband's songbook over the years. It's a 32-minute piece that spans various loosely but logically connected sections and, as with all great jazz compositions of this type, skillfully blends order and improvisation. It takes the listener into a world of musical logic that makes, during its best moments, the passage of time irrelevant.

Pickens and Fortune are particularly strong on this piece. Fortune, in fact, has rarely sounded better, a strong statement to make about one of our greatest living saxophonists, but one with which I think the serious listener will agree. He's a raging bull on tenor at times, yet he is capable of a clear-as-water purity on flute that lends balance and color to the music when that is called for. Pickens displays not only musical technique but also historical knowledge of the instrument in his work. One can hear echoes of Jones's long-time partner McCoy Tyner, but Willie's sound is strong and confident and altogether his own.

Elvin, as always, maintains a strong and unmistakable presence, taking a solo turn or two that displays his still impressive technique, but primarily concentrating on building an unshakable foundation on which the others can launch their statements.

"Live in Europe" makes a good companion piece to Enja's fine recordings of Jones at the Village Vanguard in the '70s. One can hear the same spirit in the music, but there is nothing being repeated. Rather, the spirit is being reinforced, made stronger by the undying creative energy of Jones and his companions.

This is very likely the best jazz album I own, and possibly the best I've heard. The piano solo in Doll of the Bride is intense and gorgeous, and the alto solo epitomizes passionate, take-no-prisoners, go-for-it-all playing. (It gives me chills almost every time I hear it, and I've being listening to this album for years.) The other two tracks are effortless to listen to, and almost impossible to forget. Particularly superb is the bass solo in Island Birdie. Before it's done, you may not believe you're listening to a bass!

This 1991 live recording of one of numerous incarnations of Jones's Jazz Machine is one of the best of the drummer's many efforts. Elvin's underrated talent for bringing together top-notch musicians who understand how to cook within a musical concept is displayed in three superb live cuts.

The list of saxophonists that Jones has played with and in many cases nurtured since the death of John Coltrane is long and distinguished. Here he teams up with one of his finest partners, Sonny Fortune, as well as Coltrane's son, Ravi, who holds his own in a heavyweight lineup that also includes Chip Jackson on bass, and the terrific pianist and long-time Jones bandmate Willie Pickens.

The set, recorded at a festival in Germany, opens with the gently but insistently simmering "Ray," which gives all the players a chance to shine. Coltrane makes a fine showing with a smooth but very swinging turn on soprano. It's an impressive showing for me because he distinguishes his sound nicely from his father's. No easy feat to step out of such a lengthily cast shadow.

Of the three cuts, the most impressive is "Doll of the Bride," a traditional Japanese song arranged by Jones's wife Keiko, who has made strong contributions to her husband's songbook over the years. It's a 32-minute piece that spans various loosely but logically connected sections and, as with all great jazz compositions of this type, skillfully blends order and improvisation. It takes the listener into a world of musical logic that makes, during its best moments, the passage of time irrelevant.

Pickens and Fortune are particularly strong on this piece. Fortune, in fact, has rarely sounded better, a strong statement to make about one of our greatest living saxophonists, but one with which I think the serious listener will agree. He's a raging bull on tenor at times, yet he is capable of a clear-as-water purity on flute that lends balance and color to the music when that is called for. Pickens displays not only musical technique but also historical knowledge of the instrument in his work. One can hear echoes of Jones's long-time partner McCoy Tyner, but Willie's sound is strong and confident and altogether his own.

Elvin, as always, maintains a strong and unmistakable presence, taking a solo turn or two that displays his still impressive technique, but primarily concentrating on building an unshakable foundation on which the others can launch their statements.

"Live in Europe" makes a good companion piece to Enja's fine recordings of Jones at the Village Vanguard in the '70s. One can hear the same spirit in the music, but there is nothing being repeated. Rather, the spirit is being reinforced, made stronger by the undying creative energy of Jones and his companions.

choo choo hot fish!!. For music lovers, drums lovers, sax lovers, trumpet lovers ...

This album cooks. It percolates. It dances. It lifts my soul and puts a smile in my heart.

If you like Coltrane's classic quartet era, you will LOVE this album. It has a very similar feel, although not quite as intense. It's more light-hearted, but the solos are not frivolous. They are passionate, creative, and witty.

The interplay between the players is a thing of beauty. These are master musicians having a great conversation with one another. And Elvin is keeping it all flowing and be-bopping along.

Classic jazz that should be in your collection. Amen.

P.S. The track "A Lullaby of Itsugo Village" is hands down one of the most beautiful jazz ballads I have ever had the privilege to hear. Just gorgeous.

For those who are wondering, Who's Steve Griggs? and, Is this really worth $18? Well, let me tell you that it's some of the best jazz I have ever heard!!, no joke. Sure, we all trumpet the golden days -50's & 60's- but great jazz is being made today and these recordings, vol 1+2 by Steve Griggs prove it!! And how's Elvin's playing here? Better than anything I've heard him on through 90s', it's right up there with his album, Lush Life. The liner notes take you through the journey of how the album was made- like the space, a converted barn in California/ 2'in Tape to digital,enc. By takng chances with new recordings you will discover new music, musicians, emotions, and expression. Drop the bread jazz lovers, and enjoy this unique work of art. cheers -jb

Recorded live at the Village Vanguard in the early 70's The basic group is Coleman on Tenor - Wilbur Little on bass & Jones on drums. Marvin Peterson on trumpet is added for the 15 min. track on which Jones is featured also. George is featured all the way on the 2 standard semi-ballads without stopping for a bass solo. Little is not heard in solo at all. - Good Show - Certainly more Boppish than Avant.