—By John Densmore, Utne magazine

November / December 2004 Issue

My mentor, my main man, has finally broken on through to the other side. Elvin Jones, the polyrhythmic "jazz machine" and the motor behind John Coltrane, has crossed the tracks. He died on May 18, 2004. Elvin blazed a new path for all the rest of us timekeepers. He was the first to free up the job of clockwork, improvising continually, but never sacrificing a strong sense of pulse. He churned rhythms like an eggbeater and served up multi-meals within every four bars. With his beats perpetually on the edge, Elvin sounded like he was going to fall into his drum set, but never did.

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